Ten Tips for Packing Skin Care Essentials When You Travel Light

Holly Winter Huppert
Feb 12, 2023
5 min read

Updated: Jul 6, 2024

Each time I travel, I cringe when it's time to puzzle my skin care essentials into small bottles of 3.4 ounces or less, and then squeeze them into a one-quart bag.

Who thought a one-quart bag was room enough for liquids?

I'll bet whoever came up with these rules doesn't use sunscreen, night serum or conditioner.

Hello?

Mind you, I'm not questioning safety guidelines. I love to be safe and feel safe. But wish I could carry 2 quarts worth of liquids for travel.

Right?

Since I prefer carrying my suitcase onto the plane, I have become a master at bringing just enough of the things I need.

Here are 10 tips that will help you pack your skin care essentials for travel.

01. TOILETRIES BAG:

Do it. Pack this part of your luggage early. Check to be sure all bottles are still leak proof. Fill bottles and be sure to wipe them clean after filling. Pack them when they are dry.

I love to use Ziploc bags for a leak-proof experience. Shop HERE.

02. CONCENTRATED SKIN CARE:

I travel with a carry-on bag; it's a good thing I have these concentrated skin care products to take with me.

I love the Worthy Trio which is three different products, 2 face serums and one moisturizer. By bring these three products with me, I can layer ingredients if my skin is dry or use one or two products.

The Worthy Face Serum, Worthy Night Serum and Worthy Moisturizer are the best, possible combination to keep my skin ready for anything.

Watch the Worthy Skin Care website (www.worthyskincare.store) for the lotion bars and the wild yam root oil. When it comes to carrying concentrated products, less really is more.

One summer I traveled for seven weeks and had enough products in my 1-ounce glass jars for the entire trip. I've never had a problem carrying glass and usually carry my toiletries in my purse.

Check them out HERE

Holly Winter Huppert travels with her Worthy Trio products: Worthy Face Serum, Worthy Night Serum and Worthy Moisturizer

03. PACK THE BASICS:

For me they are shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, face serum, night serum, sunscreen, toothpaste, aloe, and bug spray. On my last trip I also brought a small bottle of nail polish – that I never used.

Why? Why? On my recent trip to Colombia, I packed a travel-sized sunscreen into my suitcase. When I arrived, I bought a large bottle of a US brand of sunscreen that was filled with awful ingredients –but I knew my skin could tolerate it. It was only a week. I used it liberally.

Side note: I have not always been able to find a US brand of sunscreen. In Turkey I tried a local/healthy brand and loved it. It isn’t available in the states.

Shame.

My sensitive skin can handle THIS sunscreen. I can find it in drugstores in different countries, too.

04. CASTILE SOAP:

I (usually) travel with a travel-sized container of castile soap. It’s great as a shower gel, to wash hands and my biggest use: to hand wash clothes in the sink every night. I forgot to pack the soap on my trip to Colombia and had to wash my clothes using hand soap. #can’t #recommend #that. The castile soap was packed, then I removed it to seal it in another layer – to be sure it didn’t leak. I returned it to the cabinet.

Why? Why? I never noticed that I didn’t repack it. Sigh. HERE is my favorite castile soap for travel.

05. LIP PROTECTION: Pack a lip balm or lip treatment with spf protection to keep your lips hydrated and protected. It’s not fun to burn your lips.

I like this for lip protection: HERE

06. WASH CLOTH: Bring a cotton washcloth. Sometimes I carry it with me on very hot days to wipe away the sweat before I reapply sunscreen, other times I keep it for washing my face at night. Either way, it’s a luxury item that you’ll be glad to have. On my last trip, I traveled with my friend Shirley. I pitied her need for a decent washcloth and gave her mine. I used the end of my ratty towel in the rental apartment to help wash my face. She loved the soft and absorbent washcloth and is now a washcloth-carrying convert. Next time I’ll pack two: one washcloth for me and one for a friend.

I LOVE these washcloths: HERE

07. ALOE: I always pack an aloe product in case I get too much sun. It also helps to calm my skin if I suffer an allergic skin reaction. On a recent trip to Turks & Caicos, I wore sunscreen and a hat and spent all of my time sitting in the shade. I still got a sunburn on my face and my right shoulder. Why? Why? Luckily, I had an aloe product with me. I put a thin layer on my face and right shoulder (?) and by morning the pain, tightness and redness were gone. Big win.

In Colombia we sat on the beach engrossed in conversation and ignored the sand flea bites. By the next day, the bites were red, bumpy and some leaked puss.

Not fun.

I applied a thin layer of aloe over my bites, and the aloe stopped the itching and removed the puffiness around the bites.

Another big aloe win.

HERE is my favorite aloe.

08. MAKEUP REMOVAL: Don't forget to pack some cotton pads for makeup removal. I no longer wear makeup (thanks to the Worthy Skin Care products), but if I change my mind, I will carry cotton pads.

09. FACE WIPES: I’ve never been a fan of face wipes, but Shirly loved them and was glad she had them when the water in our rental apartment in Colombia cut off for three days. Yes. Three days. They apologized and gifted us with a five-gallon bottle of water that we couldn’t figure out how to open. #truestory I bought bottled water to wash my face; she used her face wipes.

10. TRY LOCAL: If you and your skin are up for an adventure, consider trying out some local skin care products in the area where you’re adventuring.

See how that adds to the idea of traveling light? Buy products there.

During the Summer of 2022 when I was in Poland, I searched high and low for a healthy body moisturizer. Wasn’t there a local brand I could try? I couldn’t find anything with ingredients that I wanted on my body. I’m sure they had healthy choices, but I couldn’t find them. I did end up with a shampoo that smelled like a teenage girl's bubble gum.

I’m always thinking about my next destination.

Not sure where I'll go next, but I am sure that the castile soap will get packed, and the nail polish will not.