Travelling Skin Traumas and How to Avoid Them

When leaving the sunny shores of Australia for the (sometimes) cold and rainy weather of Vancouver, and having many travel stories to leave behind, be sure you’ll experience first hand how long flights, jet-lag, and a rapid change in climate can wreck havoc on your skin. Pre-holiday stress, in-flight air-conditioning, and lack of sleep and exercise can sap your complexion of its luminosity and vitality before you even reach your destination. Once there, if you’re fortunate enough to be travelling long distance, the change in weather can also affect your skin, whether it is colder, warmer, drier, or more humid.

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In these cases, keeping physically healthy will not only make you feel more human, but will play a vital role in creating that healthy holiday glow. Trying to keep pre-flight stress to a minimum is the first step, as stress can manifest in your body as toxins, leaving your skin and hair dull and lackluster. Remember, you’re going on vacation to de-stress! Be calm and happy, and look forward to the adventures to follow, and you’ll look and feel much better.

While sitting on an airplane for hours on end is not exactly the same as sitting back in a massage chair, trying to relax and get a decent amount of sleep will help to deter jet-lag at the other end. Drink bucket loads of water to combat the dehydration flying causes, munch on light, healthy snacks (no salted peanuts!), avoid alcohol, and try not to keep your seat-back television blaring for the whole 12 hour flight! Use a lavender eye mask to block out light and relax the senses (try Urban Spa Silk Eye Pillow with Lavender, from well.ca), and settle back into your partly-reclined chair for a (mostly-interrupted, uncomfortable) sleep. Use all this spare time to pamper your skin, slathering on a rich foot-cream under your socks, a heavy hand cream, and an intensive facial moisturizer, because all that air-conditioning will be sucking much needed moisture from your skin. For all skin types, including oily skins, I would recommend using rosehip oil, either on its own or under your favourite moisturizer, to replenish lost vitamins and nutrients. Rosehip oil is a fantastic moisturizer, and naturally contains essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A and E, so your skin gets treated to a nice first-class cocktail of goodness. It also plumps up your skin, so your pre-landing make-up will glide on smoothly. Try Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, or for mature skin, try Ayu Skin Firming Primrose and Rosehip Cream.

Once you’ve landed, made it through customs, and dragged your suitcase to the hotel, try and get out and do some exercise. Even going for a brisk walk will get the blood pumping and begin re-setting your body clock, and it’s a great way to get your bearings in a new city. If you’ve just landed somewhere cold and dry, continue using rosehip oil and other rich moisturizers to give back the moisture that cold and wind will strip from it. Even oily skin can suffer from dryness, and letting your skin dry out will cause it to create more oil to overcompensate, blocking pores and leading to breakouts.

In a hot and humid climate, too much oil and sweat can lead to the same problem of breakouts. Lightly pressing (not wiping) oil-blotting sheets over your t-zone can mop up the excess oil and sweat, without disturbing your make-up. Try Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues from The Body Shop, with the tea tree component acting as a natural antiseptic against breakouts. Clean and Clear oil absorbing sheets are also a highly rated item on well.ca

Regardless of what climate or country you’re in, drinking plenty of water, continuing with regular exercise, using sunscreen everyday, and getting adequate sleep will provide the best protection against a mini skin-meltdown, and you’ll arrive home looking just as fabulous as you feel after a great vacation.