Beauty Essentials for Festival Survival

Any legendary music festival is where music lovers unite to party non-stop for a couple of days, dance like no one is watching and embrace the chaos of music, mud and magical moments. However, as you embark on your summer of festival fun, remember that taking care of your skin is an essential part of the experience.

Prolonged sun exposure, glittery makeup, and limited access to sinks or shower facilities can play havoc with your skin. You have to embrace the joy of the festival season, but with confidence, knowing that your skincare routine is keeping your skin beautiful and nurtured throughout.

Below is what I recommend for your skincare stash.

I want to recommend just taking wipes and SPF (and tell you to have a fabulous time without getting sunburned) for simplicity and to deal with the carnage when you get home, which includes visiting me for a revitalising bespoke facial treatment, but that just will not do. Sorry.

Sun protection, wipes (that I do not hate), travel-size products and eco-friendly alternatives are just some of the fundamentals of festival skincare.

Below are a few products I recommend as beauty essentials for festival survival, but you might be wondering where to fit them all into a routine.

Please do the festival in a fairly controlled manner.

1. Cleanse

Cleanse with your milk cleanser and a soft face cloth or reusable cleansing pads. Please ensure your skin is as clean as possible.

2. Apply your active / serum

A simple step, but an important one for maintaining hydration and skin comfort.

3. Moisturise

Keep the skin barrier supported and comforted throughout the day and night.

4. SPF

Non-negotiable.

If the morning is your only cleanse that involves water for the day, please ensure that in the evenings you at least wipe your face with a clean, wet CloudCloth™ a few times and apply some moisturiser – even if you get back to your tent half-cut. Do your best. We are never about perfection.

I am here to help you fix the damage when you return.

Oh, and keep hydrated.

Make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Keep a decent-sized reusable water bottle with you.

Hydrating facial mists are also a great way to give your skin a refreshing boost whenever needed. Dermaviduals Face Tonic is one of my favourites.

Onto the beauty essentials now…

Face cleanser / wipes (that I don’t hate)

Active / serum

Skin repair balm / moisturiser

Sun protection

Face cleanser / wipes (that I don’t hate)

I am not going to pretend you are going to be doing a four-five-six, or seven-plus step skincare routine in a tent, but maintaining a clean and fresh face is essential during festival season, though not always easy.

You have to try to keep on top of your skincare. It will help prevent breakouts and keep your skin feeling refreshed.

Please listen to me when I say wet wipes are not the one.

They only mess up your skin. If you are insistent on packing wipes, opt for eco-friendly and biodegradable ones wherever possible. A decent face wipe can also be used as a disposable face cloth with your cleansing milk.

Traditional cleansing milk is the way to go – one that can be washed off in the shower or removed with cotton pads.

Even better than wipes is investing in a set of reusable face cloths or cleansing pads as a more sustainable option. Take them in your festival bag, rinse them off in the sinks, and bring them home to wash properly afterwards.

Another tip:

Rather than repurchasing your entire skincare collection in travel sizes, invest in a set of reusable tubs and bottles to decant your standard-size products into.

It will save valuable space in your backpack and prevent the costly mistake of losing or damaging your favourite full-sized products.

Active serum

A super-hydrating hyaluronic acid-based serum is a must.

Alcohol, the weather, sun, wind or rain will all take their toll on your hydration levels, so the easiest way to keep them topped up is with a dose of your active serum.

Skin repair balm / moisturiser

Ensure you nourish and rejuvenate your skin, maintain moisture, and protect it from daily damage by using a good moisturiser or water-free balm, both day and night.

Look out for options that are:

Lightweight: Fast-absorbing, but deeply nourishing.
Barrier-supporting: Able to restore the skin’s moisture barrier.
Soothing: Particularly for sensitive or stressed skin.

Sun protection

It is vital to protect your skin from UV rays. Ensure you have a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF on hand. Whatever the weather, you’re going to be outside all day with minimal shade, so please wear it.

Recommended products: Clinicare, Baie Botanique, HELIOCARE 360°, Dermaviduals SPF

A couple of do not forgets:

Generously apply sun protection to all exposed areas of your body, and do not forget to reapply every few hours – especially if you are getting sweaty from all the dancing.
Include a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses in your festival wardrobe for added protection.
SPF on lips, and ideally a lip sleeping mask too.