Skin Care While Camping And Backpacking
Hygiene and taking care of your body is important every day, that includes days that you’re spending out in the woods. This is especially true if you go on trips frequently or go for extended backpacking excursions. Proper skin care while camping and backpacking is a must! After all, your skin is your largest organ.
When you’re doing physical activity outside for days at a time, you are putting that organ through an incredible number of stresses. Large amounts of sweat builds up and dries off on it. Dirt and insects find their way onto it. Branches and stones scratch the surface of it. The sun beats down on it.
Though it may sound like a cosmetic practice, taking good care of your skin is a key pillar of health.
It is inevitable to experience some sort of skin damage or distress while on a backpacking trip. However, you can mitigate this damage by taking some time to care for it every day. Below are some of the best tips for skin care while camping and backpacking.
1. Block The Sun
When you are packing your backpack, be sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and other sun-protective gear or clothing. You’ll also want to be sure you are reapplying the sun screen every couple of hours to make sure it is still effective.
Be sure to do this every day regardless of the weather or how shady the trail appears to be. Up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can pass through clouds, so it is important to apply sunscreen even on overcast days.1
Everyone knows the danger or sun exposure. It can increase your chances of getting skin cancer as well as leave your skin damaged, discolored, or aged. Protecting it can limit the negative effects that occur from spending a lot of time outside.
There are plenty of convenient travel-sized sunscreen options available. These will fit neatly in one of your side pockets for easy access. There are even some clip-on options that you can secure conveniently to your pack straps. Look for ones that are sweat and water resistant. Bring along a lip balm with SPF protection as well!
2. Wash Your Face (And The Rest Of You When Possible!)
Being active outside means there will be a lot of sweat, dirt, and bacteria building up on your skin. If you don’t wash your face, you are leaving a layer of this grime on it. Over the course of a few days in the woods, not washing your skin can be detrimental.
Washing your face every day can help you avoid the possibility of a breakout and can keep your skin properly hydrated and clear of contaminants. Washing off the rest of your body can will keep you comfortable while keeping the rest of your skin healthy and free from damaging buildup.
This is also a good way to spot and care for any scrapes or wounds you may have gotten on the trail. Once you wash off all the dirt or mud, you might uncover a few small cuts. It’s best to catch these early so you can grab your first aid kit and care for them properly so they wont get infected.
What To Clean Off With
During your hike, you might come across some water sources such as a river or lake that you can jump into to wash off. If it is warm outside, this is an absolute treat to have near your campsite. You can cool off and wash off in the fresh water.
If you choose to bathe with soap in these water sources, be respectful of nature. Use environmentally friendly soaps that won’t be harmful to the critters that rely on that water.
For facial cleansers, you may want to go the waterless route. Bring along some micellar water or toner and some cotton balls to use on your face. This allows you to get a dependable and convenient cleanse without being near a water source.
Micellar water will gently remove dirt and makeup when you swipe it across your face with a cotton ball. The micelles in the water attract impurities on the skin to remove any grime without stripping your skin of its natural oils.2 This is my secret weapon for keeping a fresh face for backpacking trips!
3. Moisturize
Keeping your skin moisturized is key for daily skin care. Doing it on a backpacking trip is even more important! That’s why it’s a staple for my skin care routine while camping and backpacking.
Your skin, especially the skin on your face, neck and chest, is very sensitive to environmental changes and stresses. Changes in humidity, exposure to sunlight, sweat and wind can irritate your skin and cause it to dry out or flake. Moisturizers can help replace moisture that has been lost while preventing future loss. This will keep your skin brighter, smoother, and more comfortable.
Moisturize your face every morning and night after washing. During the day, be sure your moisturizer contains SPF 15 or higher to protect it from sun damage, or slather on some sunscreen on top of it. Body lotion can be applied every morning or every night if possible. If you’re tight on space or going light weight just bring enough lotion for the parts of your body that is most exposed to the elements such as your hands and chest.
Why Moisturizing is Important
This isn’t just for good looking skin. Keeping your skin hydrated is important for your overall comfort.3 Dry skin can crack, itch, burn and flake. This is an avoidable discomfort during your backpacking trip.
Moisturizing your skin while backpacking is important because of the significant exposure to the elements it will have. Most days, you spend most of your hours inside and protected from the unpredictable and harsh weather. Your skin is usually spoiled with consistently comfortable temperature, minimal wind exposure, and shade.
A few days of being outside constantly will be a shock your skin.
High altitude is particularly rough on skin.4 The higher you get, the more intense the sun’s UV rays are and the dryer the air is. This can lead to painfully dry skin if you’re not careful. If you are climbing some peaks on your next trip don’t overlook the lotion!
4. Stick to Trusted Products
Trying a product that you’ve never used before while you are miles out in the forest is not a wise idea. You have no idea how your skin will react to it or if it is effective. That’s why sticking to tried-and-true products is a key rule for skin care while camping or backpacking.
Bring along products that you usually use. If you’ve never tried micellar water before, try it out at least a few weeks before your trip. Giving it a test run for a couple of weeks will allow you to try something new without the risk of ruining your trip.
When you’re backpacking for days, you’re going to have your fair share of body discomforts. An achy back from an ill-fitting backpack, digestive issues from some funky backpacking food, and sore overworked legs are all common pains for backpackers. Anything you can do to protect yourself from additional discomforts – such as a skin rash or peeling – is worth doing.
If you’re having difficulty finding your favorite product in a compact size, try re-packaging it yourself. There are plenty of travel size, reusable containers available that will help you bring your trusted lotions and cleansers without wasting precious backpack space. A snack size plastic bag will also work for thicker creams and moisturizers. Just be sure to double bag it if the plastic is thin and can be ripped easily.
5. Limit Makeup
Some people like to bring along makeup while they are on a backpacking trip. No judgement here, you want to look good for those “I made it to the peak” pictures! However, you want to be sure you don’t over-do it. Especially when it comes to foundation or concealer.
Less is More
Wearing a lot of heavy makeup while doing any form of exercise is a mistake. When you are doing all that movement, you are going to sweat. Sweating with makeup on will clog your pores, leading to breakouts and irritated skin. You are far better off keeping your skin free of heavyweight makeup while on the trails.
Wearing light makeup, such as eyeliner, mascara, and minimal concealer, is the way to go if you want to glam up while backpacking. These are less likely to irritate and clog your pores while still giving your eyes a nice pop. Just be sure you are bringing your usual products that you know won’t cause any irritation or side effects. You do not want to deal with that while backpacking.
Clean it Off
The most important thing to remember if you decide to wear makeup on your backpacking trip is to remove it completely every night. Wearing makeup to sleep can cause a lot of damage to your skin, especially if there is sweat and dirt accumulated on top of it.
As you sleep, your skin works to renew itself. If you have makeup on throughout the night, you’re disrupting that process. This causes fatigue signs, clogged pores, and breakouts. Bring makeup remover and don’t crawl into your sleeping bag without using it!
Conclusion
Caring for your skin isn’t just a cosmetic endeavor. Cleaning, moisturizing, and protecting your skin from sun are all important for your overall hygiene and health. Following these guidelines for skin care while camping and backpacking will help you feel comfortable throughout your trip.
Don’t forget to care for the skin on your feet as well! Read our article about blister prevention and our favorite backpacking socks before your next trip out to the woods.
Cover photo by Antonio Gabola on Unsplash
