The Low-Stress Guide to Packing the Ultimate Skincare Travel Bag

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your skincare has to be. Enjoy your travels with a little skincare travel bag prep work beforehand. Here’s how.

Whenever I travel, my suitcase is usually ¼ clothes and ¾ skincare and makeup because I am horrible at packing and I feel like my clothes are whatever but my skincare and makeup needs are intense.

Raise your hand if you’re the same. I see you. I feel you. We are in this together.

It’s why I’ve decided to get my life together in preparation for summer vacation plans. I've finally come up with a foolproof way to curate a skincare travel bag so I can travel with a carry-on like a normal human.

Are you ready? Let’s do this.

First: Evaluate the destination and weather

The first step to curating a travel skincare bag is to figure out what the weather is going to be like wherever you’re going. L.A. and Miami might both be sunny, beach-friendly destinations, but their climates are the exact opposite. L.A. is a desert — dry, hot, and more dry. Miami is humid, wet, sticky — did I already mention humid? Well, it’s humid AF. This is just an example, but yea, this is the first plan of attack. If you’re going somewhere humid, lightweight gels and gel creams are the way to go. Dry? Look for something slightly richer and add in an oil to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.

Second: Get the non-essentials out of the way

After you’ve determined what the climate is like wherever you’re going, the next step is to write down your non-negotiable skincare steps. Key words: NON-NEGOTIABLE. We all love a serum, but sometimes we don’t need to use one every day. For me, my must-haves are:

1. Oil cleanser

2. Foaming cleanser

3. BHA

4. Oil/moisturizer

5. Sunscreen

 

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A post shared by Stephanie Zheng | NYC (@collectionofvials) on Jan 4, 2017 at 5:35pm PST

Third: Decant. Label. Find a travel size if necessary

If your favorite products aren’t available in a travel size, you’re gonna have some decanting to do. Do a quick search on Amazon or your favorite store for skincare decanters and choose your favorite. I always go for ones that come with mini spatulas or funnels to make your life just a little bit easier. Then as you decant your products, make a label with the name of the product and the date you decanted it. Cover the label in tape so it doesn’t get wet, and voila! You have your own custom-made skincare travel set.

If you’re like, girl, I don’t have time for all of that, then try to find travel friendly and/or travel-sized products to take. My general tips? Go for a solid oil cleanser (like the cult classic Banila Co Clean It Zero cleansing balm and a bar soap (the Aprilskin Signature Bar Soap is a great one) for your foaming cleanser so you don’t have to worry about leaks. If you love and need your serum but can’t risk taking your precious glass bottle of skin health, just switch it for mess-free sheet masks, one for each day you’ll be out of town. Pop them in your Airbnb’s fridge for a cool treat after a long day of adventures.

What’s in your go-to skincare travel bag? How do you skincare while on vacation? Let me know in the comments!