How I keep my “problem skin” at bay while travelling

I’ve always had “problem skin”, which is just another term for acne, breakouts, spots, oily skin, etc. Ever since I can remember I battled blackheads and whiteheads, squeezed them and tried to – unsuccessfully – cover the mess up with make-up, concealers etc., which made everything ten times worse.

Having said that, I think my growing laziness when it comes to putting on make-up over the years might have had something to do with my skin clearing up. In my case I can definitely say: Less (make-up) is more (better skin).

Travelling is hard on my skin

When it comes to travelling it’s hard keeping a good beauty routine, especially when we’re moving around a lot. What’s more, my skin always has to adjust to a different climate, as we’re often ping-ponging between dry and humid places. I often see when my skin has had enough.

banana chips…not sure if they are good for your skin but they’re tasty

I like to keep it quick and easy when it comes to getting ready in the morning, using mascara only for “special occasions”, maybe a little eye shadow but that’s about it.

Use of little make-up also means less stuff to pack and carry around when travelling. So it’s a win – win situation.

Less is more all the way

In the last couple of years I tried to apply this “less is more mindset” also when it comes to other beauty products. I always used to pick up the newest creams, scrubs or masks at the drug store and slap it on right away. This also meant that I was mixing lots of different ingredients. In other words, it was not good.

My skin was not happy. The more things I desperately tried, the worse it got. Finally I went to a dermatologist who told me to just stick to one line of products. No mixing or matching of different brands, because this just irritates the skin.

Following a few simple rules

It definitely helped. Just by following two simple things, less make-up and no frantic mixing of products. I was seeing some much needed positive results.

Then I added another thing to my list, which was to take it easy in terms of cleaning my face. I used to scrub and wash and scrub some more twice a day and thought this would leave me with squeaky clean skin but it didn’t. My skin got irritated, which meant more outbreaks.

Keeping it simple when it comes to beauty products has helped my skin clear up

Now I mostly just wash my face once in the morning with a facial cleanser in the shower and that’s it unless I hit the gym later in the day and get my sweat on.

Moisturizing on the plane

I also try to bring a little tube of moisturiser on the plane because my skin gets very dry when I’m flying, and I apply some during or after the flight to keep my skin happy.

It has taken me years to figure all of this out. Years of desperately trying to better my skin with sometimes very unconventional remedies like drinking very bitter Chinese herbal tea at exactly the same time of the day for two weeks. Result: an upset stomach and a newfound hatred for herbal teas but sadly no skin improvement.

By following the few simple rules mentioned above, however, I managed to get my “problem skin” under control. Not sure if my increased intake of delicious South American avocados and limes (hot water and lemon is also a hot tip to clear up your skin) is helping my skin at the moment, but I think it definitely doesn’t hurt :)