The Super Skin Benefits of a Staycation
As I type, we’ve entered the next stage of the easing of the coronavirus restrictions, or the roadmap , to give it it’s official name. We’re able to cautiously hug , eat inside restaurants and drink with a gaggle of 29 friends outside if we so wish.
In this article
Cold Water is Good For Us - We Promise!
Less Sun Equals Less UV Damage
No Air Travel Means Less Irritated Skin
Shorter Journeys, Less Dehydration
Hurrah to No Jet Lag!
No More Food Guessing Games
Sönd - We’re Always Here!
But still, travel is confusing. We might be ‘allowed’ to travel overseas but there’s plenty of things to consider - red, amber and green countries, the cost of testing before and after travel adding to the cost of our holiday and the possibility (and cost implications) of needing to quarantine on return.
In addition to all of this, there’s the fear and trepidation many of us are still feeling about travelling when variants of the virus are still emerging.
Plus of course, we could book an exciting trip away, only to be told before we go (or whilst we’re there) that the rules have changed. (We must never forget that it’s an ever changing, and still pretty scary situation.)
So, with annual leave accrued and our feet well and truly itching to go somewhere, what’s the answer?
A staycation, of course!
But if you reside in the UK and Ireland, the appeal of a staycation isn’t always amazing. Pleasant and green our lands may be, but our weather can be mild and changeable, to say the least. However, there are more benefits to a staycation than you may think - and the bonus is, holidaying at home could mean amazing news for your skin.
Here’s why a staycation is good for our skin…
Cold Water is Good For Us - We Promise!
Ok, we’ll admit, swimming in the waters around Great Britain will generally be a chillier affair than swimming in the Med or further afield. But in some ways, that’s a good thing…
Outdoor swimming is having a bit of a moment, and lockdown has made it even more popular . Now regarded as a ‘therapy’, cold water therapy has many benefits including helping to support a healthy cardiovascular system, hormone balance and immunity as well as helping to improve our mood.
Cold water immersion therapy has no bigger advocate than Wim Hof who knows first hand the benefits of it as part of his Wim Hof Method for the mind, body and skin.
Skin wise, jumping (or slowly creeping, a limb / centimetre at a time) into freezing cold water has benefits here, too. The shock of the cold water makes your heart beat faster, sending blood surging around the body more quickly. This delivers skin loving nutrients and essential oxygen to the skin.
Yes, you’ll emerge from the water looking red and flushed , but this will turn into a healthy glow as you warm up. The skin loves nothing more than good circulation, so keep this in mind when you dip that first toe. It’s all for the greater good!
Since it is shocking, quite literally though, remember to take things gradually and always venture into the water with a pal or with someone looking out for you from the beach. Avoid at all costs if you have a heart problem.
Less Sun Equals Less UV Damage
We recently discussed the benefits of some level of exposure to the sun, due to the vitamin D that’s manufactured by the skin when we’re outside in UV light. We need vitamin D for strong bones and teeth, as well as good immunity and mental health.
But too much UV light, and we run the risk of skin damage , premature ageing, sun spots and even skin cancer.
Being on holiday somewhere sunny means that we’re exposed to a lot more UV light than we’re used to. Invariably, what we wear on holiday and how we behave is different. I mean, why wouldn’t we? Two weeks away from the everyday grind, and we have every right to dress and behave differently!
But wearing swimsuits and shorts, whilst lounging in the sun with a cocktail or two, means that our skin is more exposed, and for longer than usual.
Great news for vitamin D, bad news for UV related skin damage.
But let’s face it, holidaying in the UK and Ireland, unless you’re very lucky and you happen to be at the seaside when we have our four days of summer, generally means less sunshine. And fewer sunbathing opportunities.
We still need to be careful and choose our UV protection wisely here. But as a general rule, there’s fewer UV rays to worry about. Meaning that our skin is saved from an extra fine line or wrinkle. Particularly sensitive skinned people can rejoice too - no more prickly heat rashes to contend with!
No Air Travel Means Less Irritated Skin
Let’s talk about air travel. The end result is getting somewhere fun, and hot. Even getting to the airport and waving goodbye to our bags (hoping to see them at the final destination) is all part of the fun.
But the bit in the middle - the actual flight - is full of events that are bad for our skin. Let’s assume you have an early flight, say 6am. Depending on your distance from the airport, and allowing for the time we need to allow to get through security, let’s assume you wake at 2am. Or that you don’t actually go to bed at all.
Let’s also assume the following - you have a glass of bubbly at the airport, you’re in full makeup, your flight lasts around four hours and you have a couple of Bloody Mary’s and some salty snacks on the plane.
And they’re all fun and part of the holiday experience, too, right? Exactly! But then you get to your destination, after hours sitting in recycled air, dehydrating from the effects of stale air combined with alcohol . The heat hits you as you get off the plane (bliss), it's all go go go, you spend the afternoon sunbathing and the night sleeping it all off in an air conditioned room.
Tired, dehydrated skin alert!
Jumping on a train or packing up the car for a journey somewhere else in the UK doesn't have quite the same dehydration effects .
Shorter Journeys, Less Dehydration
OK, so a car or a train journey to the opposite end of the country might take us a good few hours. But unlike being cramped into a plane seat where you need to wake the person snoozing next to you to go to the loo, train and car journeys tend to have a bit more freedom.
Depending on where we’re going too, they could be considerably shorter than a long haul flight. And getting to the loo is normally a lot more in our control too, with accessible train toilets and motorway service stations!
Long journeys tend to leave us dehydrated unless we are very careful, so a quick jaunt in the car will have less of an impact. Plus, we’re much more likely to drink more water, and we won't have the humidity issues upon arrival either. All signalling less risk of dehydration, which can play havoc with dry skin .
Hurrah to No Jet Lag!
There's nothing good about jet lag, except perhaps the fast fading memories of why you made a long trip in the first place.
As well as the crazy sleeping patterns, crushing tiredness, irritability, headaches and even stomach upsets caused by jet lag, it also has a negative effect on our skin.
Tiredness will show up on our faces in the form of dark under eye circles, dullness and sagginess. It can also exacerbate the fine lines and wrinkles we naturally develop as we get older. So the lack of sleep we experience as a result of jet lag has a larger negative impact on the skin.
Also, if we compensate by drinking alcohol, then that’s dehydrating too. But our most popular tiredness crutch, coffee, can also have an effect since a lot of caffeine can be dehydrating for the skin .
Also of course, the further we travel by plane, the worse the jet lag and the longer we’ve spent sitting inside a dehydrating cabin, even if we’re in first class!
No More Food Guessing Games
If certain foods are a trigger for your skin, then menus that are in a language you understand will be easier to navigate and stay safe with. No more guessing what “do you have gluten and dairy free options” is in Spanish.
Part of the travel experience is trying different foods, but if your skin reacts to certain foods, then there’s more risk of a reaction if you’re unsure what you’re eating or what it might have been cooked with.
Having a staycation means you’re in more control of what you’re eating and your skin may very well thank you for it.
Sönd - We’re Always Here!
Keeping your skin happy, both at home and abroad, isn’t always an easy task. Especially if your skin is sensitive, acne prone, oily, dry or likely to suffer itching and inflammation.
But there are things you can do to help, wherever you are in the world. Using the Sönd range of alkalising skincare products is, in our opinion, and that of our fans , the best thing you can do for your skin. So no matter what else is going on, you know your one skin constant is your skincare.
We hope you get to have the holiday you want this year, or at least one that comes close. In the meantime, enjoy all those hugs and dinners minus the rain!
References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57083571
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/29/swimming-wild-trend-social-media-cliche
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7730683/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-travel/air-travel-and-dehydration.aspx