The Ultimate At-Home Post-Travel Facial • The Blonde Abroad

If you can’t visit an aesthetician to achieve a dewy glow, turn your home into a spa! When I return home from traveling, one of the first things I like to do is an extremely hydrating facial.

Flying tends to dry out the skin, and I’m not always 100% great with taking care of my skin when on the road, so doing a complete reset and giving myself a spa-like facial is key!

From which cleansers to use to the perfect steamer, here’s how to give yourself the ultimate at-home post-travel facial!

Pre Facial

First Things First: Set the Mood!

Drink a large glass of water—I love adding sliced fruit or cucumber!
Make a cup of herbal tea to enjoy throughout the experience
Burn incense or turn on a diffuser with oils
Play a relaxing playlist — here’s my go-to!

Vitruvi White Stone Essential Oil Diffuser

Enhance your mood and overall wellbeing with a blend of herbs and essential oils. Pair with these essential oils for ultimate relaxation.

Shop Now

Step 1: Double Cleanse

After setting the mood and creating a calm space, the first thing to do is cleanse your skin… twice! Use a cleansing oil to remove makeup and impurities, rinse, then follow that with a non-drying cream or gel cleanser and rinse again to get your skin squeaky clean.

Recommended Oil Cleansers:

Recommended Gel/Cream Cleansers:

Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel (PH balancing)
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip (Gentle Plant-Based)

Step 2: Exfoliate

Exfoliation doesn’t require fancy tools, but I love the PMD Microderm Pro. It’s the ideal tool for at-home microdermabrasion, and it does an amazing job. You can literally see skin flakes come off (kind of gross, but so satisfying!).

For a gentle, daily option, any exfoliating product will work!

Recommended Exfoliating Tools & Products:

Versed Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliator (exfoliating cream) — budget-friendly
PMD Personal Microdermabrasion Tool (tool)
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (powder)

Look for moisturizing masks!

And don't forget the lips!

Step 3: Mask

Use a hydrating mask. If you can, try to avoid any clay or ‘purifying’ masks—especially if your skin is feeling dry. While these types of masks definitely *feel* like they’re working, they can deplete your skin of moisture and oils.

Recommended Masks:

TATCHA Violet-C Radiance (brightening)
Kiehls Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask (hydrating)
Summer Fridays Jetlag Mask (hydrating and restoring)

Bonus—add in a lip mask!

Recommended Lip Masks:

TATCHA Kissu Lip Mask (soothing, non-sticky jelly)
Bite Beauty Agave+ Intensive Lip Mask (clean, vegan, cruelty-free)

Step 4: Steam

While your mask sits, use a facial steamer (I love the Vanity Planet Aira Steamer) for a truly luxurious experience. Take this time to close your eyes and relax for 5-10 minutes or longer (depending on your mask use instructions).

Use the code “blondeabroad50” to get 50% off!

Step 5: Cleanse and Prep

Wash your mask off. Depending on the mask (read the usage instructions) you can either rinse with water or use with a small amount of gentle cleanser. Sometimes, you simply need to wipe the mask off.

Then, prep the skin with a toner or nutrient-rich concentrate.

Step 6: Serum

Apply a hydrating serum (ideally with hyaluronic acid). Hyaluronic Acid (also seen as HA) is a key molecule used to help skin stay moisturized and retain water so you ca achieve that dewy hydration.

Recommended Serums:

SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier (plumping for aging skin)
Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum (deep hydration + glow)
Vegan Mia Organics Radiance Superfruit Serum (100% organic/fragrance-free)

Bonus: Use 1-3 drops of a Hydration Booster for maximum moisturizing plumpness!

Recommended Boosters:

Versed Hydration Station Booster with HA (concentrated HA) — budget-friendly
Vegan Mia Organics Harmony No. 9 (concentrated hydrating antioxidant elixir)

Step 7: Moisturize

Use your favorite hydrating moisturizer on both your face and neck. Make sure not to forget your neck—that area is really easy to skimp over, but that area of the body needs moisturizer and care, too!

Recommended Moisturizers:

Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream (deep hydration for sensitive skin)
TATCHA The Water Cream (pore-perfecting, anti-aging)
Versed Skin Soak (rich moisture cream) — budget-friendly

Bonus: Beauty Oil — add a few drops to your moisturizer to seal in moisture without oiliness!

Recommended Beauty Oil:

RMS beauty oil (organic, lightweight yet concentrated)

Bonus #2: Don’t forget the lips and eyes!

Recommended Eye & Lip Balms:

SkinCeuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair (restorative lip treatment)
SkinCeuticals Eye Balm (rich balm for aging skin)

Do you have any favorite products or tricks when it comes to at-home facials?

Let me know in the comments below!

Instagram

Spending a year abroad sounds exciting… until you see the planning involved.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Flights, edits, contracts, itineraries — not to mention the admin of being a mom. I’m usually running everything at once, so having a laptop that can keep up makes a huge difference.

I’ve been using an AMD Ryzen AI–powered laptop to keep everything organized, run AI tools even when WiFi isn’t available, and work from wherever we happen to be in the world.

So I can finish what I need to do… and get back to what’s most important ❤️
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#AMDPartner #AMDRyzenAIPower #ad

@AMD

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 17988157505951119

Spending a year abroad sounds exciting… until you see the planning involved.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Flights, edits, contracts, itineraries — not to mention the admin of being a mom. I’m usually running everything at once, so having a laptop that can keep up makes a huge difference.

I’ve been using an AMD Ryzen AI–powered laptop to keep everything organized, run AI tools even when WiFi isn’t available, and work from wherever we happen to be in the world.

So I can finish what I need to do… and get back to what’s most important ❤️
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#AMDPartner #AMDRyzenAIPower #ad

@AMD

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 17869856373573722

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18090265751115394

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18094787833947297

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

2541 85

Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Brittany Fuller

Love love this post!! Do you have any hair mask/treatment recommendations?!

September 11, 2020 at 4:29 am · Reply

The Blonde Abroad

Hey Brittany! I really like using the Olaplex Repairing Treatment 🙂

September 13, 2020 at 11:15 pm · Reply

Mama Adventure

OMG I love this post so much! Dermalogica is one of my favorite brands, so learning about new products I hadn’t come across like the Dermalogica Microfoliant is super-exciting, and I’ve wanted a diffuser for EVER so I am definitely going to check this one out for some me-time!

October 15, 2020 at 1:49 pm · Reply

The Blonde Abroad

Hey there! Happy to share and glad I could introduce you to some of my faves 🙂 Enjoy your facial!

October 24, 2020 at 3:23 am · Reply

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