Natural beauty travel tips – from airport to poolside

 

Holiday season is upon us! I’m heading to Stockholm with my family this summer, so I thought it was a good time to let you in on some of my top travel tips.

Holidays can be a good excuse to try new travel-sized products, but the last thing you want when you’re away is for your skin to react to a new cream. Most of my products are fine for sensitive skin, and all are 100ml or less, so you should be able to take two on-board with you. If you want to save space and weight though, it is worth decanting your skincare products into smaller, travel-sized bottles. The Body Shop sells a set of refillable bottles and jars that makes decanting your favourite full-sized products easy.

I’m sure we all know how important it is to drink plenty of fluid, especially when it’s hot. To give your skin an extra boost, why not make a simple hydrating spray? Just peel and blend a cucumber, spoon it into a tea-towel and squeeze to extract the juice. Mix the juice with a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, and pour it into a spray bottle. You can also add other beneficial ingredients, such as rosewater or green tea.

Skin can feel really dry after a long-haul flight, so it’s a good idea to slather on an extra nourishing moisturiser when you board, such as my night cream, which contains oat oil to maintain moisture levels.

I’m sure I’m not the only one whose locks frizz at the first sign of humidity! I’ve yet to find the perfect solution, so a big hair clip is essential when I’m travelling. I sometimes tie it back with a scarf instead, which helps to keep my head protected from the sun. A large scarf or wrap is a great multi-tasker actually, as you can use it to accessorise a plain top, keep you warm on the flight, or as a sarong on the beach. Traidcraft have some lovely fairtrade ones, including this pretty blue floral scarf.

I always pack a good muslin cloth when I go away. It takes up less room than cotton wool pads, helps to exfoliate your skin and is much better for the environment. A washable muslin cloth is included free with each tube of my cleanser.

Finally, it’s rare that I go anywhere without my heel balm, as it’s so versatile. You can use it all over your body, to treat everything from dry elbows and cracked feet to chapped lips, and as it’s only 50ml, you can keep it in your hand luggage. One of my customers swears by it for soothing sunburn, while another uses it to tame flyaway hairs.