The 14 Best Travel-Size Beauty Products for Your Next Trip

Writer and expert2 months ago

Whether you’re the type who’s all set and ready to go a week before your flight or someone who isn’t fazed by last-minute packing, traveling always requires you to make sacrifices in the beauty and skincare department. Not only are you limited by the space in your beauty kit, you also need to make sure you’re complying with airport regulations.

If you’re not meticulous about the products in your travel skincare routine, it can mean disaster for your complexion—especially when you consider all the factors working against your skin (and hair) when you travel. While it can be tricky to make sure that your beauty routine can travel with you, it’s not at all impossible. The solution? Our curated list of best travel beauty products that editors and skincare pros swear by.

How Travel Affects Skin

You may have been looking forward to getting lost in the most romantic European cities or spending long days under the tropical sun, but your skin? Not so much. Between weather changes and the new cuisines you’re trying, travel can cause your skin to act up and lead to acne, dryness, and dehydration. In fact, this can happen even while you’re still on the plane as the stale air, high altitude, and low humidity can quickly zap moisture out of your skin.

Going from hot to cooler climate can spell disaster for your skin, causing rough patches and triggering conditions like eczema. And if you’re headed to a sunnier destination to escape the cold, you might find your skin becoming oilier, upping the risk of breakouts.

While ticking off boxes in your travel bucket list can be all kinds of fun and exciting, racing to every item in your itinerary can also mean stress and getting little sleep in between. Not to mention, you may not always be eating the food you’re used to or drinking water as often as you should. All these factors can lead to—you guessed it—dull and dehydrated skin, dark circles, oiliness, and breakouts. And in your quest to capture the perfect travel moments, you may even be forgetting to apply and reapply sunscreen. Sure, we like to think of tan lines as the tell-tale signs of a great getaway, but there’s nothing remotely fun about sunburn, redness, and sensitivity.

Not only that—even your hair takes a beating from the elements when you’re on-the-go as intense sun exposure, humidity, and extreme temperatures can leave hair dry, frizzy, and brittle.

The Best Travel Beauty Products You Need in Your Travel Kit

Traveling can leave your hair and skin feeling out-of-sorts due to a number of factors, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Below is a list of the best travel skincare andhair care products that you should never leave home without.

1. FOREO LUNA 4 GO 2-Zone Facial Cleansing and Firming Device

With its compact and travel-friendly design, this multitasking device is the perfect vacay buddy with its pulse-powered (up to eight intensities) cleansing and firming action. Its 2-zone brush head features thinner and thicker touchpoints that allow for the best cleansing experience, removing dirt and makeup in just a minute.

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: When using the device, use circular motions on the cheeks and forehead and an up and down motion on the nose. Follow up with a cleanser for the best cleansing results.

2. Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre Moisturizer

There’s no better time to double down on moisturizing than when you’re traveling, so make sure to pack this vitamin and antioxidant-rich moisturizer. With its light and milky texture, it delivers a much-needed dose of hydration to parched skin while restoring the skin’s lipid barrier and leaving a soft, satin finish.

Key Ingredients: Fatty acids

Skin Type: Dry Skin

Beauty Insider Tip: This moisturizer’s versatile and multifunctional formula makes traveling with all your skincare essentials that much easier. Not only is it a moisturizing cream, it also acts as a mask, makeup base, cleansing milk, after-shave, and after-sun care.

3. Jane Iredale ColorLuxe Eye Shadow Stick

If you’re looking for an eye shadow that does all the tricks, then this cream-to-powder shadow stick is for you. Whether you’re going for a subtle glow or a dramatic sparkle, its universally flattering shades highlight, define, and add color to create the perfect day-to-night eye looks. And with its handy stick form, you’ll never have to worry about cracks or spillage while on-the-go.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, Jojoba Seed Oil, Ceramides

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: To shade, apply the color directly to the eyelid and layer for added intensity. To line and define your eyes, apply to the lower lash line and smudge for a smokey effect. You can also use it as a highlighter by applying it directly to the inner corner of your eye and brow bone.

4. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

Want to make sure you only have good hair days while on vacation? Then this dry shampoo is for you. With its gentle and super nourishing formula, it quickly absorbs oil and grease and gets rid of the day’s dirt and unwanted odors while smoothing hair and taming frizz and fly-aways.

Key Ingredients: Oat Milk, Corn and Rice Starch

Hair Type: All Hair Types

Beauty Insider Tip: This dry shampoo keeps your hair feeling clean and fresh, increasing the time between washes. It also extends the life of blow-outs and color, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

5. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

If you can only take one serum to your vacation, let it be this gold-standard derm- and beauty editor-favorite. With its powerful combination of antioxidants, it’s your skin’s ultimate defense against UV damage and oxidative stress caused by pollution and other environmental aggressors. With its serious anti-aging benefits, it refines the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves firmness and texture, and brightens your complexion.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: Vitamin C is a must during the day, but it can make skin sensitive to sunlight. Make sure to apply sunscreen (at least SPF 30) thoroughly to prevent irritation, sensitivity, and other unwanted side effects.

6. ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Daily Lightweight Mineral SPF 50+ Sunscreen

This all-mineral broad-spectrum sunscreen features an ultralight formula, packed with antioxidants and plankton-derived enzymes, that’s specifically designed to combat the effects of excessive sun exposure. Not only does it protect your skin from both UVA and UVA radiation, it also repairs existing sun damage and boosts your skin’s protection against environmental stress and early signs of aging. Plus, it’s water- and sweat-resistant for up to 40 minutes.

Key Ingredients: Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E, DNA Reparisomes®

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip:With its silky-smooth and fast-absorbing formula, this sunscreen also provides the perfect base for makeup and leaves no white cast or greasy residue.

7. HydroPeptide PolyPeptide Collagel+

Not only is this hydrogel eye mask the quickest and easiest way to refresh and rejuvenate tired eyes, it’s also infused with a potent firming serum that targets signs of aging in the under-eye area. It improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet while plumping, smoothing, and brightening the eye area.

Key Ingredients: Collagen Protein, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: This eye mask’s hydrogel technology locks in moisture while providing a refreshing and cooling sensation. It’s the perfect way to cap off your nighttime routine if you want to wake up with well-rested, youthful-looking eyes after a long day of traveling.

8. MZ Skin Vitamin Infused Facial Treatment Mask

As committed as you are to sticking to your skincare routine while traveling, let’s face it—some nights, you won’t have the energy to go through whole nine yards. That’s when this vitamin-infused sheet mask comes to your rescue. Infused with potent botanicals and antioxidants, it delivers a heavy dose of hydration to your skin while helping calm inflammation, improving texture, brightening complexion, and enhancing glow.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Leaf, Licorice Extract, Vitamin C

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: This soothing mask deserves a spot in your skincare routine whether you’re at home or away. It’s a great way to keep skin plump and hydrated before applying makeup in the morning and also works as a calming treat for post-laser skin.

9. Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara Travel

With its one-of-a-kind formula that features special tubes that wrap lashes for maximum length, this mascara makes sure your lashes stay in top form even after a long flight. Creamy and buildable, it stays sweat- and smudge-proof and flake-free for up to 24 hours.

Key Ingredients: TLC Complex (Niacinamide, Biotin, Panthenol)

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: Despite its long-lasting wear, this mascara washes away with warm water in just a matter of seconds, so you don’t have to worry about tugging, pulling, and messy smudges.

10. Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist

This antioxidant-powered mist keeps your skin plump, glowing, and hydrated throughout the day while also creating a layer of protection against free radicals. Its nourishing formula delivers a heavy dose of hydration to your skin to prevent dryness and refine wrinkles and fine lines while improving firmness and stimulating collagen production.

Key Ingredients: Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Magnesium Ascorbate Phospate (a stable, non-acidic form of Vitamin C), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium PCA

Skin Type: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: This mist works great as a refreshing spritz and can be sprayed over makeup throughout the day.

11. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Don’t let the heat, humidity, and weather changes get in the way of having luscious locks. This invisible dry hair spray absorbs excess oil and adds lift and shine, leaving your hair with a sultry texture and picture-perfect volume, while trapping dirt and odor. Infused with antioxidants, botanicals, and a proprietary complex, it protects from oxidative stress, conditions and renews damaged hair, and helps make color last.

Key Ingredients: Oribe Signature Complex

Hair Type: All Hair Types

Beauty Insider Tip: Color- and keratin treatment-safe, this award-winning texturizing spray is a great alternative to traditional dry shampoo formulas with its enhanced protection from environmental stressors. Just shake, spray, and pump to finish and hold your desired ‘dos.

12. Sunday Riley Mini Power Couple

Featuring Sunday Riley’s cult-fave GOOD GENES All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment and retinol-enriched face oil LUNA Sleeping Night Oil, this travel kit makes sure you’ll never have to miss the essential parts of your skincare routine no matter where you are. This dynamic duo provides gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and reveal a clearer, smoother complexion and delivers powerful retinol benefits without irritation.

Key Ingredients: Purified Lactic Acid, Trans-retinoic Acid Ester

Skin Types: All Skin Types

Beauty Insider Tip: When using both products at the same time, massage three to four drops of Luna into clean, dry skin and wait five minutes to let the oil sink in before following it up with GOOD GENES Lactic Acid Treatment. If your skin is on the sensitive side, you may opt to use GOOD GENES in the morning and keep Luna for nighttime use.

13. Avène High Protection Tinted Compact SPF 50

With its high SPF and 100 percent mineral formula, this vitamin E-infused tinted sunscreen is a must-have travel companion. Hypoallergic and noncomedogenic, it’s specifically formulated to deliver complete UVA/UVB protection and antioxidant defense to ultra-sensitive and post-procedure skin.

Key Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E

Skin Types: Sensitive Skin, Acne-Prone Skin

Beauty Insider Tip: For best results, apply this cream-to-powder sunscreen 15 minutes before sun exposure. Its easily blendable shades can be used as an alternative to makeup.

14. Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer

A broad-spectrum sunscreen that also provides up to 72 hours of hydration? Yes, please! This top-rated, non-greasy, water-resistant, cream-to-water sunscreen features a cloud-like texture and delivers unmatched hydration while ensuring your skin is completely protected from harmful UV rays. The result? Plump, silky soft, and naturally radiant skin.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Pentavitin®

Skin Type: Normal Skin, Dry Skin, Combination Skin, Oily Skin

Beauty Insider Tip: Apply this super hydrating sunscreen generously to the face and neck 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours.

The Bottom Line

While traveling may force you to make some tough calls as to which beauty essentials you can or can’t pack, that doesn’t mean sacrificing the health of your skin and hair just so you can indulge in some much-needed R&R. With some careful planning and the right products that can do more things than one, you can make sure your skin and hair look their absolute best and ready for any adventure.

Discover more of the best travel beauty products you can find on Dermstore here

Next up, The Complete Guide to Peptides for the Skin, According to Dermatologists

Janeca Racho

Writer and expert

Janeca Racho is a Journalism graduate with over 15 years of writing experience. After getting her start in public relations and advertising, she made the switch to freelance writing and began working for various lifestyle, fashion, and travel brands. Her love for all things skincare has led her to beauty reporting and research for the last ten years. Writing for several hair and beauty blogs, she reports on anti-aging staples, trending brands and products, must-have ingredients, and health and wellness.