It’s one thing to keep up a 7-step skincare routine (or 2 or 12 – we’re not judging) at home, but taking it on the road can be challenging. It might not even be advisable, depending on your destination.
When hitting the road, air, or sea this summer, consider some tweaks to your routine. We asked a panel of local experts for their tips on keeping skin in shape all season, from departure to refreshing return.
Considerate Climate
You may need different products for the mountains of Montana or the beaches of Belize, so be prepared for various terrains. And wherever you’re heading, pack a collapsible hat and sunglasses for unexpected sunny moments.
High altitude spots can mean more intense UV rays. For extra protection, Pure Dermatology’s Drs. Kate Holcomb and Mara Haseltine are fans of a product called Heliocare. With a plant-based active ingredient used for over 25 years in dermatological products for its antioxidant properties, Heliocare is designed to increase the threshold to burn by lowering free radicals – or, as Dr. Holcomb explains, “allowing more time in the sun without the sunburn.” Our experts caution that you need to pair the product with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, but you can withstand a little more exposure with less damage.
For the beach or other sunny spots, Dr. Haseltine opts for a lightweight sunscreen that’s easy to reapply (think formulations like powders, foams, and sprays): “If it is too thick and heavy, it will not be easy to reapply, so we have seen sunburns time and time again from not reapplying on the beach.” She likes Supergoop mousse in travel size, Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Brush-On Shield SPF 50, and Trader Joe’s SPF Spray. And Haseltine won’t go the beach without Neova DNA Total Repair or Neova Body Repair. As she said, “These superstar DNA repair enzymes can undo DNA damage caused by ultraviolet light – and studies show that DNA damage can happen up to 6 hours after UV exposure. My entire family applies these to face and body after big sun exposure, and they are believers!”
Lindsey Benoit, owner of About Face, likes Colorescience products in SPF 50, which can be applied in brush powder or liquid form and flex to match skin tone and provide the evenness of makeup – without makeup. She chooses Colorescience Lip Shine (SPF 35) to protect lips and add a little color.
For drier, cold climates, Dr. Haseltine recommends small sizes of moisturizers like CeraVe Cream and Aquaphor ointment.
Travel Light
Travel is the time to streamline your skincare and omit steps like masks and leave-on treatments. As Dr. Holcomb said, “It’s hard to bring a whole routine, and sometimes the 3.4 oz TSA requirements can make it tougher.”
Holcomb’s list of “always have” items:
- A gentle, fragrance-free face wash like Cetaphil or CeraVe to limit dryness from washing (or a bar of Vanicream or Dove which don’t count toward liquid requirements)
- Tinted SPF to double as makeup (she loves the travel size skinbetter tinted SPF TONE SMART, a non-chemical SPF 75 that’s 80 minutes water resistant. According to Holcomb, the travel size contains about 60 pumps, which lasts at least 4 weeks, even with reapplying.)
- Vaseline for lips and dry bits
- A thick night moisturizer like skinbetter Trio Luxe, SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid, or La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer.
Dr. Claire Melancon, owner of Audubon Facial Plastic Surgery, is a self-described “minimalist” when it comes to skincare, especially while traveling: “In general, I pack my daily retinol (unless there will be a lot of sun exposure), vitamin C serum, and sunscreen, plus a moisturizer or redness reducer, depending on where I’m traveling to. I avoid using my retinol if I know I’ll be in the sun, as this can further irritate the skin, but use my vitamin C serum, a moisturizer, and sunscreen religiously.”
Dr. Melancon’s favorites:
- SkinCeuticals Retinol
- SkinCeuticals Silymarin C Serum or CE Ferulic
- skinbetter tinted compact sunscreen
- For moisturizers: SkinCeuticals or Skinfix Triple Lipid
Dr. Haseltine’s three basics of skincare are SPF, retinoid, and some sort of antioxidant. As she reassures travelers: “It is okay to skip the extra stuff – even eye cream for a short period of time.” Haseltine also gives retinols and retinoids the green light for summer use, dispelling the idea that they cause increased likelihood to sunburn. “We always recommend using them at night, as they are deactivated by sunlight,” she said, adding that the humid summer climate can actually help skin tolerate retinols more easily than dry winter weather (which can lead to skin dryness).
Safe Space with ‘Multitaskers’
When every inch counts, pick products that can do double duty. Dr. Haseltine recommends Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Brush-On Shield SPF 50, which can work as a powder and on-the-go SPF to throw in your hiking backpack or purse. skinbetter’s TONE SMART SPF 68 Sunscreen Compact can work as a matte makeup and for all-day SPF touch ups. Aquaphor Healing Ointment can be a double agent as a lip gloss, heavy moisturizer for very dry skin, or salve for scrapes/wounds or snagged cuticles.
Benoit recommends the multipurpose Spongelle – a body gel-infused sponge available at About Face. “I put in a Ziploc bag and hang it in the shower… It promises 7+ uses, but I usually get 10-12.” And once the body wash is gone, the sponge can be used to exfoliate.
Soap Smartly
If you have sensitive skin or a history of eczema, it’s best to avoid overly fragrant hotel soaps and body washes. “We often see patients for dry and irritated skin – and the only thing that they have done differently is traveling and using the provided hotel soap,” says Dr. Haseltine.
Fly Flawlessly
Pay attention to TSA travel requirements and differing regulations for international travel, which can be more stringent. Travel is an ideal time to use product samples you might have of prescription medications or over-the-counter products. “The last thing you want is to have TSA take your expensive prescription product!” said Dr. Haseltine. To that end, Pure Dermatology is offering a promotion all summer to get a free trial size SPF TONE SMART with a full size sunbetter TONE SMART SPF 75 Sunscreen Lotion.
When faced with long (dehydrating) flights, Benoit likes to follow up with a sheet mask like the facial sheets from Patchology, which can illuminate, hydrate, and combat redness. She also loves Colorescience Total Eye, an under-eye hydrogel treatment that lifts, helps with hydration, and minimizes creasing.
Rejuvenate End-of-Summer Skin
All that summer fun can take a toll on skin. Pure Dermatology recommends the Diamond Glow Facial to clear pores and brighten skin (all summer long) or the LaseMD ULTRA to combat pigmentation from the summer (dark spots), brighten skin and stimulate collagen.
Dr. Melancon recommends hydrafacials throughout the summer as a way to gently exfoliate, cleanse, and hydrate the skin. “As the end of the summer approaches, then I’m thinking about treatments to reset the skin for the fall, like chemical peels or lasers, depending on how much downtime you have, to get rid of unwanted pigmentation, etc.”
About Face offers the “About Your Face” treatment, customizable to address skin’s particular needs, from hydrating to exfoliating, combatting redness, etc. Benoit also recommends adding a HydroJelly to any facial treatment for extra cooling and hydration. Another option is the Bio RePeel, which takes just 30 minutes (with no downtime) to remove dead skin and help with hyper pigmentation that summer sun can bring out, and the Power Brightening Oxygen Treatment, which Benoit endorses post-vacation.
Thoughts on Slugging…
There’s a phenomenon promoted on social media called “slugging” which involves layering an occlusive ointment (like Aquaphor or Vaseline) at night in an effort to “lock in other products” and “be a heavy moisturizing treatment.” Dr. Haseltine’s thoughts? “Listen to your skin and be aware of its needs. If you tend to run dry, you may benefit from occasional slugging. If you are oily and prone to blackheads and pimples (acne), this treatment may not be right for you. It is best to ensure that your skin is SUPER clean before slugging because while slugging itself is not comedogenic (acne-causing), if you have clogged pores or retained makeup, you could create an infection or outbreak by trapping these particles under an occlusive product.”
