One of my favorite things to do in the world is traveling. Traveling to a foreign place and experience different cultures broaden my horizons. It helps me get clarity and get me out from my comfort zone.
I’ll travel whenever I’m allowed to do so. For that reason, I’ve learned a lot when it comes to packing and get ready for the trip.
Before you start packing, create a list on your phone or computer about what you should bring on your trip.
The easiest way to get the list done is to make a note right after you go through your beauty routine. In that case, you won’t leave anything essential behind.
Save the list in your phone and refer back for your next trip. It’s time-saving and keeps you organized.
If you have no idea what to pack, I’ve created a list to help you.
Makeup Remover
Taking off all your make up is always the first step of your skincare routine.
Makeup remover wipes are my go-to whenever I’m on a trip. They are easy to pack and light.
Always avoid the formula with fragrances and alcohols to protect your skin. Fragrances and alcohols might cause allergic reactions to your skin. Most of the makeup wipes manage to remove most of the makeup easily including waterproof mascara. All you need to do is take a wipe and gently swipe around your face to remove your makeup.
Use as many as you need until no traces of makeup are left on your face.
Occasionally, I also travel with cleansing balm. Cleansing balms dissolve all your heavy make up yet still feel light at the same time. It transforms from a solid balm into oil and cleans off all the makeup with minimal effort.
I do not like to travel with too many liquid products. They are heavy, bulky, and might leak in your bag. Hence, cleansing water or cleansing oil is not the items that I’d packed for a trip.
Face Wash
A good cleanse on the skin is a crucial step in getting good skin. Face wash takes off all your make up, dirt and grime on your face. Your face is covered by dust and bacteria throughout the day. Cleansing your face properly removes impurities and keep your skin fresh. Moreover, the bacteria will be trapped and clogged your pores without proper cleansing.
If you have a face cleansing device, I highly recommend you bring it along. I seriously couldn’t live without my cleansing device. It’s proven that a cleansing brush clean your face better compare to your hands. Ever since I started using a cleansing device, it seems like I don’t trust cleansing with my fingers anymore.
Bring a face wash that is gentle without stripping your skin’s moisture. Wash your face twice everyday to keep your face clean and fresh. The bed linen in your hotel room is not hygienic at all. So it is necessary to wash your face twice daily to keep germs and bacteria away from your face.
Toner
Toner is the first step of your skin care after cleansing. It removes dead skin cells and maintain the pH level of your skin. Most toners have a light and watery texture which is perfect in prepping your skin for serum.
Toner comes in different ingredients and properties. Get a toner that is suitable for your skin. I have dry and sensitive skin. Thus, I like toner has soothing and hydrating ingredients in it.
Toner often comes in a big bottle which isn’t travel-friendly at all. Therefore, I’ll bring a facial mist instead of a toner.
There are numerous reasons that I travel with a facial mist. First, it’s lighter and properly sealed. The cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage. With the spray, you don’t even have to pack facial cotton with you.
Secondly, you can take it with you and spray it all over face and instantly feel refreshing. It keeps your skin look refreshed and dewy throughout the day. Some facial mists contain multivitamins and give you a radiant complexion.
Last but not least, your facial mist is multipurpose. It can set your makeup and keep your makeup in place for the rest of the day. Get a facial mist that has a fine spray so the mist evenly distributed and not ruin your makeup.
Serum
Serums are essential for glowing skin. It is supercharged with powerful ingredients to improves your skin concerns. Get a few drops of serum and smooth it all over your face. Wait a few seconds for it to absorb fully into your skin.
Bring a hydrating or nourishing serum to fulfill your basic skin’s needs. The molecule of serums is small enough to penetrate deeply to your skin. It keeps your skin plump and hydrated.
Another option is serum in oil. Beauty oil is a huge trend in the beauty industry. Serum in oil combined serum and oil together and replenished your skin overnight. Beauty oils are generally rich in fatty acids and vitamin E which are great for anti-aging. These ingredients keep you looking young and supple.
Moisturizer
Moisturizing is the no 1 rule to keep your skin healthy. Moisturizer keeps your skin hydrated and prevent moisture loss. It sealed all the nutrients and moisture in your skin to keep your skin moisturized.
Just apply a layer of moisturizer after serum. It keeps your skin protected and locked the ingredients in the skin. Most moisturizer contains humectants that draw moisture in the air and deliver back to your skin.
Travel with a multipurpose cream to save some space in your luggage. You don’t have to bring a body lotion with you in this case. Just bring a moisturizer that is safe to use on face and body that provides all-day hydration to your skin.
Apply the moisturizer all over your body once you get out from the shower. Your skin instantly feels softer and nourished.
The texture of the moisturizer is just as important. You wouldn’t want to feel your skin greasy and sticky all day long, especially when you are traveling.
Sheet Masks
I’m a huge believer of the sheet mask. There’s something magical when you put on a sheet mask. First, it feels relaxing. Put on a mask and relaxing on the bed is the perfect way to end the day.
Secondly, sheet mask is like a special treat to your skin. The sheet is packed with serum and leaves your complexion soft and supple in 15 minutes. Moreover, you don’t even have to wash it after applying. Pat the remaining essence into your skin and apply your moisturizer.
Each sheet mask is tightly sealed and it’s probably the easiest and lightest skin care product to pack in your bag.
The sheet masks that I’ll take on my trips are the hydrating one and the energizing one. I highly recommend you to bring these two types too. My skin is very dry, so I gotta make sure to keep it hydrated. On the other hand, you might not get the best sleep during your trip. I personally don’t sleep so well in a new environment anyway. Thus, your skin might look tired and dull.
Energizing face mask is perfect to give my skin a quick recharge. It clears up signs of fatigue and dullness of my skin. My skin is energized and bright when I wake up the next day.
Sunscreen
UV rays are the main cause of pigmentation, uneven skin tone and aging. No matter you are travel to a tropical country or the opposite, bring a sunscreen with you. Apply sunscreen every single day to protect your skin. Exposing your skin under the sun could bring damage to your skin like fine lines and dark spots. Most importantly, it might lead to skin cancer. Sunscreen shields your skin from UV rays and pollution.
A sunscreen with SPF 30 is perfect for daily defense. According to skin cancer foundation, a sunscreen with SPF 30 blocks nearly 97 percent of UV rays. So it’s not necessary to use a sunblock higher than SPF 50.
Apply sunscreen every day after your moisturizer. Bring your sunscreen in your bag for reapplication purpose. You should reapply sunscreen every few hours. Just smooth some on your palm and lightly press it on your skin if you have makeup on your face.
Lip Balm
Bring a lip balm wherever you go. Lips are delicate and do not contain oil glands like other parts of our body.
The fact that you will spend most of your time outdoors and constantly exposed to cold, dry air; There’s a high chance that your lips will be chapped and cracked.
Get a good lip balm to soothes your chapped lips. Most of the lip balms contained petroleum and mineral oil. However, they are not the best in my opinion. Petroleum-based lip balms sealed and protected my lips but it never healed my cracked lips. I think the only thing it does is prevent the loss of moisture.
So if you have dry, cracked lips, look for shea butter, beeswax, or honey. These ingredients have greater effects such as soothing and healing.
Apply a thick layer of lip balm before you go to bed if your lips are severely dry and flaking. It will speed up the healing process overnight. Never peel your lips even when they are chapped and flaking.
Tips on Packing Skin Care for Your Trip
Here are some tips that might help you to pack and get ready for your trip.
Consider the duration of your trip
Just like packing other items in your luggage, the duration of your trip matters.
If you are just going for a weekend getaway, you just need the essentials. For instance, you don’t have to bring sheet masks, you can just put it on a day before your trip. You can even consider bringing some samples that you got from Sephora. Since you are just staying for a few nights, you probably don’t have to worry about packing again and move around.
On the other hand, you might need to bring a few more items if you are going for a two weeks trip. You want to ensure your skin is protected and hydrated all the time.
Always take the beauty items that you are using or you’ve tried especially you have sensitive skin. You don’t want to risk getting sensitive reactions when you are on a trip. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right?
The Climate vs Your Skin Type
Check the average temperature a week before you travel to the country. Take everything into consideration.
If you have dry skin and traveling to a country in the winter, be sure you pack the best hydrating serum and rich facial cream in your bag. On the other hands, take a light moisturizer with you if you are going to spend your days at the beach in a tropical country.
Regardless, hydration and sun protection will never go wrong in any situation. As long as your skin is hydrated and protected, your skin should be fine.
Pack Your Skin Care Products in a Transparent Zip Lock Bag
When you gathered all your skin care products together, put them all into a transparent zip lock bag. A plastic ziplock bag provides a layer of protection and prevents the products to leak all over your garments. It’s just much easier to clean up the mess if the products ever leaked.
Secondly, if you happen to have an overnight layover, you just need to grab this whole bag to the bathroom. You won’t leave anything behind and it just makes your life easier.
Bring Multipurpose Products
No matter you are going for a weekend getaways or two weeks trip, it’s always a good idea to travel light. So, it’s wise to bring beauty products that can be used in multiple ways.
Here are three examples that you can use in numerous ways.
First of all, a multipurpose beauty oil. Traveling with a bottle of beauty oil, so that you can leave hair oil, face highlighter and even moisturizer behind. Beauty oil brings countless benefits to the hair. It’s a hair treatment that detangles and moisturizes hair.
Add a drop of oil and mix it with your foundation. The result? You will get a dewy and glowing skin that lasts all day.
Lastly, it is possible to substitute oil to moisturizer. Beauty oil has larger molecules which similar to moisturizer. Beauty oil absorbs quickly in the skin yet still prevent moisture loss.
The next item is hydrating facial mist. It can be used as a toner, makeup setting spray and face mist. Just spritz it whenever you need to keep your skin hydrated all day long.
Keep your make up bag light by traveling with a tinted moisturizer with SPF. Keep your skin fresh throughout the journey. A tinted moisturizer is light but still give you some coverage on your skin.
