How to perfect your travel-friendly skincare routine
Summer is in full swing, and if you’re spending the season hopping between our Houses, look to Soho Skin to keep your skin in tip-top shape
Wednesday 12 July 2023 By Chloe Lawrance
Even the most devoutly stuck to habits can fly out the window when travelling, be that for work or play. That’s certainly true of your skincare routine, which might quickly drop down your priority list in lieu of long days spent exploring, and warm evenings spent feasting your way around a new city.
But curating a travel-friendly skincare routine you can actually stick to is the secret to enhancing those all-important, golden-hour holiday snaps – and it’s essential for keeping your complexion healthy. ‘Changes in climate and water quality, stress levels, diet and sleep patterns can all affect your skin when travelling,’ explains Nathan Moore, Soho Skin’s Education Manager. ‘This can lead to dryness, dehydration, breakouts or increased sensitivity and irritation.’
As you pack your suitcase, book into one of our bedrooms and enjoy 60 days of summer across our Houses, we’ve turned to Moore for his tips on keeping skin happy and healthy throughout the travel season.
Make use of multitaskers
A holiday is not the time to start getting experimental with high-percentage retinoids, or a 10-step routine that’s impossible to stick to after a few glasses of Lady A. Instead, Moore recommends using simple and reliable multitaskers.
‘Look for travel-friendly sizes of your hero products, and prioritise those in your routine that will give tired holiday skin a soothing shot of hydration,’ he says. Soho Skin’s 24/7 Treatment and Renewal Serum are both now available as handy 15ml minis – and Moore recommends adding them into your regime while you’re away to gently care for your complexion.
‘Multitaskers like the 24/7 Treatment make a perfect post-flight treat – it revives the complexion, refines the skin’s surface and boosts hydration. The Renewal Serum is also a light packer’s dream – it’s an antioxidant-filled serum, a calming serum, a brightening serum, and a plumping serum all in one.’
Plan for the plane
Flying puts skin through a lot: the low humidity and recycled air at 36,000 feet can lead to dryness, breakouts and puffy eyes. For Moore, the answer is all in your pre- and post-flight routines.
‘Prep your skin ahead of your flight with an antioxidant-rich serum and skin barrier-supporting moisturiser, like Soho Skin’s Overnight Cream,’ he recommends. ‘When you reach your destination, always double cleanse with tepid water. And if you’re prone to blemishes, I’d recommend using a very gentle exfoliator, like the 24/7 Treatment. You’d be surprised by the amount of grime that can build up on skin while you’re in the air.
‘Use a hydrating mist on the plane if your face feels especially tight, but beyond that I wouldn’t recommend doing much in-flight skincare – the conditions aren’t ideal and there’s potential to do more harm than good.’
Prepare for sensitivity
Between sun exposure, chlorinated pool water and plenty of late nights, skin goes through a lot on holiday. Moore recommends packing products that will counter any inflammation that may arise as a result of this.
‘Look for ingredients like niacinamide in your line-up. It’s anti-inflammatory, so if you’re prone to sensitivity, breakouts or redness, it’s a really good one to have in your arsenal,’ he says.
‘Soho Skin’s Eye Cream is another non-negotiable for me when travelling, as the skin around my eyes is easily irritated. With squalane and essential fatty acids, it helps to immediately calm the skin, and the metal applicator feels incredibly cooling and comforting. Keep it in your room’s mini fridge to maximise that benefit.’
Shop Soho Skin with 25% off for Soho House members.
Browse our bedrooms and book your stay at one of our Houses.