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Travel skin/haircare routine?

LaPed

Veteran

I've been in travel daydream mode all weekend and it's got me reflecting on how my skincare and haircare routines have improved significantly now that I never go anywhere. I'm keeping my eczema in check, my hair is fuller and shinier than it's been in a long time, and I'd like to find a way to stay on this roll once we're able to travel again.

Airplanes, city air, etc do a number on my skin and hair, but I've never been the sort to bother packing much beyond lip balm and sunscreen. I think I'm ready to improve on my dirtbag travel habits! So I'm curious:

1. Do you use the same products at home and while traveling? Do you buy smaller sizes specifically for travel, repack from larger containers into minis, or bring full-sized products with you?

2. Are there any specific changes you make to your skin/haircare routine while traveling, either for the sake of convenience or comfort?

I have a couple backpacking trips on the horizon for April/May, for which I won't really bring any toiletries. But I also have tentative Maine beach house plans for July, which seems like an ideal time to test-drive a new travel kit: close to home, traveling by car, very casual schedule.

I'm saving empty sample-sized bottles and plan to refill them with my usual at-home products. I might look into getting a decent "dopp kit"; I usually just throw toiletries into a random nylon stuff sack or zipper pouch and call it a day, but I wouldn't mind having something a little more organized. Other suggestions or ideas?

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24 replies

Latest reply was from Stagiaire Fash

slim cat

Veteran

I do save small containers and unused samples for traveling - moisturizer is the most important when flying. Tinted lip balm as another essential. Fresh haircut or fresh highlights usually help .

Liesbeth

Veteran

I try to use the same products while traveling, at least for my face because that's my most demanding area. I don't really have extra trouble with my skin or hair because of travel conditions.
Once at my destination I may stray still into a minimal regime of soap washing and sunscreen because, well, there are more interesting things to do :). Since our son we no longer travel by plane with minimal luggage so I can take my full size products. Before I sometimes poured my products into smaller containers.

cat2

Veteran

I usually travel a lot for business. I keep a zippered cosmetics bag and a small zippered makeup bag (both usually freebies) that I use for either my gym bag and for travel. I buy small versions of key products like cleanser and moisturizer, and then use random freebies and drugstore minis for the rest. I know someone will cheerily tell me my minis are ruining the reefs, but most of the travel size empties I have tried leak or are too rigid and you can’t get the product out without a knife. My one airplane tip is to wear a liberal coat of your night cream on the plane to prevent airplane dryness.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

You know, I never thought about it, but my skincare routine has gotten way better during the pandemic, as well.

Almost all of the products I use come in < 3 oz. containers or are solid, so I generally just throw the whole thing in. My regular routine includes:

Every day-
Small Acre Farm Activated Charcoal Goat Milk Soap
Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum
SuperGoop CC Screen
Night of Olay (the cheapest bare bones moisturizer. I keep thinking I should find a better solution, but this works for me)

3-4x/week-
Mad Hippie Vitamin A serum (retinol)

1-2x/week-
Mad Hippie Exfoliating serum (glycolic acid)

When traveling, I'd be inclined to leave behind the retinol and glycolic acid, unless it was a super-long trip. I also have to be way more careful about sunscreen with those two products, and that can sometimes get iffy when traveling, even though I try to be diligent about it.

I put everything in an Eagle Creek Pack-It Sac or, if I'm flying, in a plastic bag. It's not the fanciest of solutions, but it works and matches the rest of my packing organizers.

ETA: For hair, I use solid shampoo from Lush, so that packs fine. The only other product I use regularly is sea salt spray, which I do transfer into a smaller spray bottle.

Night Cream by Olay Night Firming Cream 1.9 Ounce (56ml) (3 Pack) (Packaging may vary)

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Supergoop! CC Screen - SPF 50 PA++++ CC Cream, 100% Mineral Color-Corrector & Broad Spectrum Sunscreen - Tinted Moisturizer, Concealer & Buildable Coverage Foundation - 1.6 fl oz

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Mad Hippie Skin Care Exfoliating Serum 1.02oz

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Mad Hippie Skin Care Products Vitamin A Serum, 1.02 Ounce

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Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum, 1.02 Ounces

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Eagle Creek Pack-It Sac Packing Organizer, Black (M)

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Anonymous

For a bit of background on me, I have several partners (we’re poly) so most of the time my travel bag is actually just my “staying at partner’s house” bag. I tried stocking their house with leftover beauty products that weren’t my favorites, but I found that I never wanted to use them. So now I just duplicate everything that I’d use at home.

I use most of the same products while traveling unless I have tiny sample containers to use up. When I order beauty products that come with free samples I usually pick ones I’ll want to use up while traveling. The one item I rarely bring is haircare, unless I am going somewhere that doesn’t provide shampoo. My hair isn’t fussy and I usually can’t be bothered to bring shampoo etc because it always seems to leak. I rarely fly so this is my standard for trips via car or train.

I’m aspiring to be a skincare minimalist because trying a bunch of items didn’t show any improvement. My only daily skincare item now is Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil, and I bought a smaller size for my travel bag. I decanted some of my perfume into a rollerball for my travel bag and have travel size versions of my toothpaste and deodorant that I found at T.J.Maxx. If you scout the beauty section there you can usually get cheap travel products.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Hm, I should figure out moisturizers for our upcoming long flights. I’ve heard of using a sheet mask on the plane. Our drugstore sells them individually (Cat2, we are going to kill allllll the baby nemos), so I’ll probably pick some out there. Does anyone have suggestions for what doesn’t feel oily? I’m acne-prone.

Gillian Rose, what is Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil?

Jenn, what do each of those serums do?

La Ped, Im a big Dr Bronners user. When pools are open, I take a bar of it for face & body. That would be easy for your backpacking.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Fashintern-

I'm not a HUGE skincare expert, but here are the basics I uncovered while researching products.

Vitamin A serum (retinol) increases collagen production, so it fills in wrinkles and lightens up dark spots. Basically, it helps to reverse sun damage. The regenerative process also makes your skin a bit more sensitive to sun, though, so you have to couple it with sunscreen.

Vitamin C serum is an antioxidant. It has some similar benefits to the retinol, and it's good at brightening up dull-looking skin and helps your skin resist new damage. Vitamin C is more proactive, as opposed to retinol, which is more reactive. I use Vitamin C in the morning (under my sunscreen) and Vitamin A, more sparingly, at night.

The exfoliating serum works to break down dead skin cells. It can help prevent breakouts and make your skin look brighter. It's sort of a chemical version of scrubbing your skin within an inch of its life with, like, the St. Ives apricot scrub, but the alpha-hydroxy acids can penetrate deeper than a physical exfoliant would. This isn't an everyday thing, as if there are no dead skin cells to work on, it'll just be too much for your healthy skin. I use it once a week or so, and not on the same night as the retinol.

Basically, I listen to my skin. If it's feeling dry or sensitive, I skip everything but the vitamin C and moisturizer. It sounds complex, but my reality is that I usually use a single serum (vitamin c) + moisturizer w/ sunscreen in the morning and a single serum (either vitamin A OR exfoliating) + heavier moisturizer before bed.

Anonymous

FashIntern, it’s allegedly a multi benefit facial oil: https://www.paiskincare.us/pro.....nerate-oil

This is their little marketing blurb: “UNIVERSAL BY NAME, UNIVERSAL BY NATURE. Our game-changing hero product that racks up 5 star reviews daily! Suitable for all skin types, this highly regenerative multi-tasking face oil tackles blemishes, dryness, dullness, pigmentation, redness and fine-lines. But the best part is our customers keep finding new results and benefits!”

I kept seeing positive reviews everywhere and decided to replace all my various serums and creams with just this bottle to see if it would work. My skin is decent, but I’ve been plagued by hormonal acne at 32 that I never had as a teenager. I rarely break out now and feel that it’s good for my skin overall.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Gillian and Jenn, thanks so much! There is so much out there that it’s overwhelming to try to go to re out where to get started, especially as most info sources are also trying to sell things. I’ve used St Ives in the past, can’t remember why I stopped. I rarely feel my face needs exfoliating these days. When it does, I mix a little baking soda in with my Dr B’s. Not the most sophisticated approach. I may try upping my game with Vitamin C serum; or the do-it-all product GR uses.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I use the same products at home and while traveling. If I’ll be gone longer than a couple of weeks I will try to take larger portions, but mostly I use special travel bottles that conform to airline security carry-on volume limitations — I refill them with my favorite products. I will generally streamline my haircare products while traveling because those tend to be the bulkiest. At home I use one product one day when I’m letting my hair dry curly, and another product for blow-drying straight. While traveling I usually don’t bother with that.

rachylou

Veteran

If your regimen is really working, I’d try and stick to it. I rough it when I travel. Sunscreen is the only thing I carry and then buy when I arrive (weight, leakage, security are too much a bother for me). A car trip close to home for a week, however - that’s both close enough and long enough that I’d throw my stuff in as is. I use No Nothing shampoo and Olaplex conditioner: the bottles are ~10 oz, not big. Face products would be more difficult... Would probably still rough it and just take a tiny bottle of Dr Bronner’s for every other soap need.

I still miss Prescriptives Flight Cream. Loved that so much when I traveled all week for work. It doubled as a treatment mask. Probably filled with poisons tho(!)

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Exactly what Janet said.

cat2

Veteran

Rachylou, I also mourned when Flight Cream was discontinued! I used a night cream in desperation before a return flight, and realized that it provided similar benefits.

Runcarla

Veteran

I have a kit for my gym bag that I press into service when travelling. Travel size bottles of my regulars: shampoo, leave in conditioner, face cream. When travel was a thing, DH and I enjoyed staying in B&B’s or boutique hotels. Often the places we stayed promoted some specialty products and it was fun to add these to the kit bag.

L'Abeille

Veteran

I take along my familiar face soap and moisturizer because my sensitive skin can react strongly to new products or even to a change in hardness of water. Usually I keep the nearly empty bottle for this purpose when i buy a new one.
If space is at a premium and time away is shortish sometimes I just take a cc cream. Or a face sunscreen that my skin likes, and use it as moisturizer.

Trips away often involve outdoor pursuits--skiing, boating, camping. I take along mini bottles of conditioner (hotel samples work fine for this) and slather it through my hair before putting it in plaits for the day's activities. (My hair is so fine that at other times I can only use 2in1's, or else condition BEFORE shampooing.) The conditioner controls flyaways and keeps my hair looking good.

One thing I need at least daily is eyeglass cleaner. The bottles always leak and empty themselves, not only when flying. On my last Real Travel, the Scotland trip, I followed RunCarla's advice. I hit the Boots when I got there, and found a terrific lens cleaner wipe. I've been hoarding them because the product available locally isn't near as good.

bj1111

Veteran

in the before times, i traveled about 14days a month including weekends.

it was so much easier, but spendy, to duplicate everything i use at home for my travel kit. my fancy toiletries container is a quart ziploc bag.

elemis balm cleanser, prescription retin-A, fermented serum, cosrx one step moisturizing pads (a few in another ziploc bag) and a face mask or two. a few single serving honey packets for a mask at my destination.
makeup is another story!

Sal

Veteran

I usually just take my products with me - decanting a few things if needed.

ALWAYS - even for one night

cleanser/moisturiser, sunscreen, handcream, BB cream, mascara, eyebrow pencil, lipstick, scissors/tweezers/toothbrush/toothpaste/deodorant

If for more than one night I would add in shampoo and conditioner.

If heading away for longer I might add in a couple more skincare products.

I am not wearing nail polish at the moment but when I was I would take one colour only and top up. When I did 3.5 weeks in Europe I only took one lipstick and just wore that all the time.

Diana

Veteran

I repack my shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer w/spf, and face wash into minis! I like these mini Nalgene bottles as they do not leak even in flight: https://www.rei.com/product/40.....lsrc=aw.ds

(There’s also a 1 oz size that is useful for smaller things!)

I’ve had enough leakages/blowouts from random sample size bottles, etc, that i personally think it’s worth it to invest in the nalgenes.)

Sometimes I’ll hack a small piece off my preferred bar soap (a glycerin soap with very few ingredients) but I’m usually ok with whatever hotel soap as well as long as it’s solid (I have some allergy issues with liquid soaps and shampoos sometimes, as well as with a common sunscreen ingredient so I always bring my own of those.)

And now I’m super missing traveling...

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I was going to suggest something along the lines of Diana. Many years ago I bought leak proof containers and have not looked back.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I have a hanging wash bag that I use at the gym & have duplicated for my suitcase ( hate bringing a dopp kit that's supposed to sit on a counter only to find there isn't enough space for it, so the hanging loop feels more practical for me).

I keep both toiletries & makeup in there (since I don't use much of either lol) - I try to rely mostly on powders & pencils for makeup, then I place all the liquids in one of those plastic ziplock bags (that you're supposed to use for airport security), & then place that bag *inside* the wash bag - makes it much easier to visualise everything I need (rather than packing them separately), plus it helps to prevent leakage (I pull out the Ziploc bag in the security queue then put it back in the wash bag straight after).

My skincare & haircare routine stay the same, just in smaller squeezy bottles (I find flip open caps have a tendency to leak or break). I mostly use The Ordinary's Vitamin C (AM) or Retinol in Squalane with Niacinamide (PM), then either Olay's Regenerist facial suncream (AM) or Vaseline SPF Moisturiser (PM). I bring a sheet mask with me for the plane (so far I've not been asked to pack it as a liquid, so this helps to reduce the overall amount of moisturiser I bring) & I leave the hold mousse at home (since it's in a spray can) - I tend to go with more 'natural' beach tousled hair thrown into headbands or plaits whilst on holiday anyway lol.

I'm no expert by any means, but I find this helps to have one less thing to worry about when it comes to packing.

N

This year I started my skincare journey. I'd always mostly just washed in water with a little dab of facial oil because my face seems to hate a lot of products. We moved into a new house last year and the air conditioners are very strong (we use for heating and cooling). They really dried my face out and it started to hurt.

I've tried a lot of things and realised that Hylauronic acid does not work for me, it makes my skin irritated. I even tried a sample of the really expensive Dr Sturm one and my face didn't like that either. Since then i've been on a hunt to try find products without it. I'm using up a moisturiser that has it in and i'm debating on whether I should use a serum too or just give up on that and switch. But this is what i'm hopefully going to end up with once i've finished what I have.
Also my skin hates exfoliation (both natural enzymes and physical jojoba beads) but I previously had a cleanser that acted a bit like a really really gentle exfoliator so will go back to using that.

-Marie Veronique EO free cleansing oil (night only)
-Trilogy Very Gentle cleansing cream
-Pure Chimp natural facial cleanser (used 2 times a week as an exfoliator)
-True Botanicals Nutrient Mist-Calm
-I'm From Mugwort Essence
-Trilogy Very Gentle calming serum (day only)
-Odicite Ca+C sensitive serum oil (night only)
-Pai Skincare The Anthemis moisturiser
-Green People Nordic roots Marine facial oil (day during winter)
-Odacite Private collection A winter in Paris (night during winter)
-Odacite Ba+S eye contour (day) +
-Dieux Forever eye mask (morning)
-Kypris Ad astra night time eye cream (night)
-Naturopathica cherry lip exfoliator (2-3 times a week)
-Hurraw sun lip balm SPF 15 (day)
-Odacite adventurine kiss lip serum (night)
-Hurraw moon lip balm (night)
-Blissoma lavish loving recovery beta glucan mask (once a week night)
-Pristine organic cotton sheet masks soaked in Mugwort Essence as and when needed for extra hydration and calming.
-Kypris Pot of Shade Heliotropic SPF 35 (day) [This is the only one I'm considering whether to change or not. I'm currently using it but it contains
a little hylauronic acid. I might try the pai one if they restock once i've finished]

I'll probably take everything whilst travelling.
(I'm vegan, so all of these are vegan friendly products)

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LaPed

Veteran

Thanks all!

I'll probably pick up a few more tiny Nalgenes, both bottles for liquids and jars for creams/powders. On backcountry trips, I carry unscented liquid castile soap in a 15mL Nalgene bottle and that works well for handwashing. (Experimented with bar soap long ago, but it turned into a slimy mess from never having a chance to dry out.)

I hadn't heard of the sheet mask trick for air travel! I'm going to have to look into that, but probably the place to start is just being conscientious about applying heavy duty moisturizers pre-travel.

One thing I did do a while back was upgrade my travel toothbrush case; such a simple thing, and I like it so much I'll probably add a matching pouch for bar shampoo.

Anonymous

I just got back from travel, helping dad post surgery, not a vacay by any stretch of the imagination. The shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste were just random leftover samples from my last trip. The dry shampoo was different, was what I found in travel size. Otherwise I just used the same products and put them in tiny containers. When I use up foundation or eye shadow, I reuse the containers for this.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I just started a spin-off of this thread in off-topic, on what to take in a carry-on.