Planning for Your Trip Abroad

Shout out to all the globe-trotting eczema warriors out there! We all know that caring for our skin can be difficult—especially when we’re halfway around the world. Climates may not be agreeable with our skin or the language barrier may make it difficult to locate the nearest pharmacy. Follow these tips to ensure you can make the most of your trip while thinking less about the comfort of your skin.

The 6 P’s of planning

We’ve all heard the following adage before:

Prior planning and preparation prevents poor performance.

If that doesn’t sound familiar, maybe you’ve heard the more colorful version of the phrase from one of your cousins. Either way, all the variations allude to the same notion. The first step you can take towards a successful trip without any eczema issues is to plan in advance. Grab a pen and paper and form a list of all the things you’ll need.

The bare necessities

You saw this one coming, didn’t you? You hardly leave your home without those eye drops so why would you leave the country without them? All joking aside, your medications should be at the top of the list. You may be able to get away with purchasing those over the counter allergy meds in a foreign country if you need them, but I wouldn’t bank on it.

What is common in the United States might not be readily available in other parts of the world. Also, don’t forget to bring those fragrant-free soaps, moisturizers and any other medications or toiletries that you may need to keep your skin in tip-top shape.

So fresh, so clean

I always struggle with choosing my clothing for a trip. In the back of my mind I know that it’s best if I pack light but sometimes this isn’t a reality. If you’re concerned about not having enough clean clothes for your vacation, I recommend purchasing a travel bottle of laundry detergent. Fill your hotel sink with your dirty items, water and a few drops of soap. Voila! You’ll have some spotless new gear in no time.

B.Y.O.B. (bring your own bedding)

Personally, I like to take a bed sheet with me when I travel so I don’t accidentally bleed on my hosts’ sheets. I tend to use AirBnb a lot and don’t want a bad review for something that could have easily been avoided. However, this item might not be necessary to you depending on your sleeping arrangements. If you are staying in a hotel or hostel, I’d say it is safe to say that you can skip the bed sheet.

Pack it up, pack it in

I like to group similar items together to make the packing (and unpacking) process more simple. For example, I store all my soaps and medications in one bag so if the contents are spilled I don’t get them all over my belongings. I also like to bring a trash bag to put all my dirty clothes in. This helps to prevent my clean clothes from becoming contaminated with unwanted allergens on my trip.

If you have a few traveling tricks and tips of your own leave them in the comments section below!