Travel Health & Beauty Hacks
Travel Tip #10 + Videos
Yes, the beauty industry is a racket. Yes, I’m susceptible to it (but not in the extreme).
To me, it’s less about wanting to look young and more about wanting to look good and feel healthy. I’m much more in line with Pamela Anderson’s thinking, with her new no-makeup look, than the Kardashians.
Staying Healthy & Looking Good on the Road
Here are 5 ways I maintain a simple health and beauty regimen on the road.
#1 - Teeth
I’m pretty religious in my approach to dental care (I have a lot of teeth!), so I follow my dentist’s recommendation to brush twice a day and floss at night. I also use a sweetwood stick most nights to polish my teeth.
Pack: Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, sweetwood stick.
Hack: Replace my toothbrush every month for extra hygiene.
#2 - Nails
Recently, my nails have endured a bit of trauma after receiving a “Russian manicure” in Antalya, where the manicurist took an electric nail drill to my cuticles. 😨
I’m now in a recovery period, letting my fingernails and toenails “breathe” (read: cut short, sans polish) and I rub tea tree oil on cuticles at night to help them recover.
Pack: Clear nail strengthening polish (a toxin-free option like Butter), wooden foot file (exfoliator), nail clippers, and emery board. I use my old toothbrush (see above) as a nail brush.
Hack: I never travel with nail polish remover as it’s not worth the risk of spilling in your luggage and ruining all your clothes. And it’s generally super cheap (<$2).
#3 - Face
For me, skincare is all about moisturizing (day and night) and sunscreen. I never leave the house without a face cream with SPF and use an organic sunscreen, such as Coola.
Most importantly, I now use the Yuka app to scan product labels to see the health impact of food products and cosmetics. Just scan the bar code of the product you’re looking at, and a product rating pops up. *This is especially important for tampons. At the very least, look for a no-bleach, organic option.
I also do “face yoga” a couple of times a week, introduced to me by my friend and yoga instructor, Açelya. I keep it in a glass with a drop of tea tree oil in the refrigerator so it’s nice and cool on my skin.
Here, Açelya demonstrates the ceramic massage tool. (She’s speaking Turkish, but you get the idea.) If you’re thinking of getting one, please support small-business owners and women entrepreneurs by buying direct from Açelya.
Pack: Day lotion with SPF, night cream, eye cream. If I’m in the U.S., I buy Perricone (also available at Costco), as well as a bar of soap, razor, and deodorant (Lume).
Hack: Transfer the content of your lotions out of the heavy, breakable jars into smaller silicone vials (that don’t have the harmful plastic chemicals like BPA).
For make-up, I have a favorite red lipstick and otherwise keep it pretty simple—mainly because I don’t have the patience for it.
Pack: Cover up and face brightener, contour power, cream blush, 2 eyeliner pencils, eyelash primer, 2 mascaras (regular and waterproof), 2 eye shadows light and dark. My preferred brand is Benefit.
Hack: Permanent make-up is so worth it. I had my eyebrows done in Turkey for $112 (in the U.S., it costs ~$650) and am happy with the results. Game-changer for someone like me with light eyebrows. p.s. I also kind of like that my first tattoo was on my face!
#4 - Hair
My general attitude toward haircare is 1) hair grows back, and 2) that’s what a pony-tail or bun is for, so I don’t give it a lot of worry.
My main concern is that I’m a swimmer and the chlorine (and salt water) can be super drying. To minimize damage, I soak my hair with fresh water before getting into the pool, apply conditioner, wear a swim cap, and then have a delightful swim.
I also try to wash my hair in the afternoon so it has time to dry naturally before bedtime, but I always check that my Airbnb provides a hair-dryer in a pinch.
Pack: Shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, tweezers, and assorted hair ties.
Hack: For shampoo (and body lotion), I buy baby products, which are usually healthier and cheaper. I tend to replace these items at each location, so I don’t need to carry the heavy, bulky bottles.
#5 - Body
I definitely subscribe to the notion that beauty comes from the inside (in all ways). So I pay close attention to what I put in my body.
I’m a vegetarian, which is core to my overall health and principles on minimizing animal cruelty. I also fast for 16 hours each day, drink lots of water, and stay away from processed foods.
I don’t travel with supplements, except for Vitamin B12, which is necessary for vegetarians, and instead focus on getting my nutrients from food. For instance, for Omega 3 - walnuts, probiotic - yogurt, vitamin D - fresh fruit, vitamin D - sunshine—you get the idea.
Pack: Vitamin B12, small travel-size amounts of medicine such as ibuprofen, Imodium, tea tree oil, Band-Aids, and anti-bacterial soap and cream.
Hack: If you have allergies, a teaspoon of local honey each morning will lessen the effect of pollen in the air.
What are your must-have health and beauty essentials? The one thing you can’t be without? Any hacks to share?
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Christened “Wander Woman” by National Geographic, Erin Michelson is a professional speaker and author of the Nomad Life™ series of curated trips and travel guides, including the #1-ranked “Explore the World with Nomads.”