7 Tips for Clear Skin While Traveling

We are so excited to have a guest blog this week from holistic skin guru Rachael Pontillo- enjoy! By Rachael Pontillo, M.Msc. CNAP, CIHC, LE

Traveling for business, to visit family, or for vacation has many benefits–a change of scenery, a break from your regular routine, exploring fun new foods and places, to name a few. However traveling also has some drawbacks–including a disrupted diet or skincare regimen, which can lead to skin issues such as acne breakouts, rosacea flare-ups, or other not-so-relaxing visible symptoms.

Traveling also exposes you to different water, dirty air vents in hotels, dehydrating pressurized air in airplanes, and harsh chemicals like bleach and detergents on hotel linens which also contribute to skin issues. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to keep your skin happy while you enjoy your vacation--it just takes a little planning.

Here are my top 7 travel skincare tips to keep your skin happy on the go:

1. Bring your own pillowcases, washcloths, and hand towels. Hotel linens are cleaned with bleach and other harsh chemicals, many of which are known skin and eye irritants.
2. Avoid hotel and travel-sized shampoos and skincare products and bring your own. As cute as hotel and travel-sized skincare and haircare products are, it’s hard to find ones that don’t contain sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and other toxic chemicals. Instead, buy empty travel-sized containers and fill them using your own products.
3. Bring your skin-healthy supplements-to-go. Whether you travel with a pill box filled with your favorite supplements, or purchase pre-measured supplement packs, bring your supplements on your trip with you. While traveling, you might not always have as many healthy eating options as you do at home, and supplements can help keep your systems functioning optimally.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! When traveling, it’s easier to become dehydrated than it is at home since we’re outside of our usual routine. Drink water more than you normally would, especially on the plane (yes you might have to deal with more climbing over people to use the bathroom), and if you drink alcoholic beverages.
5. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Lack of sleep is also common while traveling due to jet lag, late nights, and unfamiliar beds. Lack of sleep is also one of the top causes of skin issues like dark under-eye circles and puffiness, lackluster skin tone, and breakouts. Try to catch extra zzzs whenever you can–take naps on the plane, and during breaks or before going out at night.
6. Eat lots of greens. Green vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other dark leafy and cruciferous greens are excellent to eat when traveling because they are energizing, nutrient dense, hydrating, and packed with enzymes and fiber which promote healthy digestion. Adding fresh greens to every meal can mean a bloat--and breakout--free vacation!
7. Keep food combinations simple. Complicated restaurant meals with mysterious ingredient dressings and sauces can wreak havoc on your digestion--and your skin. Following simple food combining guidelines can help! A good rule of thumb is to eat fruits on an empty stomach at least an hour before eating other foods, and keep starches, grains, meats, and legumes separate from each other--though each can be enjoyed with green vegetables. Try a squeeze of lemon or olive oil and vinegar in place of heavy sauces and dressings, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Try these tips, and when you return home, your skin will thank you even more as it adjusts back to your normal routine.

About Rachael Pontillo

Rachael Pontillo is the bestselling author of the book Love Your Skin, Love Yourself and co-author of The Sauce Code. She’s a holistic skincare and nutrition entrepreneur, an IAHC and AADP-certified international health coach, metaphysical practitioner, and natural skincare formulator and educator. In her coaching programs and online courses, Rachael combines different holistic modalities to help people with skin conditions and self-image issues heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually so they can live their lives with joy and confidence. As a mentor, she helps professionals in the aesthetics and nutrition fields build their businesses and truly serve their clients in meaningful and sustainable ways. Rachael is the creator of the popular skincare and lifestyle blog Holistically Haute™, as well as the online course, Create Your Skincare™, and is also the president and co-founder of the Nutritional Aesthetics® Alliance. She is a recipient of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition®'s prestigious Health Leadership Award, has spoken before national audiences at both skincare and natural product industry conferences and trade shows, and is a regular contributor to aesthetics trade journals in addition to other skincare and wellness publications.