Spending a few days at an outdoor festival can do a lot of good for your soul and your spirit. Your skin? Not so much. No one's top skincare tips ever claimed the secret to radiant, youthful-looking skin is camping all day and night in a dry, dusty desert. (As far as we know.) Even if the music festival you attended wasn't in a dry, hot locale, you probably didn't adhere to your optimal skincare routine while you were away from home. You had to prioritize the outfits and the bands — we get it!
Now that you're back, your skin might be dehydrated, irritated or breaking out faster than that new band's album.
This post-festival skincare recovery plan will help you cleanse and refresh, learn how to treat dehydrated skin and soothe your skin back to its pre-festival glory. Learn how to tackle blemishes, dry skin and even scalp woes right here, right now.
Deep Cleansing Techniques: Wash Away the Festival Residue
Festival days = layers of sunscreen, makeup, glitter, paint and, well, grime. First of all skincare tips? A deep cleanse to kick-start your post-festival skin rehab session. Stop breakouts in their tracks with products containing salicylic acid, which opens clogged pores and exfoliates the skin to treat whiteheads and pimples.
Remove Impurities
You don't need to go hard on your skin to remove lingering impurities. Start with a gentle cleanser like Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser. This hypoallergenic gel formula is packed with hyaluronic acid to effectively remove dirt, oil and makeup while increasing skin's hydration.
Tone It Up
For oily or acne-prone skin, swipe on Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Triple-Action Toner. This multitasking toner contains salicylic acid to clear out pores, eliminate excess oil and treat acne before it emerges for clearer, shine-free skin. With a unique formula of skin-soothers, it also helps reduce redness and irritation.
Protect Blemishes
If you're looking to help heal popped pimples fast post-party, reach for Neutrogena Stubborn Acne® Ultra-Thin Blemish Patches. These ultra-thin, dermatologist-tested patches are proven to help reduce the size of popped pimples in one day, providing an optimal healing environment and helping protect them from picking.
Banish Body Breakouts
If body acne makes you want to cover up after days of baring your skin to the elements, wash with Neutrogena Body Clear® Exfoliant Body Scrub With Salicylic Acid. Gentle enough for daily use and free from plastic microbeads, this body acne-specific formula sweeps away dead skin and cleans deep into pores for smooth, clear skin on the back, chest and shoulders.
Rehydration Strategies: A Different Kind of 'Thirst Trap'
Festival air (hot, dry or dusty) makes for thirsty skin. Wondering how to hydrate your face? Quench it with the right products.
Soothe Sunburned Skin
If you return home with a sunburn, soothe your skin with a cooling gel like Neutrogena® Sun Rescue ™ After Sun Medicated Relief Gel for Sunburned Skin. Made with camphor, this fragrance-free sunburn gel treatment provides medicated relief on contact to cool and calm the skin. It'll also help prevent the urge to scratch your torched skin!
Stick To Gentle, Hydrating Cleansers
Wash your face with gentle formulas that respect the skin's moisture barrier. If you have compromised or sensitive skin, Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid is an excellent choice to cleanse the skin without stripping moisture. Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, it's clinically tested to be gentle on even the most sensitive skin, including eczema-prone and acne-prone skin.
Use a Collagen Moisturizer
Plump dehydrated skin and get your glow back with Neutrogena® Collagen Bank™ Moisturizer. Its patented micro-peptide technology penetrates more than 10 layers deep to support collagen for firmer, youthful-looking skin.
Festival Hair Rescue: Clarify & Hydrate Your Locks
Don't neglect your scalp — it's skin, too. Dry shampoo all week plus dust, dirt and sun? Yep, your scalp and hair need a refresh.
Clarify and Cleanse
Use Neutrogena® Healthy Scalp Clarify & Shine Shampoo With Pink Grapefruit to gently exfoliate your scalp, help remove build-up and restore shine. Suitable for all hair types, this pH-balanced shampoo leaves your scalp clean and refreshed and is gentle enough for regular use.
Deep Condition
Follow up with a hydrating conditioner or mask to bring softness and moisture back to your strands. Neutrogena® Healthy Scalp Hydro Boost With Hyaluronic Acid Conditioner deeply moisturizes dry hair and helps maintain the scalp's natural barrier with regular use.
Ensure the Best Parts of Post-Festival Beauty Last
When the festival is in the past, you want pictures and videos to prove you had the time of your life — not lingering skincare problems that put a damper on your R&R time. And remember: Learning how to prevent breakouts from occurring in the first place and caring for your skin mid-party can go a long way toward healthier, happier skin, making skincare management that much easier after your next event.
Follow the above skincare tips so your post-party glow sticks around until next year's tickets go on sale. With some deep cleansing, hydrating and skin healing measures, your skin won't be the telltale sign you went to a festival. Only your beaming smile will.
