The Acne Whisperer: 20 Ways to Keep Adult Acne Clear While Traveling

How to keep up with Your Adult Acne Skincare Routine While On Vacay!

You have a great routine at home, you’ve done amazing things to clear up your Adult Acne, following the advice from my Eval by Email® service and instructions for using my products to the letter.

Now.

Taking all your products in full sizes on your upcoming trip is not an option. On the other hand, transferring them into tiny bottles is time consuming and wasteful. There are also extra considerations, like hotter or more humid weather, constant sunscreen applications after swimming, evenings out and late nights.

So. Here is a list of tips for packing your toiletries for your carry-on or checked-in luggage:

What To Bring on the Plane

1) A 1oz spray bottle filled with alcohol-free toner to spray on 5 minutes before your flight,

2) A sample size hydrating serum to apply over the toner while it's still wet on your skin (if you travel a lot, a full size will be a good idea),

3) Eye drops so there won't be such a difference between your skin and your eyes,

4) Pot lip balm (not stick) so you can apply after licking your lips to keep moisture in.

What To Put in Your Checked-In Luggage

5) Gel or lotion cleanser in a plastic bottle or tube - no bar soap!

6) Spray-on alcohol-free toner, so no need for cotton

7) Sunscreen in a tube, not a bottle (make sure it's non-clogging!), so you can carry it around with you in your purse to reapply throughout the day

8) Nighttime lotion in a leak-proof bottle

9) Liquid-gel makeup remover so you can use it with your fingers without cotton (makeup remover wipes can leave a film and takes up too much room).

Extra tip : Apply only one coat of mascara (if any at all) throughout your trip - you’ll look less “heavy” and it’ll be easier to remove.

What to do while you’re there

10) Let’s talk about your makeup for a moment. In hotter weather, it pretty much melts off of oily skin by the early afternoon. Even if your skin is not that oily, feeling your skin not able to breathe can be quite uncomfortable. If in the morning you feel like you must spackle it on to cover up breakouts and keep your skin matte, ask yourself this question; “Will I really look that much better today with makeup than without?” I have a much better idea. Stand back from the mirror two feet before you start applying your cover-up, foundation and powder. That is what other people see.

11) A light dusting of skin-friendly mineral makeup mixed with some cornstarch (seriously! follow the link on the word cornstarch to see what I use to carry it around with me in my purse) will cover up just enough and matte you out for hours. All you have to do is remove the sifter from your mineral makeup, add about a ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch, put the top back on without the sifter to shake well, then replace the sifter. This is also amazing after application of sunscreen, since when you actually put the amount you’re supposed to, you might look a bit greasy. Cornstarch takes care of this! Take a look at my previous post in the middle of the page to see what I’m talking about!

Cornstarch brushed on one half of my face after liberal application of sunscreen.
See the matte effect on the left?

12) Lay off the thick coats of mascara, keep your eye shadows light and matte, and leave your eye pencils at home. Instead, use dark eye shadows with thin brushes or pointy shadow applicators in the same places you would apply your pencils.

13) Blushes and lip glosses can be left at home. You’ll be so rested and have such a great time, you’ll have plenty of natural color all on your own.

14) With toner and sunscreen in tow, there’s nothing wrong with washing your face sometime in the middle of the afternoon, even if means washing three times that day. If you’re running around or swimming, I'm guessing you’re not wearing makeup anyway. As long as you reapply your sunscreen in large amounts, it’s ok - it’s just a week or two, and oilier skin types can handle this. Take a small cosmetic bag of travel size cleanser, toner and your tube of sunscreen. You’ll thank me when you get home! If you’re not that oily, washing your hands with cold water and wiping your face down with cold, wet hands actually feels great and helps control the oil you do have. Follow the link in the previous sentence to watch a video I made a while back to show exactly how to do this.

15) For cooling off, it’s actually not a good idea to spray your face with water, no matter how pure. Use an alcohol-free toner instead. Water will dehydrate your skin leading to oil and dead skin cell backup, which are what blackheads are made of. Remember - every blemish starts out as a microscopic blackhead.

16) For body acne in hotter climates, cornstarch applied like body powder also cools you off better than any store-bought body powder can, and doesn’t clog pores! Use a wide-mouth travel bottle like these to put it in. Before traveling, I put in 10 drops of peppermint essential oil into cornstarch that I've put into an 8oz wide-mouth bottle and shake like crazy. Apply over your sunscreen. Not too much peppermint, though, as it can irritate sensitive skin and may make your skin a bit sun-sensitive.

17) To clear up breakouts that occur, and/or prevent new flareups, a clay mask can be used two or three times while you’re away. If you’re using an acne remedy like Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide, a small amount massaged in before applying the clay is a really good idea. Since these can make skin a little sun-sensitive, do this before bed.

(Because of their sun sensitivity, Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid should not be applied all over your face on vacation, even at night - under clay, at least it's being rinsed off)

18) At night, if the climate where you’re vacationing is very hot and humid, wait 20 minutes after washing and applying toner and serum in order to tell if you really need your nighttime lotion. If you don’t feel tight or dry, you can skip it.

19) AHA treatment gels and serums should be left at home and resumed 3 days after you return, just in case there’s any sunburn you don’t see the effects of just yet.

20) If you want to get a facial while you’re away, just be aware that at places where spa facials and luxury are the focus, the skincare lines are very likely not appropriate for acne issues; especially anti-aging facials. Ask for a “sensitive skin” facial with as little face massage as possible, and then wash your face immediately after you get back to your hotel room. A clay mask right after washing is not a bad idea.

I find that I almost always leave a spa facial a greasy mess, so I actually go to the bathroom immediately and rinse my face and dry off. I also have to nurse my skin back to health after my spa vacay, and at-home mini facials is how I do it. Of course, when in doubt, get a body wrap and pedicure instead. Have body breakouts? A mud wrap or mud bath will be a great choice for you.

And a pedicure.

Man, do I love pedicures…

I considered all of these while planning a trip a few years ago. I decided I had to create an easy way to carry a travel-friendly skincare routine so you could continue your adult acne clearing efforts while away from home.

The kit I would create had to contain an entire skin care regimen to keep our skin looking its best even while on vacation, even though I knew it might be different products than what my clients usually use at home - but that’s ok, since so often the climate on vacation is hotter and maybe more humid. More sun, dry airplane or desert air, running around; these conditions are what I had in mind.

The Travel Pack for Oily Skin and the Travel Pack for Dry Skin contain products that come in sizes that are 1oz or less and should last you at least 7-10 days. Products come already packed in a handy quart-size ziplock bag as per TSA rules so all you have to do is take it out of the box and place it into your carry-on bag or purse.

If you like listening to relaxing music on the plane, or when you’re soaking in the hotel Jacuzzi like I do, here is a short list of my favorite spa music: