Taking care of your skin while traveling can become a bit of a headache. A new environment, new foods, and even lack of access to your normal routine can really mess up your routine and your skin. 

We are no strangers to the occasional travel breakout. Maybe a new food triggered it? Or after a long day on our feet we simply forget to remove makeup before going to sleep. Whatever it may be breaking out while traveling is kind of annoying to deal with. 

And, having to travel with a much lighter routine means you might not have the treatment you need at the moment. Or you just packed too little of a specific treatment and you’re out just as another breakout emergency hits. Then you end up stuck trying to find the product you need (if it's even available) or having to gamble on a new product you may not have used before. 

Regardless of the skin emergency, your skin is not exactly the thing you want to be worrying about while vacationing. 

Skincare travel tips 

Always pack the basics  

If you have a skincare routine with multiple steps then it may not be all that feasible to pack it all for a trip. The absolute necessities include: a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. And, if you do have other steps outside of the basics that you absolutely have to take with you (like an OTC acne treatment) then definitely pack those too. 

But, if you have a few different serums and toners in your arsenal it may be best to figure out which ones you really need and which ones you can afford to leave behind for a week or two. 

Pack strategically 

Depending on how long your vacation is, you can get away with packing up your skincare in smaller bottles to avoid all the bulk of the full-size items. Lots of places, like Target (which now carry some of our blemish patches btw), have small kits with empty bottles and jars that you can transfer small amounts of your skincare to. 

Pack travel-friendly skincare 

Not all skincare is liquid, so you can always try to find some skincare products you think you’ll need in a non-liquid format. For example, for sun protection there are now lots of pretty good sun sticks you can pack that are compact and travel-friendly. 

Our blemish patches are also another form of travel-friendly skincare. If you tend to break out while you travel, our On the Go Blemish Patch can become your new best friend. It comes with 108 blemish patches in one compact container. Plus it makes application a lot easier while on the go (hence the name). 

Our blemish patch collection also includes lots of different patches depending on your specific blemish type. If you get especially stubborn zits then your best bet would be the Extra Strength Blemish Patch with Salicylic Acid. Or, if you get clusters of breakouts then our Face & Body Blemish Patch can help covering clusters with one XL patch. 

Alternatively, if you want to step up your blemish care game and cover up pimples with fun patches, you can try out our Cosmic Blemish Patch, with a holographic finish and fun shapes like hearts, stars, lightning bolts, and sparkles. 

And for any post-blemish issues, our Post-Blemish Corrector is the perfect size to carry around in your purse or backpack. A little goes a long way with the Post-Blemish Corrector so the whole tube can last you quite a while. You simply dab a small amount onto any dry patches or healed post-acne marks to help hydrate and fade the look of post-blemish marks. The lightweight gel-serum formula absorbs quickly so it sits well under makeup too. 

Use what works for you 

We understand that sometimes you might get in a pickle and have to buy a new skincare product. But, while it could be exciting to experiment with new products and brands you may not have access to elsewhere, it's still vital to make sure that the product will work well on your skin (unless you want surprise breakouts). 

A good rule of thumb to follow if you’re not too sure about what skincare product to pick up, stick to gentle formulas. Traveling may not be the best time to try out new active skincare products. 

In conclusion…

When packing your skincare products for a trip, it’s not exactly about finding the best way to fit your entire routine in your luggage, but thinking about the basic necessities and your non-negotiables. This way you can ensure that you don’t unnecessarily pack skincare that you maybe won’t even end up using. 

We all like to be over prepared rather than under, but realistically did you really end up using those 20 plus pairs of undies that you packed for a one week trip? Probably not. So are you really going to need a 10 plus skincare routine while vacationing? Also probably not.