Never Travel Without These 5 Skincare & Beauty Essentials

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A Quick View: These 5 travel-friendly beauty and skincare essentials—like sunscreen, a fragrance atomizer, and a LED compact mirror—help keep your glow, protect your skin, and simplify your routine on the go.

POV: you just arrived to your dream destination

Let's set the scene, you just arrived and checked into your accommodation to that location you've been eyeing for a while. Now, it's time to get settled in and unpack your bags! You remembered to bring everything: all your outfits, travel gadgets, and important documents, but you forgot one essential thing, your beauty and skincare products! We've all been here before. Now if you're anything like me now (thick, fine, baddie type💅🏾🤪) and you like to be plan A prepared before you go, then you're certain to make a list and check it twice to ensure you pack all the right things down to your must-have skin and beauty tools. Here's a list of skin and beauty tools to never travel without:

Travel essentials include more than clothes, electronics, and basic toiletries

Sunscreen

Whether you're headed to the cenotes in Mexico or wandering the Windy City, sunscreen is always a must and should never be left behind. UV exposure heightens during travel, from the high altitude of flying to your proximity to water, snow, and the mountains. While we can't stop the aging process, we can stop skin damage and premature aging with simple preventative care that fits into any lifestyle. I used to think Black folk didn't need sunscreen until my skin burned and peeled in the hot Madrid summer sun. Since then, you won't catch me without sun protection, even on a rainy day.

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Hybrid SPF 50 meets all three travel-friendly sunscreen requirements

Your travel-friendly sunscreen should meet these three basic requirements:

1. Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection: Both UVA (penetrates deeper into the skin) and UVB rays (primarily affecting the outer layer of skin) are responsible for sunburn and skin damage. Aim for an SPF of 30 or higher like Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Hybrid SPF 50.

2. Lightweight and water-resistant: If you plan to swim and/or sweat, a water-resistant sunscreen will be your best bet. Choosing a sunscreen like La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen that is lightweight, non-greasy, and doesn't leave an infamous white cast is important and also pairs well under makeup.

3. TSA Approved: This is a given, right? Most sunscreens, like Shishedo Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ which can be reapplied right over makeup, are already packed with travel in mind, but be sure it fits within TSA's liquid rule, known as 3-1-1, allowing you to bring liquids, gels, and aerosols in carry-on bag containers no larger than 3.4 ounces (speaking from experience, do not bring 3.8 oz, or even 2.7 oz left in a 4 oz bottle!).

Jade Roller or Gua Sha Tool

Your spirit may already be glowing while you're away on vacation, but sometimes our skin can pay the price when we step away from daily routines. Boost your glow on the go with a jade ( or rose quartz) roller or gua sha tool to help reduce puffiness and other travel stressors that affect the skin. Gua shas like Kitsch Stainless Steel Gua Sha and face rollers are like mini spa moments that help boost circulation, assist in lymphatic drainage and stimulate collagen for supple, smooth skin. The EcoTools Jade Roller have become a permanent staple in both my skin prep and wind-down routine after a long day of traveling. It takes up almost no space, but the benefits are big with immediate and lasting effects.

Jade rollers and gua shas are the perfect travel remedy for puffy eyes and lymphatic drainage

Pro Tips:

• Keep it in the hotel mini fridge for a cooling effect

• Use with facial oil or moisturizer for smoother application

• Drink plenty of water before and after your gua sha routine

  
  
  
  

Fragrance Atomizer

Scents ground us and connects us to new experiences while traveling. Have you ever packed your favorite bottle of perfume to later realize that it broke or leaked in your bag? It's never fun or easy to clean. Bulky perfume bottles are not travel-friendly no matter how we pack them. This is why you should never travel without a fragrance atomizer. It will be your on the go bestie, allowing you to carry your signature scents without spills or extra weight. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia and Burberry Goddess are two of my favorite scents, inciting a feeling of sensuality and luxury. I would cry (real tears) if these $150+ bottles were to break while traveling and purchasing multiple travel-size fragrances can get pricey and may not always be available. When buying a fragrance atomizer you should look for one that is easy to fill, leak proof, and produces a fine mist.

A fragrance atomizer helps your fragrance to spray in an even, fine mist

Travel Atomizers I Trust:

• The Travalo Classic HD Perfume Atomizer has never let me down with its easy to fill container that is shatter and leak proof.

• Lisapack 8ML Atomizer Perfume Spray Bottle is top-rated for its ease of use and fine mist that sprays better than some original perfume atomizers.

Compact Travel Mirror

Keep your beauty in check anytime with a compact travel mirror. Relying on airport bathrooms, sketchy hotel lighting, or your phone's front camera may not always provide the best view so traveling with your own mirror is a must. It's perfect for reapplying lip products, fixing your edges, or checking to be sure you got all the greens out from between your teeth. While busy wandering the markets in Puerto Vallarta, I used my Mocado Compact LED Magnifying Mirror and realized my mascara had smudged into full Hamburglar territory—thanks to the humidity I totally underestimated. Without that travel mirror, I would've spent the rest of the day smiling for photos looking like I lost a fight with my eyeliner.

All mirrors are not created equally so it's better safe than sorry to have your own

Pro Tips:

• Opt for a compact with built-in LED lights

• Choose a folding design to keep it protected in your bag

• Bonus points for a dual mirror that has a regular and magnified option

Silk/Silk Satin Pillowcase or Bonnet

Waking up to matted leave out or lent in your locs is not fun. Hotel pillows might feel plush and fancy, but they're secretly out to ruin your hair and sometimes your skin. Cotton is infamously known to strip moisture which causes breakage and leaves curls, braids, locs and weave looking frizzy. We've all been there, going to sleep with a bonnet secured and waking up to it having walked off your head while you slept. You want to look and feel your best everyday, but especially on vacay so never travel without a silk or silk satin pillowcase or bonnet. I'm currently loving the various hair protection options from Grace Eleyae, specifically the Bronze Satin Pillowcase.

Unwarranted frizz is never fun, a silk bonnet or pillowcase keeps hair smooth and hydrated

Pro Tips:

• Choose a bonnet with a secure band that stays on throughout the night

• Be sure the bonnet or pillowcase is actually silk or silk satin and not polyester satin

• Silk pillowcases are also great for protecting lash extensions and prevent creases in your face

Makeup Remover Wipes

You may skip a serum or other steps of your skincare routine while traveling, but clean skin is a must when you’re on the move. Quick, effective, and mess-free, makeup remover wipes are perfect for flights and late nights, helping prevent pillowcase disasters and clogged pores leading to unwanted breakouts. Let's be honest, when you're in the groove of traveling, exploring and making new memories, your regular skincare routine fades to the background. Like when I spent the entire day creating media content for Chicago, doing my entire 5-step skincare routine was the last thing on my mind at 2am so I opted for my Honest Beauty Fragrance Free Cleansing Makeup Remover Facial Wipes which even removed my waterproof mascara. Even if I do nothing else, I always wipe down at the end of the day.

Makeup remover wipes are perfect for travel and quickly refresh skin

Bonus: Makeup wipes are also lifesavers for wiping off sunscreen, sweat, and even plane seat grime for a quick freshen up

Travel isn’t just about the places you visit—it’s about how you show up, feel, and care for yourself along the way. These five essentials I never travel without have become my go to beauty and skin tools for staying radiant, refreshed, and grounded on every journey. They’re simple tools that help me embrace wellness and live with ease no matter where I land.

What beauty or skincare tools can you not live without when traveling? Share your must-haves in the comments. I’m always excited to learn and add more to my arsenal.

And if you’re ready to create your own travel readiness kit, I’ve linked my favorite picks throughout the post because traveling well is one of the best kinds of self-care. Here’s to showing up as your best self, wherever the road (or the plane) takes you.