One of the most important things when I pack is, of course, including my beauty products. Another one is packing strategically so that I have enough room for everything I want to take with me. When I combine these 2 things that are essential to me when packing my bags for a trip, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way that will help me accomplish both of my objectives. You want to make sure you bring all the makeup and skincare items you need, but when you’re being strategic about it, it’ll help you save precious space in your luggage. For smaller items such as foundation, concealers, lipsticks and such, I of course will bring that item in its original packaging. I’m talking about larger beauty items like full-sized body lotions, toners, moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, sunscreen, etc. that can take up a lot of unnecessary space. So here are the 7 best travel beauty hacks to know before any trip!
1 – Reuse old skincare jars that are within the 100 ml carry-on baggage restrictions, fill it with your favorite skincare, makeup, or hair products, use them while you’re away on vacation, and throw them out before you head home.
One of the best travel beauty hacks include helping you be a little more environmentally-friendly by reusing old skincare jars at least once. You can lighten your luggage quite a bit during your trip abroad when you can throw them out once you’re done with them. Also, by re-using your jars at least once and being able to toss them while on vacation helps you not become a hoarder of jars. And this space-saving tip also helps you be able to bring more souvenirs home.
This is what I do specifically for hair products and occasionally skincare products like sunscreen or aloe since I normally use a carry-on to travel and cannot go above 100 ml for liquids. I also estimate enough product and jars to fill depending on how long I will be away for just to make sure I have enough to last me.
2 – If you already own travel sizes, bring them.
And make sure you have enough of it to last you’re the duration of your trip. But I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to buy a travel size product of your favorite products because it’ll always cost more. Instead, buy travel bottles if you haven’t saved up any old skincare jars or need a bottle with a spray and fill it up with your favorite go-to beauty products. Depending on the quality of the travel bottles you purchase, sometimes they are only decent enough to use once and you might as well throw it out by the end of your trip which will also help lighten your luggage. Bringing full-sized beauty products, especially items such as shampoo and conditioner, will only take up more space in your luggage and make everything heavier and more inconvenient. And since you can’t transfer certain items into a smaller bottle such as hair spray, dry shampoo, texture sprays, and similar items, it is best to grab travel sizes for these particular products.
3 – Bring beauty samples or premium-sized sample items.
I usually get a ton of beauty samples that include concealers, primers, lip colors, highlighters, shampoo and conditioners, hair oils, and all sorts of skincare samples. You don’t necessarily have to purchase them, but a large amount I do get are from purchases I’m already making at Sephora or other beauty brands I shop from. Another way to get beauty samples without making a purchase is to actually go into a store and ask for samples. Some brands may be a little stingy, but for the most part they will gladly give you free samples to try before making up your mind to buy them so don’t be afraid to ask! Another way is when you get premium-sized samples as a gift with purchase.
I stock up on all of these beauty samples from the 3 options I just mentioned and save them for my travels. Whether you get them for free from your purchases or as a gift with purchase, they really come in handy for vacation and is one of the best beauty travel hacks. It also allows you to test out more products and save space in your luggage. This will work well for people who do not have sensitive skin or have to follow a very specific skincare routine as you don’t want any adverse reactions. If you don’t have enough samples to last you on your travels, you can use tip 1 or 2 as well or just bring your full-sized items if necessary.
4 – Bring your favorite beauty products that are almost empty, but enough for your trip so that you can throw it out along the way and lighten your luggage.
I guess at this point, I guess you can tell some of my best travel beauty hacks is all about saving luggage space and reducing bringing waste home. Plus, why bring home empty or nearly empty jars when you can fill that space with other things during your trip? I like bringing my skincare or makeup products that are close to empty so that I can use them up on a trip and come home and be able to open a brand new item. Also, I don’t want to bring a brand new beauty product on my trip that hasn’t gotten a lot of use just in case I ever lose it or leave it behind by accident. That will mean that you’ll have wasted a lot of product and possibly money.
5 – Use a hanging toiletry bag with multiple compartments so you can organize and separate all your beauty products, but in one convenient place.
You can see What’s In My Travel Toiletry Bag for some inspiration! I normally carry one toiletry bag with all my dental hygiene items, skincare, body, and hair products. It’s much easier managing everything in one bag with several compartments to help you neatly organize your things without having to place multiple little bags around your luggage. Plus if the accommodations you’re staying at doesn’t have a lot of space in the bathroom, this will allow you to have a more easier and convenient access to your toiletries. My toiletry bag does get pretty full, but as I go on my trip and able to throw certain items out, it makes it much easier to pack my bags when I leave.
6 – To be safe, for the more liquid products, always keep them in a Ziploc-type bag in case of spillage.
I find this trip really important when it comes to things like shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, toners, and that sort of item. After being on the airplane at very high altitudes or when my luggage is thrown into the cargo area, I find that being compressed or manhandled can cause certain types of bottles to spill or leak. You want to make sure that if this happens, your items won’t leak and ruin everything else in your bag. It’s also nice to be able to avoid needless cleanup.
7 – If you are aiming to travel light but still want to bring all the beauty products you need, pack your 2 in 1 makeup products.
Sometimes blushes can double as lipsticks, foundations can be used as concealers, setting sprays can also be used as toners or hydrating mists. There are many options out there that are perfect for multiple uses and allows you to travel lighter too. This is definitely one of the best travel beauty hacks as you can sometimes lessen the amount of products you need to bring by at least 30%.
Bonus Travel Beauty Hack To Know Before Your Trip
If you are traveling and you see your favorite beauty products at a lower price point than you get at home, stock up! Also some countries may have brands that are not available where you are so you will definitely want to purchase some to take home. While you can throw out your empties while traveling, it is definitely a good idea to stock up on a few new items as well. That’s literally what I did when I went to South Korea and half of my luggage was just bringing beauty products back! Also, my favorite Shiseido Facial Cotton in Asia (particularly Hong Kong and Japan that I know of) are almost half the price of what they charge in North America. I always love and can’t resist a good deal so it’s always great to be able to purchase beauty products abroad when they’re at a much better price point. And being able to toss your empties along the way helps you make more room to purchase new ones.
To help you better pack your beauty items for your vacation, here are the Must-Have Travel Beauty Products For Every Vacation as well as What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag.