Travel skincare essentials: What to pack to protect your skin on holiday

Traveling can be tough on your skin, but packing the right essentials can make a significant difference. Hours spent in dry airplane cabins, coupled with shifts in temperature, humidity, and altitude, can disrupt your skin's natural barrier. Introducing new products during this vulnerable period increases the risk of irritation, breakouts, or allergic reactions.

Dr. Rachel Ho, medical director at The Skin Longevity Clinic, emphasizes the importance of consistency. "Deviating from our usual skincare routine when travelling could increase the severity of irritation or allergies due to the impaired recovery and changes to the skin barrier during travel," she explained. While short trips might not show major effects, longer holidays or travel to extreme climates can exacerbate skin issues.

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Deviating from our usual skincare routine when travelling could increase the severity of irritation or allergies due to the impaired recovery and changes to the skin barrier during travel.

To combat this, Dr. Ho recommends packing travel-sized or sample versions of your trusted skincare products rather than full-sized items or decanted liquids, which can affect product stability. For those traveling light, prioritize a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer to support the skin barrier, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen. These three form the core of a resilient travel skincare routine.

Your destination's climate should also inform your choices. "Our skin takes time to acclimatize to a new environment," Dr. Ho noted. "Temperature and humidity differences influence how our skin behaves." In cold, dry climates, a richer moisturizer might be needed to combat tightness and flakiness, while warmer, humid conditions may call for lighter formulations.

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Our skin takes time to acclimatise to a new environment. Temperature and humidity differences influence how our skin behaves.