Have skincare will travel
Recommendations from my commerce writer brain to your inbox
Actually Good Things is a Friday-morning newsletter where I, a mortal woman, expert commerce writer, and product tester, offer curated recommendations based on the zillions of things I’ve tried.
This week, while vacationing at the Oregon coast with my favorite people in the entire world (that is, my sisters, our husbands, and our kids), I’m listing off my most beloved travel toiletries.
These are actually good things I bring on overnight trips.*
1. The toiletry bag
I’ve never met a better toiletry case than this beauty from Leatherology. My husband surreptitiously took it on a work trip once, and I almost called the police.
Structured yet soft, the leather construction holds its shape well, and the dual-compartment design fits a surprising amount of stuff. I put skincare on one side and everything else on the other. She’s steeply priced, but you’ll have her forever.
2. Sine qua non skincare
For double-cleansing, it’s an adorable little pot of my favorite cleansing balm (but if I didn’t have it on hand, I’d order my other oil-based cleanser of choice from The Inkey List) and a simple soothing face wash.
For toning and mid-day refreshing, it’s the mini version of my beloved Mario Badescu spray. If you tend to break out when traveling, Tower 28 SOS Spray is your guy. It leans on hypochlorous acid to calm sensitive skin, tackle redness, and kill the bacteria behind breakouts.
I always slip a few packs of the all-star Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads into my toiletry bag—enough for every-other-day use.
If the bottle is compact enough, I’ll bring whichever growth factor/stem cell/patented molecule serum is currently in my medicine cabinet. Right now, it’s this one from Allies of Skin.
I also pack my regular eye cream because it’s small anyway. Currently, I’m testing this NAD+ tincture—an A+ so far.
For moisturizer, it’s Weleda Skin Food, a reliable, 100-year-old formula that never misses. She’s thick like a balm and greasy, but my skin drinks her right up and spits out a glow.
I’m partial to Korean sunscreen for travel—not just because the formulas are good but also because they usually come in lightweight tubes perfect for a bag or purse. This week, I’m using the wallet-friendly Numbuzin No.9, but Innisfree and Round Lab are also recent hits (all under 20 bucks).
For body SPF, I actually like Hempz—an ironic throwback to my teenage tanning bed days.
I brought a couple of these simple lip balms to keep in my pocket, on the nightstand, in the car, wherever. They’re cheap, so I don’t care if they get lost or seized by a child.
I actually try not to change up my skincare routine too much for a trip to avoid a complexion freak-out. So instead of minis, I’ll often just decant my regular lineup into reusable silicone containers.
3. Minimalist makeup
For fancier trips, I’ll pack enough makeup for a full beat. This week, however, I’m paring down with a few essentials and multi-use products.
As a base, I love Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter. It’s good on its own or blended with BB cream, and the mini is clutch for travel. Prefer powders? This do-it-all baked complexion enhancer won’t let you down.
Under the eyes, it’s a tiny dot of Tower 28’s new serum concealer, blended with my finger à la high-school makeup application.
Ms. Tilbury dropped these slim, supremely packable Lip & Cheek Glow pans last summer. They’re balmy and buildable—a perfect dewy flush for the cheeks or dab on the lips.
Kevin Aucoin’s original tubing mascara comes in a skinny tube that takes up hardly any space.
Supergoop! used to make an SPF eyeshadow, but it’s sadly discontinued and I can’t find a comparable product. (Tell me if you know of one!)
4. This and that
On the non-skincare side of my toiletry case, you’ll find a sleeker-than-necessary pill case filled with vitamins and ibuprofen (my drug of choice), travel Poo-Pourri, this brilliant wrinkle-release spray, and a foldable travel dermaplaner.
The travel-size bottles of my two favorite perfumes live in the Leatherology toiletry bag always, so I never have to pack or unpack them.
I’m also bringing a mini styler product for air-drying my hair, Head & Shoulders shampoo, and whatever travel-size conditioner was sent to me recently.
My electric toothbrush stays at home because I never feel like it keeps clean through a full roundtrip of travel. Instead, I pack a manual one I can toss out on the last day of the trip.
I usually don’t bring a razor because I lasered off most of my body hair with the Ulike and now only need to shave about once every two weeks.
5. In my purse
The sporty, spacious Dagne Dover crossbody is ideal for a trip like this.
Inside is this hand sanitizer spray (not the cheapest but half the price of Touchland) and these anti-fog glasses wipes.
A sunscreen tube comes everywhere with me, along with this little lip oil for SPF protection with a pinky-nude hint of color.
And blister Band-Aids, obviously.
A final word
Ya’ll know I like products. But I’m especially fond of the mini versions of my favorite items. They’re just so cute!
Though it might seem wasteful, I find it hard to use up certain products before they expire (particularly makeup), so the smaller sizes are actually a more practical choice in many instances. Plus, if I use up a mini on a trip, I don’t have to bring the product home and can enjoy a lighter load on the way back.
*Some products with affiliate links might earn me a small commission.
What I’m reading lately:
The Atlantic | Enough With the Mom Guilt Already
Washington Post | Why We Procrastinate on Joy—And How to Stop
Want more good things? Subscribe below.