The only thing that is worse than trying to figure out what skincare you should and shouldn’t pack before traveling is when your skin freaks out because it doesn’t have your tried and true products while being out of town. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your skin while you are away from home, so here are 5 Skincare Travel Tips approved by a licensed esthetician to help you better care for your skin while traveling.

Tip 1: Be Careful Transferring Products

Transferring your skincare products into smaller containers can be a simple way to save space in your luggage. However, did you know that by doing this, some products will become ineffective once exposed to the air? For example, skincare that is usually SAFE to transfer include most cleansers, and skincare that is UNSAFE to transfer include products like Vitamin C and Retinol.

Tip 2: Sun Protection

If you are traveling to a destination where you will be exposed to the sun frequently, whether it is a beach vacation or a hiking trip, be sure to bring enough SPF along with you. Not just SPF, but SPF that is above 30 and has a mineral base, like this one. If you plan to spend longer than an hour in the sun while traveling, you should be reapplying your sun protection every 2 hours. Body sunscreens are usually in bulky packaging - to ensure you are packing enough while saving on space in your luggage, stop by a local pharmacy or grocery store and buy sunscreen when you arrive. If you are visiting family or are staying at a house of some kind, see if you can even have it shipped to the location ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about your luggage being crammed.

Tip 3: Don’t Bring Everything

Of course you want to have your skincare with you while traveling, but there is a common misconception that traveling with your skincare means you need to travel with all of your skincare. For example, if you usually use an eye cream regularly, just use your moisturizer when traveling. If you have treatment products like masks that you use 1-2 times per week, leave these at home. You most likely won’t have time to apply them anyway and they will just take up space. Prioritize your foundational products that keep your skin clean, exfoliated, moisturized and protected on a daily basis and forget the rest.

Tip 4: Bring Your Core Products

Although you won’t need to bring all of your skincare with you when traveling as I mentioned, you should bring your core, main products that you will need for optimal care and protection. If you are traveling to a friend, don’t rely on the fact that they will most likely have a face wash somewhere in their house. Your skin will be happiest with the products that have been chosen specifically for you. You should also bring any products that are treating your skin concerns. These are the products you use that are usually exfoliating in nature to keep acne prone skin at bay or brightening products that you are using to actively reduce hyperpigmentation. These products require diligence and consistency and therefore should not be stopped even in the midst of travel.

Tip 5: Bring Your Own Linens

I know, I know, it sounds bougie. But if you can, bring your own face towel and pillow case. The main reason I bring this up has more to do with keeping your skincare journey consistent. You never know what laundry detergent or chemicals are being used on the hotel linens, but they most likely contain pore clogging and irritating ingredients. Therefore if you have acne prone or even just sensitive skin that you are trying to treat, you are better off bringing your own linens that regularly come into contact with your face to avoid breakouts and irritation while on vacation.

Follow these simple tips not only when packing for your next trip but also when purchasing your skincare! I hope this helps you have a plan for which products you can travel with and which you will need travel sizes in. You will thank yourself later when you are on a trip and your skin is nourished and content.

Chat with a Pomp Esthetician to find out what products are crucial for your travel plans.