We all know the difficulties we face when it comes to air travel, and the restrictions for most products that we can carry. And for women, this can be a whole lot worse, for our need for beauty and care products is essential. Often, you just can't be bothered to decanter your full sized products in to smaller pots, as it is tricky and you're likely to have more around the sides of your pots, than inside.
Nowadays it's far easier to get your favorite beauty products in smaller, travel friendly sizes. Beauty counters are often quite helpful and will throw in smaller sample sized products, if you're purchasing a full sized item. I tend to find if you're paying a bit extra for your beauty products, than at a drug store, the counter girls (or guys), if you're polite, will probably throw in a handful of testers. If they're not products you wouldn't normally use, don't give them away, or discard them. These sample sized products come in so handy for travel.
It is also so much easier to purchase smaller, travel safe products, with sections in drug stores and numerous websites dedicated to these type of products. Drugstore is pretty good, as well as 3floz.
I've picked out a handful of products, that I feel are the most essential beauty care products, particularly for skin care. Skin is probably the one thing that should be most looked after when you're on vacation. Different temperatures can dry it out, and no one likes flaky skin.
Top left-right: Shea Butter Hand Cream – $10 – Sephora, Facial Toner – $5 – 3floz, Lip Balm – $3.99 – BalmBalm, Eye Make-up Remover – $6 – Sephora, Hair Conditioner – $6 – Drugstore.com. Bottom left-right: Shampoo – $5 – Drugstore.com, Face Towelettes – $6 – 3floz, Toothbrush and Paste – $1.99, Body Scrub – $7 – 3floz, Clinique Moisturizing Lotion – $12.50 – Sephora.
Traveling with no checked bags (just carry on) used to be my preferred way to travel to save time, until the liquid rules got so strict. Often I have a carry-on sized bag but I have to check it, just because I have more liquids than allowed for carry-on.
BUT THEN they started charging $25 and up for the FIRST checked bag! You can’t carry on because of liquids and checking the bag costs too much. Screwed either way!
Thus My newest travel strategy:
1.Pack only the essential liquids and gels in your 1 quart ziplock, the ones which are too expensive, too hard to replace, or what you’ll actually need on the plane. In my case that is my prescription skin creams, unscented lotion and lipsticks/lip glosses, and lens rewetting drops. (especially for long flights my skin and eyes get so dry)
2. Use toiletries in non-liquid form whenever possible.
I use solid handmade unscented soaps instead of body wash, I have skin issues so I always bring my own soap but solid soap doesn’t need to go in the ziplock.
I use mineral makeup now so that’s a dry powder, again saving space in my ziplock.
I even found some solid “lotion bars” on Etsy which are basically moisturizing oils mixed with some cocoa butter and it’s hard and waxy like a bar of soap, but melts into an oil when you warm it on your skin.
These non-liquid, non-gel items can be placed in your carry-on separate from the 1-quart bag of liquids.
3. Then you can take the bag carry-on and skip the $25 bag check fee.
4. When you get to your destination, buy whatever other liquids and gels you need: small sizes of toothpaste, shampoo, hair spray, contact lens solution, sunscreen, etc. It will cost less than the bag check fee.
(in some cases hotels already have shampoo and conditioner, if you’re not super picky about brands)
5. When you fly home, leave the toiletries you purchased behind.
I’m going to Italy next week and my goal is just to take one carry-on bag with this packing strategy.