With summer right around the corner, travel season is almost among us. When we are out and about visiting different places and seeing different things, it is important to remember that with new locations comes new forms of possible contaminants. However, no need to fear. There are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. Listed below are some travel hygiene tips guaranteed to help you stay healthy while traveling.
Keep Your Hands Clean
This one is mostly common sense, but it is important to wash your hands before eating or touching your face. You will also want to wash your hands when they become excessively dirty or after touching public surfaces. If washing your hands is not an option, you will also want to carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a backup. In addition, you should keep your nails clean and neatly trimmed to prevent bacteria from lurking underneath them.
Keep Your Face Clean
Just as keeping your hands clean is an important part of remaining healthy, so is keeping your face clean. Failing to keep your face clean results in a buildup of bacteria that can easily invade your body through the mouth. Depending on your destination location, you may need to pack a variety of items to ensure your face remains clean and properly moisturized. These may range from cleansers, to lotions, to simple wipes that do not require any water. Regardless of how you choose to keep your face clean, you will also want to be sure to apply plenty of sunblock, especially if you are in a sunny location or a location where sun can be reflected off the ground and onto your face.
Keep Your Mouth Clean
Your fellow travelers will appreciate you taking the time to keep your mouth clean and your breath fresh. Make sure you are continuing your normal routine of brushing twice daily and flossing once daily. In addition to your normal routine, you may also want to avoid fragrant foods and pack specialized travel dental tools. Example of these are disposable mini-toothbrushes, that let you brush without needing to care a full-sized toothbrush, and Listerine Pocketmist, which thoroughly rids your mouth of the bacteria that cause bad breath. In addition, foods such as apples, lemons, or limes stimulate saliva production and naturally clean the mouth.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Our bodies are primarily made of water and many ailments are caused by not getting enough water. When traveling, it is important to pay attention to your water intake levels and make sure you are drinking enough. It is very easy to forget to drink water while traveling, and this can lead to fatigue, headaches, and even illness. Drinking plenty of water will naturally provide support to your immune system by flushing the body of possible contaminants, improve possible bad breath, and keep your skin moisturized. Depending on your location, however, you may need to take special care to ensure the water is safe to drink and you may even need to understand different water purification methods.