My Top 6 Tips For Vacation Skincare & Beauty: Simplified

It's summertime! The weather is warm. The kids are out of school for the summer.

Vacations are on your mind. Oh, the places you will go!

But the question is, what beauty products should go with you to keep your skin its healthy, beautiful best?

We ladies know how easy it is to over pack, don't we?

After all, you just never know what you're going to need. And you don't want to leave anything vital behind.

There are some basics you absolutely want to pack.

For me, these no-brainers include….

• Swimsuit: check.
• Shorts and summer dresses: check.
• Floppy hat and sunglasses: check.

But what about your skincare and makeup? What on earth can you just not live without? What makes the cut and what stays at home?

It can be tricky for sure. And if you're flying to your destination, even trickier!

Remember, no liquids or gels over 3.4 ounces in your carry-on!

Fortunately, after many years of packing for trips, I've learned a thing or two about what to take and what to leave behind.

And I'm going to share my favorite summer vacation packing tips with you, to make packing for your next trip a breeze.

Beauty & Skincare Necessities While Traveling

Your unique skincare needs are your first consideration when deciding what to pack.

Do you have oily skin? Do you burn easily? Are you a minimalist in the makeup department or do you like more coverage?

For most of us, no matter what our biggest skincare and beauty issues are, we can still go light on the packing without missing anything critical.

So let's talk about some typical skincare and beauty concerns and how to address them with little fuss.

1. Avoiding sunburn. Here I go again, reminding you of the importance of sunscreen -- perhaps the single most essential product in your vacation bag!

Since most summer vacations involve a bit of sun worshipping, you're going to want to pack a powerful SPF sunscreen for all of your outdoor activities.

One I'm absolutely loving right now is Coola Sport SPF 50 Guava Mango Sunscreen Spray.

It's non-greasy, and has a wonderfully refreshing tropical scent.

Perfect for protecting your beautiful skin in a pinch, and easy to apply/reapply for the whole family.

2. Puffy eyes and dark under-eye circles. Let's face it, traveling has a way of cutting into your sleep.

Between long flights and a desire to enjoy every moment of fun, the amount of rest and sleep you get can easily become a vacation casualty.

If possible, grab a catnap in the afternoons, maybe following time spent at the pool or beachside.

It's a great way to unwind and get some much-needed rest.

And when despite your best efforts you still see puffy eyes or dark under-eye circles when you look in the mirror, apply a product specially formulated to fight puffiness.

And if it also brightens the eye area, even better!

One of my favorite double-duty eye products is HydroPeptide Eye Authority.

It's an eye-brightening, line fighting, puffiness reducing, dark-circle diminishing powerhouse!

Dab a bit of this multitasking eye cream around your eyes and no one will ever guess you're a bit sleep deprived.

It'll be your little secret. :)

3. Oily skin and breakouts. If your skin tends to be on the oily side, summer heat and sun can increase oil secretion and lead to breakouts.

*Sigh* So what's a girl to do?

Your best defense against oily summertime skin is to keep your skin clean with a gentle, yet powerful, skin cleanser.

And be sure to exfoliate regularly to help cleanse pores and clarify and refresh your skin.

And for sunscreen, choose a non-oily formula for your face to protect without adding extra oil.

Pro Tip: Contrary to popular belief, moisturizing actually plays a key role in keeping oily skin at bay. Finding a moisturizer that properly hydrates your skin without feeling heavy is KEY!

4. Melting makeup. Have you ever noticed how your makeup just seems to melt and disappear when the weather gets warm and humid? It's so frustrating!

I have the perfect solution -- a makeup setting spray (or if you’re super oily, a setting powder)!

If you've never tried one, now is the perfect time to do so.

Makeup setting sprays keep your makeup from melting away in the warm summer heat.

It'll keep you looking dewy fresh and gorgeous!

My favorite makeup setting spray this year: Coola Face SPF 30 Makeup Setting Spray.

This award-winning spray works hard to keep your skin and makeup fresh and shine free.

And as an added bonus, it also contains an SPF 30 to protect your lovely skin!

Use this spray after applying your makeup and dance the night away without missing a single beauty beat!

5. Irritated skin. It's true that skin can become irritated any time of year, but during the summer, the potential for heat rash, skin chafing, bumps, bruises, and scrapes rises.

Treat your sensitive summer skin with care, using gentle products specially formulated to soothe irritated skin and prevent further discomfort.

A tube of aloe vera gel is great for burns from both sun and wind.

If the skin on your face is in need of a seriously healing pick-me-up, keep a bottle of iS Clinical’s Pro-Heal Serum Advanced+ in your bag.

This amazing product, which is a favorite of many celebrities and non-celebrities alike, works to balance problematic skin, soothe inflammation, and fight rosacea in aging skin.

It is indicated for use on all skin types and conditions, making it a wonderful option for just about any skincare lover!

6. Easy summer makeup tips and tricks. When you're on vacation, the last thing you want to spend time doing is applying and fixing your makeup.

But you do still want to look good, right?

The key to easy, yet gorgeous makeup while traveling is to pack only the essentials.

If you're like me, you have more makeup at home than you'd be able to use in a year.

But since you're packing light, you'll need to be choosy about what you take with you.

If I am jetting off to an event (say a cousin’s wedding, or family reunion), I like to pick one eyeshadow compact, one neutral colored blush that goes with anything, tinted sunscreen, and a good waterproof mascara.

Maybe throw an eye pencil in the bag as well.

If I’m vacationing with my husband and boys and will be out and about I like to keep it extra simple.

Tinted sunscreen, mascara, and a lip gloss.

The point is that you needn't take along every single item from your makeup stash.

Choose one, or at most two, of each item and leave the rest at home.

Let your skin's healthy glow shine through while on vacation.

It might be all the makeup you need! :)

What are your favorite must-haves for skincare and beauty this summer? Share with us your travel bag must-haves in the comments below.