Traveling Light:: Part 4 – Toiletries

This can truly be the most challenging part of packing for us ladies. We all have products that we are devoted to using for our hair, for our face, and on our bodies. But sometimes we have to sacrifice these favorites & preferences for the experience of traveling. And definitely for the ease of traveling carry-on.  Here are some products that have become traveling favorites, and some tips on how I pack for carry-on.

Hands down, my favorite discovery this year has been LUSH, and their line of solid bath products. From soap, to face wash & moisturizer, to even shampoo & conditioner, you can save much space & weight by utilizing key solids. I’m also lucky that my skin, hair & face care routines are pretty average, so most products work fine on me. I took samples of bar soap with me to China, and I loved them, but to save money, we ended up buying Dove bar soap for this trip, and will buy more in Asia. Bar soap is a pretty easy find. I did get more of LUSH’s bar face soap though, because I loved how it cleaned my face. I’m also a huge advocate of their solid shampoos. I used just one bar for all 2 months in China [and most husband used it often as well!] and still have some left to take back to Asia. I did get another bar, because it’s 5 months, but I’m confident I will have enough solid shampoo for the entire time we are gone, and it is so compact! Solid shampoo is different than dry shampoo [which I also have from LUSH], as it’s concentrated shampoo that activates with water. All you do is wet the bar, wet your hair, and rub the bar around your hair a few times, and it begins to lather. So much easier than bottles of liquid! I did get liquid conditioner this time, as I used LUSH solid conditioner but didn’t like how it would melt easily. So I got some liquid to carry-on. I keep all my bath products in a gallon Ziploc bag, so I can bring it in the bathroom and if it gets wet, it’ll dry pretty quick!

But speaking of liquids, here’s some of the liquids we decided to take in compliance with FAA carry-on regulations [1 clear quart bag for 1 person with liquids 3oz or less] –

• Sunscreen [can be expensive in other countries, and it’s gonna be HOT!]
• Aloe [same reasoning]
• Bug repellant lotion [my mother-in-law picked us up some all natural coconut oil based bug repellant last time she was in Mexico and swears by it. Better than traveling with an aerosol can!]
• Face moisturizer [with some solid samples from LUSH]
• Toothpaste
• Lotion
• Hand sanitizer
• Shave cream/lotion [eos brand for a wet or dry shave]
• Downy wrinkle release
• Husband’s hair gel

Additional toiletries that aren’t liquid include the usual deodorant, razors, Q-tips, wet wipes, floss, med kit [basic cold & allergy meds], tissues, Tide stain stick, comb, and a flat-iron. Yes, I travel with a flat-iron. I bought it in Europe, and it’s international voltage and doesn’t need a converter. You know you travel too much when your appliances have different voltages!

As for makeup, I’m just bringing some Cover Girl foundation, 3 or 4 eyeshadow combination color sets, mascara, tweezers, several Burt Bee’s chapsticks, and some color stay lip gloss. Nothing too fancy here!

Anyways, that’s just some of our toiletry packing. Next minimalist packing post – Camera Gear & Technology!

Find out how my packing system held up after 6 months on the road!