Traveling can really beat up your skin so I’m very mindful of how I treat it while I’m on vacation. Here are a collection of tips and products I use to keep my face happy when I’m away from home. If it’s helpful to know my skin type before reading my opinions – I’m extremely fair, burn easily, and have very dry skin and lips (despite hydrating like a crazy person! thanks thyroid!).
First, of course, you need to hydrate. That’s a no brainer for healthy, fresh skin.
Second, another no brainer – you need to wear sunscreen. My favorite when traveling is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70 Face & Body stick. I really love that you can use it all over your body, not just your face. The coverage is excellent; I have never once gotten a burn when using this sunscreen.
Third, you need to wash your face before you go to bed at night. Being out and about all day can mean a whole face full of gunk by the end of the day (sweat, sunscreen, bacteria, dirt, oil, weather/pollution, etc), and that stuff has to go!
Fourth, it may sound intuitive, but I try to keep my travel face routine as close to my regular at-home skin care and makeup routine as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes use vacation as an excuse to take a break from makeup. But I do like wearing it and I prefer having a little on for pictures.
Skincare:
These are the exact products I use every day, just in travel sizes! Thankfully most brands make a regular and travel size options of their products. If not, invest in some good quality travel containers and make your own.
- Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser – delicate, not drying, leaves my skin squeaky clean and it smells awesome
- Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion – super light but hydrating, keeps my skin super soft
- Kiehl’s Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist – great for a pick me up on the road or on a plane, perfect right out of the shower, can totally be worn on it’s own or under your moisturizer – it’s like a mini facial every time I use it! Smells unreal too!
- Clinique Take the Day Off Remover Stick – I love that they make this in a travel-friendly stick, this will melt away any makeup for easy removal
Makeup:
I keep my vacation makeup routine really basic. It’s for efficiency reasons – all of these items fit in my purse and I don’t have to carry a huge makeup bag, but also for practical reasons – I don’t like traveling with my high-end makeup that could break or get ruined in my luggage.
- Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Bloom – my everyday lip color, it’s smooth, subtle, not too heavy, the perfect lip balm
- Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm – my all time favorite colorless lip balm, leaves lips soft and hydrated
- Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in Very Black – classic, my favorite drugstore makeup product, easy to remove, great brush
- Covergirl Professional Clear Mascara – to set and fix the brows
- Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight – a beautiful subtle highlighter, I love that this is a cream, the stick is so much more convenient than dealing with highlighter powders
- Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Liquid Eye Brightener in Luminous 1 – instantly brightens under eyes, I double duty this as concealer too (it’s the most perfect match to my skin color!)
- MAC Technakohl Eye Liner in Uniform – glides on super smooth, beautiful rich color
- Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Eyebrow Pencil in Soft Brown – great to fill brows, so easy to use, the opposite end is a brush to blend the color
(Products listed on my blog are never sponsored; I am in no way paid, given free samples, or told to say anything you just read. I have posted about the above products because I went out, purchased these items myself, and want to share my thoughts in a candid and informative way.)