36 Expert-Approved Skin-Care Travel Essentials

Welcome to Travel Week! Fashion people are always on the move, and the industry has been venturing into tourism and hospitality more than ever. So with summer-getaway season in full swing, we’re bringing you five days of expert-led product recommendations, outfit ideas, wellness tips, packing advice and more. We hope you stay a while.

Packing for a vacation can be stressful for those with a strict skin-care regimen. Deciding which products to bring, leave behind, or replace with travel-size versions can feel overwhelming; but once you establish your ideal on-the-go skin-care routine, you'll be well-prepared for all your future travels. To guide you through the vast array of options available, Fashionista compiled a comprehensive guide to the best skin-care travel essentials on the market. Our curation features highly sought-after products, tools, sets and devices that make for the very best getaway companions.

Travel skin-care products have undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years; the sheer range of options has drastically improved, with brands like Fenty Beauty, Supergoop and Laneige, among countless others, introducing TSA-friendly sizes. And many of them come highly recommended by board-certified dermatologists, seasoned beauty editors and renowned beauty influencers alike for their top-notch formulations and travel-friendly design.

Ahead, our guide to the top skin-care travel essentials, with valuable insights from leading skin-care experts and enthusiasts.

Best Skin-Care Travel Sets

While aesthetically pleasing skin-care travel sets are enticing, it's crucial not to overlook the essentials in pursuit of a vibe-y Instagram photo. Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, says that a well-rounded travel skin-care routine should prioritize three key products: cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. She also suggests incorporating an antioxidant serum for daytime and a retinol treatment for nighttime to enhance your regimen. These additional products can offer unique benefits depending on your skin's specific needs, whether you're combating dryness, wrinkles, dark spots or another concern.

Dr. King also emphasizes the importance of cleansing the skin twice daily (once in the morning and once in the evening) to remove impurities and pollutants — particularly important if part of your day has included marinating in communal airplane air. Following cleansing, she recommends using a moisturizer with hydrating humectants, skin barrier-supporting emollients and moisture-locking occlusives. (It's important to look for products that contain all three to reap noticeable and comprehensive moisturization, she says.) And finally, pretty please (!) remember to apply sunscreen and reapply it every two hours to protect skin from UV rays — no skin-care routine is complete without it.

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Best Travel SPFs

Not to sound like a broken record, but the following can't be stressed enough: The rules around sunscreen don't change while traveling. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Divya Shokeen recommends following the American Academy of Dermatology's guidelines of using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and reapplying every two hours for maximum protection.

She also recommends investing in a water-resistant formula if you plan on being active, participating in water activities, or simply sweating in the heat. All these things can make your sunscreen less effective, which is why derms and editors constantly stress the importance of reapplication. On the bright side, buying sunscreen you love should make doing so a heck of a lot easier.

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Best in-Flight Hydrators

If you're on social media, we're confident you've encountered photos and videos of people indulging in full-blown skin-care regimens in-flight, complete with face masks, under-eye patches and moisturizer. While it may seem trivial, there are valid reasons for doing so, per Dr. King: "Low humidity in the airplane air means that the skin loses more moisture through transepidermal water loss, so moisturizing products can be helpful," she explains.

She again stresses the importance of using hydrators containing humectants, emollients and occlusives. One of her personal favorites? The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Moisturizer.

Two additional items that are often overlooked, but are worth throwing in your handbag before boarding are lip balm and sunscreen. According to Dr. Brian Hibler, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, lip balm is essential during flights to prevent dry and chapped lips. He recommends a petroleum jelly-based balm like the CeraVe Healing Ointment, which serves as a thick, protective layer to seal in moisture. Additionally, going all-in on sunscreen is particularly important for daytime flights, as damaging UVA rays can penetrate through airplane windows — and be even more harmful, since you're physically closer to the sun. (The more you know, right?)

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Best Travel Skin-Care Containers

When storing your skin-care products for travel, regardless of whether they're full- or travel-size, you have numerous options: You can transfer them into spill-proof containers specially designed for travel, like those from Ries or Cadence, or keep them neatly organized in a stylish dopp kit, like the social-media famous one from Beis or the Dagne Dover Mila Toiletry Organizer.

And for those who plan to use skin care in-flight, Dr. Hibler has a clever hack for storing small quantities of products. "I repurpose spare contact lens cases to hold small amounts of my skin-care products during the flight," he reveals. Since they're color-coded, it's easy to distinguish between different products.

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Best Skin-Care Tools for Travel

While some skin-care tools, such as heavy-duty facial steamers and clunky IPL hair removal devices, are better suited for home use, there are compact and travel-friendly alternatives that won't take up valuable room in your luggage. One such option is a gua sha facial massage tool, a highly favored travel item for beauty content creator Jenna Rennert. She recommends placing it in a hotel ice bucket for a few minutes to enhance its post-flight soothing and de-puffing benefits.

For those seeking a more technologically advanced skin-care tool, Rennert recommends the TheraFace Pro Handheld Facial Massage Device as a worthwhile investment that rivals professional facials. "This all-in-one device offers microcurrent, LED therapy, cleansing and an instant cooling effect," she explains. Plus, it "comes in a sleek carrier that fits in the palm of your hand" — music to the ears of those with limited suitcase space.

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