Keeping all my travel items packed is a top priority for me. I consistently procrasti-pack and often forget items I need while traveling. Make and skin care are both a must for me, and forgetting these items can result in big spending that could have been avoided. Here are my top tips for taking care of your skin while traveling, as well as the products I keep in my travel cosmetics bag at all times.
Skin Care Tips
Have a full at-home skin care routine In order to travel with flawless skin, I recommend finding a full skincare routine to do daily at home. Whether your skin concerns are dry/oily skin, acne, aging/wrinkles, large pores, or discoloration, find a routine at home that targets these areas. You don't want to wait until the week before your trip to start a new skin care product to target these areas; this will lead to purging during your vacation (read: break outs!). Use your time at home wisely. While you're traveling, it is best to limit the number of products you take with you down to only the essentials. Come up with a specific skincare routine that targets what your skin needs. This way when you are away from home for 3 days or 3 weeks, your skin is taken care of and flawless!
Pare down your makeup routine Take the time at home to practice minimizing the makeup products you need to wear in order to feel comfortable. These will become your makeup travel essentials, and the less you travel with, the more room you have in your suitcase. This is even better when your goal is to fly with only carry on luggage! Space is the name of the game when it comes to packing, and bulky cosmetics can take up a lot of room. Once your skin care routine is on point, try only wearing concealer instead of a full face of foundation. Opt out of eyeshadow for just an eyeliner. You will thank yourself for saving the time on make up once you are at your destination. And the biggest plus is less make up leads to less breakouts.
Always take product samples These are a great way to find a new product that works for you. And bonus - they are great to travel with! Product samples are a game changer and you can usually get more than one use out of them. Take the opportunity at the mall or in stores to grab samples and take advantage of samples offered at cosmetic store checkouts. You may find your next staple product!
Invest in your skincare Having great skin while traveling requires a great skin care routine at home. Invest in quality, long lasting products. If you have the budget for it, invest in regular visits to a dermatologist, esthetician, or plastic surgeon (for Botox and other cosmetic procedures/treatments). I get Botox twice a year and it gives me peace of mind, plus saves me on the products I would have to buy and travel with. Everyone is different, and we exist at different levels of comfort. Whatever skin comfort looks like for you, find a way within your budget to get the best results with the least amount of effort.
Travel Skin Care Products
These are the makeup and skincare products that stay packed in my cosmetics bag constantly. They are ALL travel size and are available mostly at Sephora. To save time, create an account with the store you prefer to chop with, and save your essential products to easily stock up when the time comes.
To save on traveling with makeup remover or wipes, I always use this cloth. It works wonders and is easy to pack. It is larger than some other products, but I like the way this one works, and it is easy to pack outside of a cosmetics bag directly with your clothes. I highly recommend this to cut down on packing those bulky makeup remover bottles or wipes packages.
I love the Tatcha brand and am excited that they carry so many of their products in travel sizes. The Deep Cleanse face wash has tiny beads that aren't to harsh on skin, but do offer a soft exfoliation. The Water Cream is a water based hydrating moisturizer that I love the lightweight feel of. The only downfall I have personally with this set is that the face wash lasts longer than the moisturizer. But because I choose to switch up my moisturizers depending on day or night, this usually doesn't cause me a big headache while traveling.
I recognize toner can be specific to the person based on skin types. I love everything fresh brand, however, this may not be the right toner for you. So what I do recommend is finding your toner in a mist or spray. I like the fresh Rose Floral Toner because it meets my skin needs and comes in a mini mist size. This brings down the number of products you have to travel with (like cotton pads) and doesn't leave you in a pinch trying to apply toner in a hotel room with your hands or a kleenex, which can get messy quickly.
Depending on how long I will be gone (longer than 3 weeks) I may decide to do a deeper exfoliation than just my regular face wash offers. For this, I like the small, gente peel wipes. This brand can be used daily, but I also like using ones a little bit stronger on a less frequent basis. About once every 3 weeks is what I have determined works best for me, but because these are so compact, you can pack as many as works for you!
I love the Drunk Elephant brand and enjoy using their serums. I have a sample of the T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum that I use to travel with, but this set works great and can be a substitute for the night mask set below.
I love this sleeping mask set for face and lips. I alternate using this and the Tatcha water cream at night to ensure my skin is hydrated throughout the week. I will probably use the mask set twice weekly for the face, and the lip mask nightly. Having an extra moisturizing sleep mask set keeps my skin smooth without getting oily, which is why I choose to travel with two different face creams. This may not work for some of you, which is why I recommend exploring what skin care routine you need at home to make your travel routine flawless.
End your day time skin care routine with a moisturizer that has some SPF above 20. Even better if you have a tinted moisturizer to skip on the foundation! While I am currently using a different brand now, I love the Kiehl's brand and how lightweight it is for building on products. Try sunscreens at home to find something that isn't too oily and doesn't bead up under your makeup.
After sunscreen, I always use a primer. Often times the wrong sunscreen can start to bead up when I apply primer, so definitely practice which products work well together at home. I opt to not use foundation since I have clear skin, and instead use primer daily before working or going out. It hides my pores and gives my skin an even look before applying other makeup products.
Keep your lip moisture locked in all day after the nightly mask by using the fresh Sugar lip balm. This is my favorite lip balm brand because it is lightweight and really works! It is a little pricier than your average lip balm, but worth it in my opinion. It also comes in tinted colors so you can use in place of a lipstick. Multi-use products are always a travel win!
While there are a lot of options for under eye masks, I prefer ones that come individually wrapped. This way I only have to take a couple, versus taking a whole jar. They are great to use on the plane or after a long drive to rehydrate and prevent under eye swelling. I highly recommend always keeping a couple packed and ready to go for your next trip!
This is another great one to use regularly during long travels, and even during the day at work. The vitamin spray from fresh is so refreshing and hydrating to dry skin. I use it in the office, when I am driving long distances, or while I freshen up in the airport bathroom between flights. I have a 1 oz sample from Sephora, but this mini size is great to keep in your purse of cosmetics bag.
I recommend keeping 2-3 face masks packed at all times, particularly hydrating or soothing ones. Sephora has great ones for cheap, but you can also get them from Amazon. Single use packages are the best way to go, and they don't take up a ton of room. Perfect for relaxing after a long day of travels!
BONUS SKIN CARE TRAVEL ITEMS
Skin care doesn't stop with just topical products. There are other ways we need to protect our skin and take care of ourselves. While I may not have the following travel products packed at the moment, they are definitely on my wishlist! Keep reading for some key skin care items that you may not have thought of to pack while traveling.
I love dermaplaning at home and on long trips I miss the opportunity to either do this myself or professionally at my regular place. I am very interested in buying this product to travel with to help with those pesky build ups around my eyes and lips. Bonus is that it has a depuffing roller at the bottom for under eyes, which is a great alternative to jade rolling after using a face mask or under eye patches.
Hydrating is important for glowing skin! Unfortunately, I find it difficult to hydrate regularly on the go. I absolutely hate the taste of water and find myself opting for a lot of coffee, which is dehydrating! Definitely the opposite of taking care of my skin while traveling. Beauty starts from within, so I opt to always keep a variety of waterdrops packed and ready to go to ensure I am drinking my 8 cups a day. I love the Shiro flavor in the morning for energy from the natural caffeine, plus the Glow flavor that hydrates from cactus fruit and Zen to wind down after a long day. Another great option for staying hydrated is Liquid IV.
Traveling leaves me feeling so puffy sometimes, and at night I have masks and serums. But for the day I need something under my eyes that will de puff quick and brighten my face up. This product from R+F literally works wonders. In my personal experience, it takes less than 30 minutes after applying this product and my eyes are completely depuffed! It helps a lot for those long travel days or those nights where I just don't get any sleep.
These are the best for both at home and on the go break out recovery. These small dots go on overnight and pump pesky blemishes with healing ingredients. Come morning, you never even know you were starting to break out! These are nice because traveling with little make-up offers no room for annoying, random outbreak cover ups. I like these for travelling too because they are so thin - a full sheet or two can be packed in a cosmetic travel bag and take up nor room at all.
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