Achieving and maintaining clear skin is down to a few major contributing factors. Hormones, diet, skincare, general wellness, looking after yourself, exercising, getting enough sleep, all play an important role in keeping you clear. Everybody's routine is different and personal to thier skin and it can take months, even years, to crack a routine that works for you. So why oh why, would you want to trade all of this in for a lifestyle of late nights, disrupted sleep and a lack of control over your diet? Travel is good for the soul, no doubt about it, but it can wreak potential havoc on your health, and today I'm going to talk about something very important to me; keeping your skin clear whilst travelling.
I'm going to start by saying that this isn't an article of guaranteed tips, just a few personal worries and solutions that I have experienced so far that will hopefully help you be more prepared. For years I suffered with terrible skin and it was a long journey of trail and error until I finally got into a good routine that kept me clear. A life of routine and a life of backpacking are poles apart and I was (and still am) terrified of undoing all of the hard work it's taken to get me to this point with my skin. But with a little preperation and a lot of research, I managed.
Taking Herbal medicines/supplements travelling
This was my main worry. If you've been following my blog for a while or know me pretty well you'll know I take Agnus Castus (an amazing herb that you can read about here) religiously to keep my periods regular and my skin clear. I cannot not take this, the consequences are disastrous, so my main concern was taking the supplement away with me. I read up on forums online about the safety of taking this and whether or not I would be stopped in the airport. A few suggested bringing a note from your doctor/medical herbalist which is a useful tip for travelling to and from English speaking countries. I didnt bring one and I was never stopped or questioned. I also kept it in my check - in luggage at all times, not my hand luggage, which avoided me having to discard it.
As I take the herb in liquid form I was also so worried about it smashing or leaking. I purposely bought more away with me then I needed for 4 months so that I would always have a backup, and thank goodness I did as one leaked badly. I always made sure to cushion it with clothing and used a lot of masking tape to keep the lid secure.
Skincare
Keep it as simple as possible. Some people have a routine down that they know keeps them clear. Try and take only 3/4 essential products that you know your skin will go crazy without. I have extremely sensitive skin and find that 98% of masks, cleansers, toners and moisturisers breaks me out (so much so that I've had to adjust this natural manuka honey and aloe vera mask as the aloe vera irritated my skin!) This was great as it meant I didn't take any products away with me. Unfortunately protecting my skin meant that I had to to apply SPF daily which did cause a minor breakout initially but nothing too major, and it went away after a few weeks.
Diet
When you eat great and put goodness into your body, you feel great, so diet is an important factor when it comes to your overall wellness. Depending on where you are backpacking and on your budget, diet can be an easy breeze or a little more tough going. I travelled South East Asia where it's cheap and easy to eat healthy. Many of the dishes include a lot of vegetables and there are always vegetarian options on the menu. Fruit is a little expensive but available everywhere and very refreshing in the heat. However, most of the dishes are fried so I had to be careful of that. Also, another small downside was that it was so much cheaper to eat out so I never cooked my own meals, meaning I couldn't have full control over what I was putting into my body. Now I'm in Australia I can shop and cook for myself and I have much more control.
Other little helpers
I really reccomend getting an app called Glow, free from the app store. It's a period tracker and I find it so useful in gauging when I'm due. So many external factors can affect your period, changes in diet, environment, stress, all of which go hand in hand with backpacking so I'd highly reccomend this for peace of mind.
Finally, make sure you take time out to look after yourself. Backpacking is a wild rush of fun, partying, adventuring and exploring. This can be exhausting. Make sure you get an early night once in a while, have a few alcohol free nights, or do something nice for yourself to chill out. Give your body and yourself a break.
I hope this helps! Ask any questions below, I'm happy to help as much as I can.
Grace xo
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