My Simplified Travel Beauty Routine
PC: Pinterest
I just got back from an 11 day trip to Paris, and I must say, I’m quite pleased with my packing skills. You see, in an ideal world I’d bring my entire beauty routine with me wherever I go. My vitamin C serum, my morning moisturizer, my evening moisturizer, scrub, hair mask, under eye patches… you get the picture. But alas, traveling requires me to significantly cut down the products I bring along, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to sacrifice a healthy skincare routine. By now I’ve been on plenty of trains, planes, and getaways to know what the essentials are, what can be left behind, and how to optimize my beauty routine. Don’t worry, that expensive cream will be right at home, waiting for your return. Hair masks are only needed once every two weeks. The goal is to reduce space and weight while maximizing skin health, so if your beauty item doesn’t fall under the below categories, I say leave it behind.
Remember that a travel beauty routine should be functional, but not excessive. Trust me, you’re not going to have time for a 10 step skincare routine anyway. And since creams and serums can seriously add to your precious luggage weight, it’s important to know what are absolute must-haves and what can wait for your return. I finally figured out exactly which beauty products to pack for traveling, and you can read about them below.
1. One Powerful Serum
While on the day to day I use about three different serums, I bring only one powerful serum with me on my travels. For me, that’s usually my Caudalie Anti-Aging Serum or a Vitamin C serum. For you, that might mean a brightening serum or an anti-acne serum. Just try to pack only one, since your skin will survive a short trip without the rest.
2. An Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer
I’m not going to lie, I have an obscene amount of moisturizers. To be fair, they all serve a different purpose. I’ve got my AM moisturizer, which includes a bit of SPF. Then there’s my PM moisturizer, which feels like a gentle goodnight kiss to the skin. Then I have a plethora of other options with added benefits like hyaluronic acid or vitamin C. But for the sake of condensing everything, I bring just one do-it-all moisturizer that works well for all occasions. For me, that’s my Olay Micro-Sculpting Cream, but I’m linking several other great options below, too.
3. A Restoring Under Eye Cream
I once made the mistake of traveling without an under eye cream. Listen carefully: you’re going to be running around more than usual, maybe drinking late into the night, and recovering from jetlag. You are going to need your under eye cream more than ever. And if you don’t have a dedicated cream, do yourself a favor and grab a couple of under eye patches, they work just as well!
4. Various Bits and Bobs
A couple of other non-negotiables: a face wash, face mask, gua sha tool, and hand cream! And if you have any specific skin needs, like pimple patches or oil sheets (hello oily skin friends) then make sure to throw those into the bag as well.
