Travel Essentials for Women

11 Must-Haves for Every Trip

As much as traveling can feel luxurious and fun, it can be hard to maintain your normal beauty rituals — and the last thing you want is for your skin and hair to suffer while you are having the time of your life.

When it comes to your beauty routine, consistency is key. If you miss skincare steps while on the road, it can wreak havoc on your skin almost immediately.

Beauty rest is another area that often takes a hit during travel, and lack of sleep can lead to stressed or broken out skin .

When traveling, we all know that your regular routine will need to adapt — this is actually part of the experience, and no one wants to be weighed down with their complete collection of products.

However, you do want to ensure you pack the travel essentials you shouldn’t be without while away from home. These products will help you maintain a basic version of your normal beauty ritual while making your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable. So let’s dive into the 11 must-have products for every globetrotter.

What Are Some Travel Essentials for Women?

When traveling, it’s expected that you will have to live differently than normal. While you can adapt your diet, sleep schedule, and day to day routine, you shouldn’t have to completely change your beauty practices.

If you enjoy wearing the quality makeup products you’ve put time and thought into sourcing, they can also help you feel like yourself while visiting new cities. Of course, you also can’t leave behind your daily signature fragrance that melds to you like a second skin. And you should take your good habits with you on the road — you definitely want to stay consistent with the daily water consumption you’ve worked your way up to.

These details play a small but central role in your daily life. Packing in a way that helps you maintain them is key.

We understand the importance of traveling well by packing the best women’s travel essentials. Let’s walk through our 11 must-haves for contemporary vacationists. The best part? You can use them even when you return home.

1. Portable Beauty Mirror

You can’t count on every hotel room or public bathroom to have a mirror with good lighting, which is why a compact LED travel mirror is a necessity. Whether you’re doing your makeup on the plane, getting ready for a night out, or simply want to check your teeth after eating, having a foldable mirror ensures you feel beautiful on your getaway.

2. Reusable Water Bottle

Staying hydrated can be tough while on vacation, but it’s important to drink enough water when you’re walking around, catching sun, and possibly drinking more alcohol than normal. Dehydration can occur quickly when traveling, especially in locations where it’s hard to score safe drinking water. The Larq Bottle PurVis is a self-cleaning water purification system perfect for your next trip.

This refillable water bottle is like travel insurance, guaranteeing you’ll stay safe and hydrated wherever you are. It’s the gadget you didn’t know you needed. As a bonus, it keeps liquids hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 for even the most off-the-beaten-path adventure.

3. Quality Toiletry Bags

When you tote around your essential makeup products, make sure they stay safe and secure in a quality cosmetic bag. The Wellinsulated Performance Beauty Bag is water-resistant and leak-proof. The Trish McEvoy Makeup Planner is like a makeup vanity on the go, helping you stay organized.

4. Mini Travel Beauty Kits

Bring all your essential beauty products on the road with you in portable mini-size beauty kits. Furtuna Skin’s Rituale Luminoso Transformation set revitalizes and protects skin even without your regular products, and the Indie Lee Discovery Kit is a full skincare routine in small packaging.

5. TSA-Friendly Travel Fragrances

The scents you wear when traveling help create a lasting impression of the trip in your mind forever afterward. Therefore, pick high-quality, sensual perfumes to bring with you on your adventures, like the Lake & Sky discovery set , Maison Louis Marie potent travel perfume oils, or the rich fragrance favorite — Tom Ford Electric Cherry eau de parfum .

6. Facial Sunscreen

It’s important to wear sunscreen all over your body whenever you’re exposed to sunlight, both at home and on vacation. Sunscreen is especially imperative when you travel to new places, especially if you are traveling closer to the equator where the sun is hotter. The last thing you want is to get a bad sunburn in a tropical location.

Protect your face from sun damage and early aging with Dune’s The Mineral Melt SPF 30 sunscreen. This non-comedogenic formula is safe for all skin types and helps skin feel softer and moisturized. Plus, its 50ml size is TSA-approved for airline travel in your carry-on bag.

7. Weighted Eye Mask

Everyone talks about the importance of sleep, and you can feel the difference between sleeping well the night before versus not — but you might not know how essential quality sleep is to your overall health . Sleep helps regulate hormones, metabolism, heart health, and cognitive functioning. It also impacts your hunger and cravings, and we all know what we eat plays a role in how healthy and confident we feel.

Sleeping in a new bedroom or in transit, like on a plane or in a car, can be disorienting and make it hard to drift off. Different light and unfamiliar sounds throw off your ability to enter REM sleep. Weighted blankets help calm you and prepare you for deep sleep, but they’re not always travel-friendly.

NodPod’s The Weighted Blanket For Your Eyes can help you achieve restful sleep wherever you lay down (or lean your seat back). Its deep-touch pressure helps reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm so you can slip into dreaming.

8. Silk Pillowcase

Speaking of sleep, the Slip Pure Silk King Pillowcase helps you have peaceful dreams and peace of mind. When you lay down after completing your skincare routine, your products will stay on your skin, not your pillow; the Slip pillowcase is absorption resistant, which also keeps it more sterile.

This silk pillow cover provides luxurious sleep that has you waking up feeling refreshed, but also looking it. Nothing screams poor night of sleep like facial creases and bedhead. Slip’s silk pillowcase is a game changer thanks to the way it prevents frizz, pillow marks, and skin irritation. It’s perfect for road trips, but also for your bed at home.

9. Hydrating Sheet Masks

The best way to handle long-haul flights is with a little bit of pampering. Airplane air can be very drying on skin due to the filtered air circulation. Pack hydrating sheet masks in your luggage so you can counteract the effects of flying.

The 111Skin Cryo De-Puffing Facial Mask Set is like compression socks for your face — it helps tighten and energize your skin. Or, you can promote smoother, more youthful-looking skin with the Joanna Vargas Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask . To reduce the appearance of dull, puffy skin when you land, try the Patchology Serve Chilled On Ice Firming Hydrogel Mask.

10. Mini Hair Brush

It can be hard to know which hair products to pack with you on vacation, especially considering TSA rules about liquid travel sizes. The one hair tool you don’t want to forget is a hair brush. To save space in your carry-on luggage, the Mason Pearson Pocket-Size Bristle and Nylon Brush will fit in your bag for hair emergencies.

It promotes shine and detangling for all hair types, including fine, medium, and thick hair. It’s easy to forget to brush your hair on travel days, so whip this mini brush out of your purse to feel refreshed and ready on arrival.

11. Makeup Remover Wipes

As a woman, there are some travel items you cannot forget, like tampons, lip balm, a phone charger, and deodorant. To be without them could wreak havoc on your confidence and overall experience. Trust us when we say makeup remover wipes belong on the list.

The M-61 Perfect Cleansing Cloths refresh and reset the skin, whether it’s sweaty, dirty, smelly, or simply dry from a new climate. If you’re wearing makeup, they’ll remove all leftover impurities so your skincare can properly penetrate. If you vacation without makeup on, they help calm and soften skin without synthetic fragrances or sulfates.

They will be a valuable addition to your travel backpack. Freshen up your skin whenever you feel it’s needed.

On the Go

Following a list of travel essentials ensures you can voyage with ease — and glamour. Beauty products help make you feel more collected but also more like yourself.

If a few basic travel items make you feel ready to conquer the world, bringing them is worth it. Whether you are flying to Europe or taking a day trip, these travel accessories are sure to make your trip that much more enjoyable.