14 Beauty Products I Never Pack When I Travel (and 21 I Do)

When it comes to beauty products, I'm not really one to pack lightly. Since travelling is such a shake-up to a normal routine as it is, I try to make an effort to maintain some normalcy, and sticking to a beauty routine that's similar to my normal one (albeit with some modifications) brings me comfort when away from home. Not only that, but travelling can wreak havoc on a girl's skin and hair, so there's always a little damage control to consider when packing my toiletry kit and makeup bag. 

There's plenty to say about what beauty products I do pack when travelling, but I also have reasons for deciding what to leave at home. Usually, it's that the item in question is unnecessary, bulky or takes too much time to use. But luckily, beauty brands seem to be on the same page with me and have developed (or just shrunk) plenty of products that make packing for travel a breeze.

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(Image credit: @HANNAHFGALE)

With that, read on for the beauty products that I've learned the hard way are no-gos for travel (in my opinion) and the ones I pack instead.

Leave: Self-Tanner

Pack: SPF

Leave: Hair Straightener/Curling Iron

Pack: Wave Spray

Leave: Exfoliants

Pack: Soothing Masks

Leave: Lots of Individual Cosmetics

Pack: Versatile Palettes

Leave: Sheet Masks

Pack: Face Mists

Leave: Liquid Eyeliner

Pack: Eyelash Curler

Leave: Retinol

Pack: Moisturising Products

Leave: Micellar Water

Pack: Micellar Wipes

Leave: Nail Polish

Take: Nail File and Clippers

Leave: Shaving Cream

Pack: Moisturising Body Wash

Leave: Hair Spray

Pack: Hair Oil

Leave: Lip Products in Pots

Pack: Lipsticks and Lip Wands

Leave: Full-Size Fragrance Bottles

Pack: Travel Sprays

Leave: Cuticle Cream

Pack: Hand Cream

Shop More Products I Travel With

Next up, 20 products that have totally failed our beauty editor.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.