How Travel and Sleep Can Impact Skin’s Natural Rhythm

Explore the influence of circadian rhythm and sleep deprivation on skin, the relationship between the climate and our skin barrier, and what we can do to maintain visible skin health.

Changes in climate, temperature and humidity can affect the skin barrier’s ability to regulate moisture. One way this is measured is through transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the natural process where water evaporates from the skin’s surface.

TEWL is a normal and constantly occurring function of skin. However, when water is lost faster than the skin can replenish it, the barrier can become weakened and less resilient to external stressors.

This excess water loss can disrupt the skin barrier’s structure, which is made up of lipids, natural moisturizing factors and tightly organized skin cells. As a result, skin may experience dehydration, sensitivity, irritation and other visible signs of barrier disruption.

Three Climate Variables That Can Impact Skin:

• Relative humidity: Studies have found that in low relative humidity environments, such as inside an aeroplane, the skin is more susceptible to mechanical stress and damage, and can experience a decrease in hydration. This may appear as dry or flaky skin, exacerbating the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

• UV exposure: This can cause damage to skin cells and DNA, both directly through the absorption of UV photons and indirectly through the generation of free radicals, which can lead to a state of oxidative stress. Repeated unprotected exposure can lead to accelerated visible signs of aging, such as fine lines, sunspots and uneven tone.

• Temperature: Studies show that barrier recovery rate can be slower at low temperatures. During winter, colder temperatures and frequent high-pressure systems often produce low-humidity conditions because cold air can hold less water, which can draw more water out of the epidermis. This can dry the skin out, leading to a chapped appearance.

Moving from one time zone to another can result in any number of climate variables changing within a short space of time. Implementing targeted, reparative formulations into your skincare regimen can help to restabilize the skin barrier. See more about skin barrier optimization here.

Sleep and circadian rhythm play a role in skin barrier function. When sleep is disrupted through travel, irregular schedules or sleep deprivation, skin may become less resilient to environmental stressors and moisture loss.

Some of the visible effects can include:

• Dullness and uneven texture: Sleep deprivation can disrupt the skin’s natural renewal process, contributing to skin that appears fatigued or less radiant.
• Reduced barrier resilience: Many skin functions follow circadian rhythms, including transepidermal water loss and barrier recovery. Disruption to these rhythms can leave skin more vulnerable to dehydration and environmental stressors.
• Increased stress response: Short-term sleep loss has been shown to increase certain stress signals in the body, which may impair barrier function and contribute to visible skin changes.

Short term sleep loss through travel can reduce skin hydration, leading to a decrease in skin firmness and elasticity. Longer term sleep loss through extended travel or disruption can affect the skin’s natural collagen and is connected to a decrease in skin integrity and elasticity.

Adding a travel skincare routine can help support the skin through periods of disruption or when traversing different temperatures and humidity levels.

Here are Five Tips for Maintaining Skin Balance Across Time Zones

• Barrier reinforcement: Supporting your skin barrier is central to maintaining resilient, healthy-looking skin, both now and in the future. Modulating Glucosides (MG) is an example of a lightweight, soothing serum that helps target signs of skin sensitivity and protects against irritation, which can help support the barrier.

• Rehydrate skin: Skin that lacks adequate hydration can become visibly dry, rough, irritated and more susceptible to external stressors. It’s important to look at hydration through a dual-approach lens, both adding moisture and retaining it. Consider adding Hydration Vaccine (HV), a dual-approach sealant that hydrates and retains moisture, to your regimen. 

• Sun protection: To protect your skin against sun damage, apply sun protection every morning.

• Antioxidants: To target the appearance of skin concerns associated with exposure to environmental stressors, such as fine lines, wrinkles, discolouration and dullness, consider adding Survival 0 (S0) to your regimen. S0 was created with environmental stressors in mind, helping to support skin against environmental and lifestyle-related aggressors.

• Support sleep: Help your body to tap into natural rhythms of light and dark, by managing exposure to blue light and mobile phone use. Research shows that epidermal skin cells can sense light directly,2 which suggests that blue light itself can directly affect skin-cell circadian rhythms, not just through the eyes and brain.

How does travelling between climates affect the skin barrier?

Changes in climate can result in an increase of transepidermal water loss, where excessive water evaporates from the skin. This can weaken the skin barrier and may lead to skin dehydration, sensitivity, redness and dryness. 

Low humidity can make fine lines more noticeable. Unprotected UV exposure can cause sunburns and generate free radicals, accelerating visible signs of aging. Cold temperatures can slow barrier recovery and increase moisture loss, which can result in dry, flaky skin.

How does disrupted sleep impact skin health?

Overnight, skin renews and repairs itself. When travel disrupts your circadian rhythm, sleep quality can decline, which can impact skin recovery and overall function.

What is circadian rhythm and why does it matter for skin?

Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment.3 Disrupted circadian rhythms can affect the skin’s ability to recover and renew from environmental stress.

How can I protect my skin during long flights?

Aeroplanes are low humidity environments that can decrease skin hydration. Supporting skin with rehydration technology may help maintain comfort during long flights. Read our guide to skin barrier optimization here.

Why does my skin break out or dry out when I travel?

Shifting between different climates can affect the skin’s ability to regulate moisture, which can influence its overall condition and appearance. Environmental changes during travel can increase transepidermal water loss, which can contribute to barrier disruption, skin dehydration, visible signs of sensitivity and skin that is more prone to breakouts. 

Travel-related stress may also play a role, as stress has been associated with certain types of breakouts.

How can I restore balance after jet lag?

Jet lag and travel-related fatigue can affect the skin’s overall appearance, sometimes contributing to dehydration, dullness and reduced skin comfort. Prioritizing rest after travel may help support the body’s natural recovery processes, including those associated with skin function. Supporting the skin barrier with hydration-focused formulations may also help maintain moisture balance during periods of travel and routine disruption.

Our skin is connected to both the body’s internal clock and its external environment. Modern life and travel can place unprecedented demands on this barrier, challenging skin more than ever before.

NIOD’s approach recognizes that healthy-looking skin begins with biological harmony. We focus on helping skin work more efficiently by supporting resilience and recovery, no matter where it’s been or where it’s going.