Rosacea Travel Tips

Surviving the flight, what to pack, trigger management, how to prepare, and why your mindset is key

It’s that time of year where everyone and their dog seem to be jetting off on holidays. For most people, a trip away is exciting and relaxing but if you have a skin condition like rosacea (that thrives on routine) it can be nerve-wracking.

So I wanted to share my ultimate rosacea travel tips. There’s a lot of information below, because I wanted to go beyond the typical beauty and product recommendations and delve into trigger management, how to prepare, and how your mindset can really help.

I’ve split this post out into three sections: pre-flight, flight, and the actual holiday. Even if you’re not flying anytime soon, I’d really recommend reading these tips anyway, as something might resonate and help in unexpected ways.

[this post was originally written a few years ago, after my last long-haul flight holiday, but has been updated and expanded to be shared here]

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Rosacea Travel Tips

Before we get into the details, an important disclaimer:

All of the information I share here is based on my own experiences and from talking to thousands of others with rosacea over the past 12 years. I offer up information and advice with the assumption that you are an intelligent person with common sense who has already taken the time to get to know your skin as best you can. I have to speak generally to ensure that my posts help the majority, but that means that some sections might not be right for you, or might not be aimed at you. Perhaps you don’t have any issues with diet, or your skin might love the sun… just take what you need from the below and leave the rest.

But the most important thing to bear in mind is that a holiday (and life in general!) is meant to be enjoyable. To some, the advice below will seem like a restriction that you do not want on your holiday, and that’s fine! I wanted to share these tips for those who find that their skin can have a negative impact on their holiday and want help with that.

For me, ‘cheating’ on my routine results in a flare up that makes me feel self-conscious, uncomfortable, and upset and this has ruined entire days of my holiday in the past. Only you can find the balance between ‘restrictions’ and enjoyment, and only you can weigh up those choices.

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Enough preamble! Let’s crack on with the tips.

Rosacea Pre-Flight Tips

JETLAG

The last time we went to Japan, the jetlag ruined me for about 3 days (14% of my holiday spent like a zombie? No thank you!) I was determined to do whatever I could to mitigate that for future trips.

I found an app called Timeshifter that was so useful. You enter your flight details and it gives you a personalised schedule to follow, starting a few days before the flight and ends a few days post-flight. It sets out your bed time, wake up time, when to have coffee, when to get out in bright sunlight etc. It’s so clever and it genuinely really helped, plus there’s a free trial for your first trip, so you can give it a go for free if you’re as dubious as I was!

MELATONIN

I stock up on melatonin whenever we go anywhere that sells it over the counter (usually Amsterdam) because it’s prescription-only in the UK. These help to nudge your sleep schedule which further helps with jetlag. Poor sleep is a big rosacea trigger for me, so anything I can do to improve my sleep is great for my skin.

HYDRATE

Dehydration is another trigger for my rosacea so I prepare for my flight by upping my water intake in the days leading up to travel. Dehydrated skin can contribute to an impaired skin barrier, something we’re more susceptible to as rosaceans already so we don’t want to worsen it. There is more information about the skin barrier, as well as tips and recommendations, in this blog post.

TRIGGERS

While we’re on the topic of triggers, it’s a good idea to avoid or reduce your exposure to your triggers in the week running up to travel. Your skin is going to have enough to deal with, so you’re trying to go into that situation with your skin in a happy and calm state (or as close as you can get to it). This all relates to the ‘bucket theory’ for rosacea management, which you can learn about here.

PACK SENSIBLY

Make sure your carry-on bag has everything you might need to hand. I cover the skincare products I took on my last long-haul flight in this post, but try to think of anything that will make you feel more comfortable, less stressed, and (if you’re travelling long-haul) things that will help trick your brain into thinking it’s just a regular bedtime. I made sure I had a cosy jumper (which I can also use as a pillow/pillowcase), a handheld fan, my headphones, my Kindle, snacks, an eye mask, my water bottle… your list might look different but just think about anything that will help.

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ROSACEA FLIGHT TIPS

ALCOHOL

I avoid alcohol as much as I can on the day of the flight. As mentioned above, the flight itself is already going to be stressing you and your skin out, so we don’t want to cause even more stress by adding in unnecessary triggers.

Alcohol is a diuretic which means it will dehydrate you and, as we know, that’s bad for skin in general but for rosacea in particular. I stick to water, or ginger ale if my stomach needs settling, and I also packed some electrolyte powders for the flight and days after (read more about those in this post).

While we’re on the topic, skip salty snacks while flying as well - these will dehydrate you further.

SKINCARE

I cover my skincare specifics in more detail in this post, but my absolute non-negotiables are: a cleanser (to remove everything when I get to a bathroom in the airport), a moisturiser (which I apply whenever my skin feels tight), eye drops, lip balm, hand cream, and sunscreen (for applying before getting off the plane or during the flight if you’re sat in the window – I would much rather just close my blind but sometimes you can’t do that!)

I also add in a sheet mask because I know I don’t sleep well on planes and anything that passes the time (and makes me feel like I’m doing something to help my skin) helps me to relax, but it’s not a must-have if you’re looking to save money/time/space.

SLEEP

As I touched on earlier, the best way to get to sleep on a plane is to trick your brain into thinking it’s just a normal day. That means following your regular routine as best you can. I wore baggy clothes (because I’d never sleep in tight, restrictive clothes), I did my skincare routine, and then I read on my Kindle. Do whatever you need to. You will never see anyone on this plane again, so who cares what they think of you?

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ROSACEA TIPS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY

SUN PROTECTION

There are a few products I recommend to everyone for warmer holidays (and summer at home as well!) They are my Solbari Ultra Wide Cotton Linen Hat, my UPF umbrella, and my handheld fan.

The lesser-spotted Rosacea Vampire

Whenever I mention these kind of products, people are worried about what other people will think - walking around with an umbrella in bright sunshine? Madness! But it’s definitely a cultural thing: UPF umbrellas in particular are really popular in Japan, so I didn’t stand out at all when using mine there. A few years ago, we went to Turkey and I did get some weird looks and smirks from other British people, but I genuinely didn’t care because my comfort, happiness, and health is far more important to me than what some sunburned stranger thinks of me!

It should also go without saying at this point that sunscreen is a non-negotiable. UV exposure is the most common rosacea trigger so you should be using sunscreen every time you’re exposed to the sun - yes, year round! If you need some recommendations, I shared some of my recent sunscreen favourites here:

The Sunscreens I'm Loving Right Now

SKINCARE

Taking your full skincare routine away with you can be difficult and heavy, and I know it can be really tempting to just go and get any random travel-size products you can find to save space, but routine really is key when you have rosacea. Changing your skincare routine on top of all the other changes is asking for trouble. Either find mini versions of your existing routine, or decant products into handy, reusable travel pots if possible.

And you don’t have to stop at your facial skincare routine: I also decant my tried-and-true shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body moisturiser decanted into smaller bottles. The products in hotels are usually cheap and packed full of fragrance and are therefore guaranteed to set my skin off. Remember that we’re trying to control whatever we can, so that the things we can’t control don’t have as big an impact.

HYDRATION

Regardless of what kind of holiday you’re having, you need to stay hydrated. As I mentioned in the ‘flight’ section, rosacea skin is more likely to struggle with an impaired skin barrier, so whatever we can do to help that is great.

If I’m on a city break holiday, I’m terrible at remembering to hydrate because I don’t want to constantly be thinking about finding a bathroom, but it’s really important, so I try to force myself!

TRIGGERS

When I’m on holiday, I know certain triggers are unavoidable for me: I will probably be eating differently, drinking more alcohol, and not sleeping as well, the weather will probably be different to what I’m used to, and I’ll be outside a lot more than usual.

This means that I will need to balance out those triggers and be more careful with my other triggers (this is the bucket theory in action again!) Please remember that trigger management is complicated enough when you’re at home and (mostly) in control of things around you, so please try to show yourself compassion if things are a little wobbly on holiday.

PILLOWCASE

I take my own pillowcases with me when I got away, because hotels tend to use quite harsh and strongly-scented washing detergents which I know my skin will hate. This may seem high-maintenance, but my goal is always to keep as many things the same as I can so that my skin is in a better position to deal with the things I can’t control. Two empty pillowcases take up so little space in your suitcase so, to me, they’re an easy addition.

In case you’re looking for a new detergent recommendation, I love the Fairy non-bio range, which is approved by the Skin Health Alliance.

HAIR TOWEL

My hair is long and there’s a lot of it, so washing and drying takes ages. I speed up the process with a jersey cotton hair towel from Good Wash Day, a fantastic independent UK brand. This towel dries the hair quicker, reducing the need for a hairdryer which a huge trigger for my rosacea, plus it reduces frizz. I bought the leopard print one because, as we all know, leopard print is a neutral. Like the pillowcases, a hair towel may seem like a needless inclusion in a suitcase already full to the brim, but my skin and my hair are always very happy that I pack it.

MINDSET

This might be one of the most important points in this whole post, but one I think people will skip because it isn’t quite as simple as remembering to pack something in your suitcase.

You must remember that holidays are supposed to be fun, they’re meant to be relaxing and exciting and memorable. Your skin might flare up, it might react to things it wouldn’t usually, it might take longer to calm down and you might feel stressed and frustrated and sad. That is understandable, but please don’t let it ruin your holiday.

Focus on what’s important: who you are with, where you are, what you’re doing, the memories you are making. My skin flared up at least once a day while we were in Japan, which is really unusual for me these days. The heat, the food, the alcohol, the travelling, the change in routine… it was a lot. But I refused to let it spoil what was a fantastic and really special holiday.

Don’t let yourself spiral, because stressing is only going to make your skin worse. Try to remember that you are doing the best you can and you are controlling what you can control, anything else is not your fault and therefore not worth focusing on.

ASK FOR HELP

Skin conditions (or atypical skin) can be a mystery to those who don’t suffer, so you need to learn to be open and honest with the people around you. For years I would keep my mouth shut because I didn’t want to be a killjoy: “of course I don’t mind sitting in the park in direct sunlight!” … “The menu looks pretty gluten/dairy/spice heavy but I’m sure I’ll find something!” … “Hand luggage only? Only allowed 2 skincare items? No problem!”

I thought I was being easy-going and accommodating, but the resulting flare ups made me awful to be around and actually ended up being more disruptive than me just saying “Sorry to be awkward but can we find somewhere with shade?” or “I’ve done some research and I’ve found a restaurant that looks great for everyone” or “Hand-luggage only? AAHAHHAHAHAHA no, not going to happen.” Your friends and family want you to enjoy your holiday and won’t be angry if you tell them how they can help make that happen.

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I really hope that you found this article useful and it’s helped you to feel less worried about any future trips. Feel free to share your rosacea travel tips in the comments so we can all learn together.