A Wren Says

So, you’re traveling to place, and they’ve told you to be careful not to drink the water. Copy that. You decide ensure you only get bottled water during the trip and also preemptively get some water purification tablets just to be on the safe side. But now that you’re starting to get in to skincare you’re wondering, “What about my face?” Well, I’m vain and this is what I thought.

Stateside, there are often “boil water advisories.” These are situations when the public is notified about concerns about the safety of the local water supply, ergo the suggestion to boil the water you intend to use for eating and drinking first. In these situations, the CDC suggests, you should use bottled or previously boiled water to brush your teeth and to avoid getting water into your mouth when bathing/showering. They don’t say anything about what to do when it comes to your face. So will step in with some suggestions.

Option 1- Brave it and just use local water to wash your face

Maybe you will be fine. Maybe you are able to avoid water going into your eyes, nose, and mouth when you wash your face. You are highly skilled as a skincare afficionado. Maybe, but why risk this? This is the list of viruses and bacteria that sometime contaminate water in the U.S. You can add to that the number of viruses, parasites, and bacteria that can be found in water sources around the globe. And generally, it is a bad idea to get tap water up your nose.  Compound that risk with these other risks.  If you are told not to drink the water, be mindful there is a reason, and take caution.

Option 2- Use bottled water

You opt to use a bottled or boiled water (that has been cooled) in your routine. Pour some of the water into your hand to then wet your face. Then work away with your cleanser. Because you would likely need to be extra conservative with your water in this situation, I would suggest wetting a cloth with the water to wipe the cleanser off your face instead of constantly pouring water on your face to remove your lather.

Option 3- Micellar water

You could also use some micellar water on a cotton pad to wipe your face clean. This eliminates the need to use water at all as the product is designed to break down oil and dirt to cleanse your skin.

Option 4- Cleansing wipes

This is probably the easiest solution. You just wipe your face, and you don’t need to think of anything else.

Option X- Recognize that my concern about clean water to wash my face pales in comparison to the continued lack of access to fresh, clean drinking water in many areas

As I write about, “OMG how do I maintain my skincare routine while traveling?.” I am fully aware that I was traveling through a country that has low access to quality water. Based on the 2021 survey published by UNICEF 86% of Nigeria’s population does not have access to quality water. If you are concerned about this issue as well, you can support UNICEF, as they work to improve access to vital needs across the globe.