How To Travel Like A Pro
Summer travel season is upon us, which means you’ve probably got a plane, train, or automobile trip in your near future. While there’s nothing quite like the thrill of getting out of town, there is one little annoyance: packing. If you’re anything like us, you either pack more than you need and have to lug around a 30-pound suitcase, or wind up forgetting something crucial like underwear. Not that we’ve done that or anything.
To help make your getaway plans drama-free, we polled the Glow team — including our resident jetsetters/founders Sarah and Christine, who make almost monthly trips back and forth from Seoul — to learn how they perfected the art of packing, what they do to make sure they look good wherever they’re going, and the travel beauty tips that keep them fresh-faced, no matter how long they’ve been sitting on a crowded plane.
Avoid Wardrobe Malfunctions
If packing makes you a stressed mess, you’re not alone. Even the most organized amongst us has had that temporary panic over just how many shoes you’re actually going to need for a three-day beach weekend, or how to keep that chic silk shirt from looking like a crumpled mess for that important client meeting. Thankfully, our staffers know how to get creative.
To keep your clothes from looking like you shoved them in your bag last minute (even if you basically did), neatly roll each item instead of folding. This will make sure you minimize creasing. And, if all else fails, there’s Sarah’s favorite cheat: “Bring a mini clothes steamer — it’s a total life saver!”.
Keep those lacy bras from getting squished by stuffing some rolled up socks or underwear into the cups to prop them up. This trick also works great for hats. And, contact lens cases make great jewelry storage — drop in your earrings and delicate necklaces to keep them from getting lost or tangled.
Stay Fresh
To avoid that telltale stale smell that can creep into your suitcase over the course of your trip, drop in some dryer sheets and your clothes will smell straight-from-the-dryer fresh. You can also steal a bar of hotel soap, if you don’t have dryer sheets on hand.
Speaking of smelly, you’ll want to make sure your dirty clothes don’t get mixed in with the clean ones, so bring along some extra-large plastic baggies to zip your laundry in to.
Beauty Troubleshooting
Don’t fall victim to the tragedy of smashed makeup compacts — place a cotton round inside to cushion the powders from any powder-crushing bumps.
If your beauty bag takes up more than a third of your suitcase, you need to downsize in a big way. Multi-use products are key, so stock up on items that let you practice “skip care” while you’re on the road. We curated all of our bestsellers in the Fruit Babies Kit so you’ll have a solid, but still travel-friendly routine. Inside you’ll find deluxe travel sizes of our best-selling Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser, Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner, Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask, Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer, and the OG Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask. It’s everything you need to keep your complexion radiant and hydrated wherever you’re going.
Keep it Clean
Planes, trains, and buses aren’t exactly the most hygienic places. Shocker, we know. But when we think of how many people have touched everything around our seats — and how many of them probably didn’t wash their hands thoroughly before swiping them all over the seatback screen or leaning on the armrest — we get massively skeezed out.
Rather than sit in a germ paradise for hours without touching anything (good luck with that), our staffers take matters into their own hands, literally. Packing anti-bacterial wipes is a convenient way to de-contaminate your temporary space — use them to wipe everything you’ll touch, from the armrest and tray table to the window shade and the seatbelt. It might seem
excessive, but it’s a lot better than catching whatever invisible menace the last occupant might have left behind.
Skin Smarts
Travel can wreak absolute havoc on your skin, which is why it’s important to safeguard against those unique issues that being on the road can bring out. First and foremost is dry skin. Sitting in recycled plane air, not drinking enough water, and not following your usual routine can lead to dry, flaky skin. Give your complexion a boost of hydration with an in-transit masking session. You can either grab a sheet mask and slap it on during your trip, or follow Sarah’s brilliant mini- masking trick: Spritz a hydrating mist like the Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist onto cotton rounds until damp, then place on areas that need extra hydrating love.
One of the absolute best hydrators, hyaluronic acid, is perfect for travel as it moisturizes and absorbs quickly, so no sticky hands or greasy skin post-application. And, don’t believe those rumors about how using hyaluronic acid on your skin causes it to dry out — that’s patently false and total nonsense.
Many people find themselves breaking out during their travels thanks to the changes in climate, disruption to your normal routine, or just stress in general. Be sure an exfoliating treatment like the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask is in your on-the-road kit to battle every type of blemish. It’s packed with skin-clearing alpha-hydroxy acids, plus hydrating hyaluronic acid and free- radical neutralizing watermelon extract.
Finally, your in-flight routine isn’t complete without SPF. When you’re flying at 30,000 feet, you’re a lot closer to the sun than when you are on the ground, meaning there’s plenty of risk for sun damage. So ,unless you’re on a night flight, make sure you put a healthy layer of sunscreen on your face, neck, chest, and hands pre-takeoff.
Now you’re ready to hit the road feeling stress-free and with skin that looks great and won’t rebel when you get to your destination. Happy trails!