How to Pack Your Beauty Routine for Travel

“I can’t get over people bringing so much stuff in their toiletry bags. What is all this?” remarked my colleague Adrienne So one afternoon, dismayed, as she looked over my guide to the Best Toiletry Bags, with its photos of tackle-box-sized bags and Dopp kits overflowing with makeup. “I think this is more stuff than I have in my house.”

Photograph: Boutayna-Chokrane

One could argue all day about what constitutes an appropriate amount of beauty products for travel. Some are able to get by for a week with some deodorant, a bottle of 3-in-1, and a ziploc bag. Others in this era of extensive skin-care routines and everything showers … not so much.

In any case, it’s no fun dealing with an overweight suitcase, spilled or broken products in a carry-on, or, worse, arriving at your destination and realizing you’ve forgotten everything you need to take a shower (perhaps after an airport theory experiment gone wrong). I talked to some travel influencers who travel for a living—as well as some frequently traveling coworkers—to get the lowdown on the best ways to keep your beauty routine intact and efficient while on the plane, on the road, and at your destination.

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In Plane Sight

If you’ve noticed an influx of people wearing face masks (even the LED kind) and performing multi-step skin-care routines on airplanes, it’s not just you. It’s a thing. Though some say it’s nothing more than a thinly veiled selfie opportunity, others swear by arriving at your destination refreshed, relaxed, and moisturized—both inside and out.

“When flying, hydration is everything,” says Christina Haisfield, a luxury-travel influencer who runs the lifestyle website Jetset Christina. “Airplane air is notoriously drying, so I always mist my face with a hydrating spray, apply a sheet mask mid-flight if it’s an overnight flight (yes, I’m that girl), and lock in moisture with face cream, too. I also swear by eye patches and electrolytes to stay hydrated in the air—trust me, they make a difference after a long-haul flight!”

Speaking of hydration, I couldn’t help but notice something from my window seat on a recent flight from Portland, Oregon, to New Orleans. The afternoon sun seemed to be beaming quite strongly into the plane, and the slight wrinkles on the armrest upholstery had me wondering—is this what the sun is doing to my arms right now?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. In fact, a 2015 study found that airplane pilots and crew have a significantly higher incidence of melanoma than the general population—something La Carmina, a travel and fashion blogger and journalist known for her Goth style, was aware of long before I noticed it.

“Not everyone realizes that UV radiation levels are higher when we’re in the air,” she says. “UVA rays (which cause skin aging) pass through the airplane windows, so be sure to have SPF on. I also shield my face on the plane with a hat or scarf.”

So, you’ve got the plane routine down. (Or not: My colleague Nena Farrell says, “I get on the plane ugly, get off the plane ugly, and do my makeup routine in the airport bathroom”—a practice shared by many of our colleagues, including myself.) But what about outside the airport?

Keep It Light

According to all the travel writers I spoke to, simplifying your product lineup is key. To save space, Haisfield advocates for makeup items that serve multiple purposes, such as face or eyeshadow sticks that can do triple-duty as blush, lip, and cheek color.

“I always pack a tinted moisturizer with SPF, a lip gloss, and mascara, and that’s pretty much all I wear while I’m on vacation,” she says. Another timeless option is to procure miniature versions of your favorite products. Many brands offer travel sets of their popular full-sized items, or you can decant into smaller containers like Cadence Capsules ($42) (which I personally love), contact lens containers ($4), or even miniature soy sauce bottles ($7) in fun shapes like fish or pigs.

You can also, as La Carmina does, hoard samples.

“I collect skin-care samples and take them on my trips, as they’re easy to use and discard,” she says. “When I travel, I minimize my routine to the bare essentials—I don’t take all my serums, peptides, red-light mask, and whatnot. I stick to an oil and cream cleanser for double cleansing, moisturizer, vitamin C, tretinoin (some people prefer to use the weaker retinol version), and growth factors.”

If you don’t already have a source for starting a sample collection, Ipsy’s Glam Bag (click here for a coupon to get $5 off) is a good option, as you’ll receive five samples each month. Ipsy’s chief makeup artist, Ash K. Holm, confirmed that many of these samples are indeed products that can do double duty. “Think face tints with SPF and multipurpose cream blushes,” she says.

Julie Falconer, the travel blogger also known as A Lady in London, ensures she has a full stock of mini versions of her favorite beauty products from home. (Image Skincare has a great basic kit for just $16, but I’m also a fan of the full skin-care travel set from Uncommon Beauty, $78, which includes micellar water and a retinol alternative in addition to a vitamin-C serum, cleanser, and moisturizer.)

Falconer packs her liquids in a clear plastic bag—“everything from small shampoo and conditioner bottles to travel-size sunscreen, makeup, lip gloss, and perfume,” she says—and another lightweight bag with nonliquid items. “It’s not only helpful for packing with just a carry-on,” she says, “but also for those small hotel sinks and showers that can’t hold larger items.”

Hair Dilemma

Skin care and makeup, however, are nothing compared to dealing with hair on the road. Between varying humidity levels, lack of time for washing, and limited space and weight for heat tools, bad hair days are all but guaranteed if you don’t have a plan.

I personally make sure to wash, dry, and style my hair as close to leaving for a trip as possible, and I touch up as I go with dry shampoo and a Chi Ministyler flat iron ($110), which is small enough to fit in a toiletry bag.

If you don’t want to deal with heat tools at all, some people like to use the belt from a hotel bathrobe to make bathrobe curls. However, La Carmina advises against this, as it can be drying for your hair. She still swears by heatless hair wraps, just not if they’re made of terry cloth.

“There’s no need to purchase a pricey premade wrap,” she says. “You can just use a long strand of thick cotton like I do. I wash my hair, and when it’s mostly dry, I split my hair in two and twist it around the rope. I wear the wraps overnight or on the plane. When I arrive at the destination, I take everything out for bouncy curls!”

For even more good-hair-day insurance, Haisfield recommends packing your own silk pillowcase. (Our favorite is from Quince.) “This not only keeps me comfy and feeling at home wherever I am in the world,” she says, “but also helps prevent breakouts, hair frizz, and skin creases when sleeping in hotels or Airbnbs. It also feels so much more luxurious than a hotel pillow.”

While it feels good to look good, it’s still important not to lose sight of the fact you’re supposed to be having fun while traveling, not worrying too much about what you look like doing it. As my colleague Brenda Stolyar notes, “If I’m getting on a plane once or twice a month, I think my body and skin will be OK!”