The Good Kind of Baggage
Yes I actually did wear the above outfit…while touring a mosque in Dubai…as well as wearing SPF and UV protected clothing…but I digress. Travel can suck the life out of your skin…how to stay perfectly hydrated so that your skin puts its best foot forward, whether or not you wear makeup? I’ve culled the best suggestions from the most likely experts (Vogue, Allure, top derms etc) and put them in one short and sweet article for you here:
Stay Skin-Hydrated
Traveling, especially by plane, can be stressful on skin and cause dryness or even an overflight blemish. Keep your skin hydrated using top of the line ingredients. The one to look for here? Hyaluronic Acid. From Vogue: the ability of a hyaluronic acid-based product to absorb quickly and enhance hydration makes it a great option for travel. Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its weight in water, which helps seal in moisture and provide extra protection in dehydrating conditions like sun, altitude, and airplane cabins. Oil-free, and non-comedogenic, it works well for any skin type and can be applied after cleansing under sunscreen, make-up, or moisturizer. The one I use personally:
Keep Sensitive Areas Protected
Also from Vogue: when flying, it’s so important to have the sensitive areas on the face covered. Before getting on the plane, <<put>> on a ton of eye and lip cream to both spots. Allure has given both of R+F’s eye creams “Best of” Awards. The Bright Eye Complex won in 2019 and the Multi-Function Eye Cream won in 2011, and also received the “Editor’s Favorite” award in 2018.
The Bright Eye Complex has Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin, is in a gel format, and delivers all-day hydration to the eye area via time-release. It’s supercharged with phytonutrients, caffeine and illuminating brighteners so you look refreshed when emerging off the plane or out of the long car ride.
Some eye creams target puffiness, some target fine lines and wrinkles. It’s all in the ingredients. The multi-function eye cream includes Peptides for lines and Glycerin for moisture. Always apply eye creams with the ring finger (it’s still functional but delicate) and pat the product into the area gently.
For the lips, it’s critical to protect BEFORE they get chapped. Using a great lip balm frequently, as Vogue recommends, will do that. However, if they do get chapped, it’s time to TREAT. And a lip balm will NOT repair the area. You need ingredients like Peptides and Vitamin E to do that. The R+F lip serum is pre-measured with just the right amount of product to address the lips. I often put it on once or twice during a long airplane flight or car ride.
Beware Stress Breakout
A misplaced passport. A flight delay. Lost luggage. Travel has its annoyances; don’t let blemishes be among them. Even if you aren’t usually someone who “breaks out”, the stress of being on the road can show up on your face as a blemish here or pimple there, exactly when you don’t need it. Masks are a great way to address sporadic break outs without making a huge investment in new products.
The Clarifying Mask can be used to address stress breakouts and to reduce redness. Apply when you get to your hotel. If your skin has become irritated due to pollution or new surroundings, try the Rescue Mask, which contains Glycerine and Calamine, reducing visible redness, calming skin and neutralizing irritants for quick relief.
Sunscreen - YES!
I remember when my own family called me crazy when I suggested they apply sunscreen to their skin before getting on a plane or riding in a car. Aging rays (A rays) penetrate glass, clouds and go much deeper into the skin’s layer than the B rays with which we are more familiar. Remember this image:
This gentleman had been driving a truck for two decades. The side of his face nearest to the sun shows much more damage than the other. Glass does NOT stop the sun’s rays. Key sunscreen ingredients include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. This product has both:
Can’t remember how to apply sunscreen so you don’t look white? Check out my video showing you how to do just that.
All the products shown above are in security-compliant sizes. R+F skincare regimens also come in travel sizes.
Where ever your travels take you, make sure you are carrying the right kind of baggage!