8 Carry-on Travel Skincare Essentials
Q: Do you have any favorite carry-on travel skincare products?
A: Skincare is a bit of a passion of mine, so YES! And I’ve tried a *lot* of products!!
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As someone who is passionate about my skincare routine and products (aka, I have way too many!), frequent travel can pose some challenges.
For starters, it can be tough to keep up with a daily skincare routine when you’re constantly on the road with an unpredictable schedule. Long-haul flights can also be incredibly dehydrating and breakout-inducing! Finally, many of my favorite skincare products are full-sized bottles that aren’t TSA friendly! Sometimes I’ll disperse my creams and serums into cute travel-sized toiletry bottles, but I prefer to bring mini skincare products instead. Something about how they’re sealed feels tighter and safer than when I do it myself! If you’ve ever had shampoo explode inside your bag… you understand my paranoia…
One of my favorite things about travel-sized products is that it allows you to try some super-luxe brands at a more affordable price point. That’s how I tried my first La Mer products — by purchasing this La Mer Travel Skincare Set and trying out multiple products for the price of one regular-sized bottle. I highly recommend trying out these sort of luxury travel skincare sets before buying full-sized bottles!
In picking all of my travel skincare essentials below, I ensure you that:
I *genuinely* use and endorse ALL of these products, and
Each product is TSA-approved, meaning that it abides by the “3-1-1” liquids rule — i.e., less than or equal to 3.4 ounces / 100 milliliters
I’ve organized the products below in chronological order for an 8-step skincare regimen. I can’t say that I ALWAYS follow all eight steps, but these are the products that I WISH I used every single night!
Check out these 8 carry-on travel skincare essentials to see what products are repeatedly in my carry-on bag!
Here are 8 of my *favorite* carry-on travel skincare essentials!
Makeup remover
I love traveling with a mini Clinique Take The Day Off™ Cleansing Balm because I don’t have to worry about yet *another* liquid spilling in my bag!
It’s incredibly gentle on sensitive skin and has a creamy texture that dissolves into a lather once you add water. The Clinique makeup remover product line is one of the only brands that effectively takes away ALL of my stubborn eye makeup!
I like to use my Clinique remover in tandem with my Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes to make sure I’m working from a *truly* clean palette! It may sound like overkill to use both, but as someone who has dealt with acne-prone skin for much of my teen and adult life, I can tell you that the first two steps of this routine (makeup remover and face wash) are the MOST IMPORTANT steps!!!
Face wash
When it comes to face wash, the simpler the better in my book. I’m not too picky and don’t think face wash is particularly splurge-worthy. Since I’ve already thoroughly cleaned off my makeup at this point in my skincare routine, face wash is my last attempt to clear away any residual dirt and grime. I’m more strict about making sure that I actually *use* a face wash versus what kind I use.
Lately, I’ve been digging the travel-size version of the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser or the comparable Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. These are incredibly gentle, even for sensitive skin types. I love how easily you can find these mini versions in the travel section of many American drugstores!
Exfoliator
This one is MY HOLY GRAIL.
When used regularly, these 2-step exfoliator pads make my skin GLOW. The Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel helps clear away dead skin, brighten, soften, and keep my acne in *check*. It also helps prevent and treat signs of aging! These pads are perfectttt for travel because they come in individually wrapped packages, so you can bring as many as needed for your trip without worrying about spillage.
If I could bring one skincare product to a desert island, this would be it!
Serum
Where would I recommend splurging on your skincare routine? Your serum(s). A little goes a long way!!
There are a million and one serums that exist on the market, and I think I’ve tried about half of them. Serum is the skincare step where you want to get hyper-focused on attacking your primary skin concern, which will likely change over time.
While it’s an investment, I personally love the Dr. Barbara Sturm Brightening Serum, as well as their *entire* line of serums (the Dr. Barbara Sturm Discovery Kit is a fantastic way to try a little of everything). Again, these aren’t cheap, but a little goes a long way!
Other tried and true travel-sized serums? Check out the Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment (a hybrid exfoliator and serum), the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, and the Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum. I love them ALL!
Can you tell I’m passionate about face serums?
Face cream
Like face wash, I believe that face cream is a skincare product where you can keep things simple and inexpensive. Again, travel-sized drugstore products like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream are super gentle yet effective.
During the summer months (or if I’m traveling somewhere warm), I prefer a lighter face cream. TMI — Sometimes those heavy face creams make me sweat!! I’m a cult follower of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer, which has a thinner consistency than their traditional Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. The travel-sized Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer glides on super smooth, doesn’t feel heavy on my face, and I always wake up with baby-soft skin the next day.
Eye cream
A word to the wise: Start using eye cream WAY before you actually need to use eye cream. Your older self will thank you!!
I have a personal beef with eye cream because it’s often *incredibly* expensive relative to other skincare products, yet it’s VERY challenging to find one that works well. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on eye creams that irritate my eyes, feel super heavy and uncomfortable, or more often than not, just don’t DO anything! It takes quite a bit of trial and error to find one that works for you. But, it’s worth the effort!
These days, I’m regularly using the Sunday Riley Auto Correct Eye Cream. It’s very effective for the price point and helps me wake up looking refreshed. If you’re up for splurging on a luxury brand, I’ve found the Perricone MD eye creams to be FANTASTIC. I especially love the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Eye Cream, which helps with puffiness, dark circles, wrinkles, and brightness!
The one thing I love about all eye creams? They come in TSA-approved tiny bottles. :)
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is another skincare product that you should regularly wear as a gift to your future self. And any simple drugstore sunscreen will do!
After trying quite a few face sunscreens, I’ve become obsessed with Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense Sunscreen. Unlike most SPF products that can be kind of goopy, this one has an extremely light and thin texture. It applies smooth and evenly without leaving a white cast residue. It’s an excellent base for layering under makeup. Because it spreads out so much on my face, I only have to use a little bit each day!
Lip balm
Don’t forget that pout! I’m a big fan of the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm for everyday use, which effectively hydrates my lips and has a yummy mint taste.
If I’m treating intensely chapped lips in the winter, I reach for this Bite Beauty Agave Nighttime Lip Therapy and leave it on while sleeping. It’s overnight magic!!
There you have it — all of my essential travel skincare products — in one consolidated list! Have you tried any of these??
