Why You Aren’t Coming Back From Holiday with That Glow (and How to Fix It)
Image credit: Joshua Rawson Harris, Unsplash. Image description: This image shows a person with wet hair holding half of a citrus fruit, possibly an orange, against their arm. The aesthetic captures a refreshing and natural vibe, with soft lighting and serene, relaxed expression.
You’ve just returned from holiday, expecting to have glowing skin and shiny, healthy hair, but instead, you’re dealing with sunburn, dry skin, brittle hair and a breakout on your face in a spot you’ve never had one before.
So, what went wrong?
Despite all the relaxation (which we would argue is more important on holiday), it’s easy to make beauty mistakes on holiday that leave your skin and hair looking worse for wear.
I’m not one to call a fellow beauty lover…so I’ll call out my past beauty sins.
Girl, what did you expect?
That 3 in 1 hotel “body wash” was not going to cut it against the non stop saltwater, chlorine and sun. And forgetting SPF? What chance did we have?!
Here’s what you can do to ensure you return from holiday looking refreshed, not wrecked.
1. Your Hair is Getting Too Much Salt Water & Sun
Image credit: VAMS Beauty, Tidha comb. Image description: A wide-tooth comb glides through damp hair coated with a rich conditioner. The shot emphasises nourishment, hair care, and smooth detangling.
Which isn't an issue on it’s own. I don't want people restricting how much they're enjoying their holiday in the name of pristine looks, but it's worth keeping in mind that salt water can dry out the hair- it’s potentially stripping of the oils that are natrually protective to our hair.
Precious about your hair colour? The sun is actually able to bleach your hair, or degrade the colour of dyed hair!
Bonus points if you're blonde: If you're in chlorine water and some salt waters can actually tint your hair, sometimes even green.
How to Prevent Hair Damage on Holiday
ASAP once you're out of the water, do your best to rinse your hair immediately after swimming, to wash away some of the salt and chlorine.
Use a leave-in conditioner or protective hair oil before going into the water if you can.
If you are in the sun, cover your hair with a hat or scarf to shield it from UV
Protect your hairline from sun damage by either using an SPF or an SPF mist
If you're a blonde and you're scared of your hair turning green or it has started to tint, you can use a purple tone shampoo and conditioner to fight off some of the sea-coloured tints that the hair can get.
When you're home, give your hair a little bit of extra TLC in the form of a at home hair mask or conditioning scalp scrub (not the salty kind that can be stripping)
2. You’re Using Hotel Shampoo & Conditioner
Image credit: Unsplash. Image description: A person uses a scalp massager while shampooing their hair, promoting relaxation and thorough cleansing. The photo captures the rejuvenating nature of a mindful hair-care routine.
We’ve all been there—forgetting to pack our go-to hair care products and relying on the hotel’s free shampoo and conditioner.
The problem?
These products are often overly stripping because they can often be 3 in 1s for body wash too- eep! Once your hair is stripped of its natural oils, it can be left dry, frizzy, and flat.
I will also call myself out for using a conditioner as a cream cleanser to remove my makeup once. Yes it broke me out.
How to Get Healthy Hair on Holiday
Bring your own hair products in travel sizes to ensure you’re nourishing your hair properly.
Look for hydrating products that will keep your hair soft and manageable- skip any deep shampooing treatments or stripping scalp scrubs while on holiday
3. You’re Leaving Your Core Skincare at Home
Image credit: JAQUELINE VASQUEZ. @JAQUELINEisaac_ on instagram. Image description: A collection of skincare and beauty products, arranged neatly on a vibrant red background. The selection showcases sunscreens, moisturisers, and other self-care essentials.
It can be tempting to bring the travel sized skincare you got last Mecca beauty loop- and they’re cute- don’t get me wrong.
But is a skin-stress time like holiday the time to try 5 new products all at once? Probably not.
Travel can dry out your skin due to changes in climate, airplane air (gross), and exposure to sun and saltwater.
Leaving your core skincare products behind, even for a few days, can lead to breakouts, dryness, and dullness.
Skincare Tips for Glowing Holiday Skin
Bring along products your skin knows and loves, and leave the first time meets for the people you might connect with while travelling, not your skincare.
Pack travel-sized versions or decant larger products into reusable travel sized bottles.
Controversial! But bring along your actives. This depends on how long you’re away- Full write up coming soon.
4. You Aren’t Wearing SPF
Image credit: Naked Sundays. Featuring their SPF50 Body glow mist. Image description: A person sprays a skincare mist on their shoulder under sunlight. The image captures the essence of hydration, self-care, and a fresh, dewy look.
Skipping sunscreen is one of the most common holiday beauty mistakes.
While the sun may give you a temporary tan, unprotected exposure to UV rays leads to short and long-term damage, including wrinkles, sunburn, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer.
Not wearing sunscreen is the quickest way to undo all your skincare efforts, leaving you with uneven, damaged skin post-holiday.
Here’s something the influencers and celebrities aren’t telling us (well there’s probably a lot of things): They have a killer at home tanning routine or get professional spray tans.
Don’t let the laying in the sun pictures fool you.
High rollers are not undoing all their hard work with endless $$$ treatments on their face and body with sun damage.
Why SPF is Essential
SPF 50 is the way to go on holiday. It’s essential for preventing sunburn and everything else that comes along with sun damage.
Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, towelling or sweating.
Don’t forget areas like your lips, hands, and ears, which are often neglected.
It doesn’t have to be difficult! There are SPFs you’ll love- I promise. Use an SPF mist pool side to make topping up easy. I love the SPF50+ Glow Body Mist Top Up from Naked Sundays.
5. You’re Not Maintaining Body Care Routine
Image credit: Unsplash. Image description: A person gently washes their skin, creating a light foam.
Or you don’t have a full body routine! Which is fine!
Not to get repetitive, but the harsh sun, salty water, and sand doesn’t stop above your shoulders- it can dry out your body, while long days of walking can lead to chafing and irritation in spots you didn’t even know you had.
I like to do as many short cuts as possible for body care because sometimes it’s the last thing on my mind.
Body Care Routine Holiday Edition
Use a body moisturiser with SPF during the day to cut down steps.
Use a body wash and it can act as a 2 in 1 and help your skin stay moisturised after you use it.
Chafing is a nightmare on holiday (or anytime, really). Use a chafing barrier cream that’s sweaty babe friendly and you can apply generously.
Want it super easy? Body care is something that switching up on holiday isn’t a big deal, so you can totally buy travel sized body products if you’re feeling a bit cute. Perfect if you’re travelling for over 7 days, too! Check out the WOC owned brand FLYY BOD for some great travel friendly picks.
How to Rest on Holiday
We're going to wrap up there with tips and tricks here, but I do want to stress when you're on holiday: Yes, it is important to protect your skin from the sun.
Yes, you can do really real damage to your skin and to your hair and to your face.
But I need to stress: Your value and your rest on holidays is not dictated by how you look or your skincare or body routine. Please use holiday as a time to give your body the rest it deserves.
Do things that nourish your soul. Sleep in. Do things that you want to do on holiday.
Do your best not to pack your days full of activity (unless that's something you really love doing).
I hope this write-up highlighted some of the things that you might care about physically, but I do want to remind you that your value and your rest is far beyond going all out on your routine on holiday.
Plus, you could follow everything to perfection and still not look like Queen Kylie when you return- they’re staying at $15,000+ a night rooms, after all. Haha.
