As a woman, travel, and packing for travel, always seem to take a little extra planning than it does for my male counterparts. Even on camping trips, I have to remember things like bras or extra underwear (which I have admittedly forgotten at least once). When you start taking beauty products and toiletries into account, the matter becomes even more obvious. If I'll be gone for an extended period (pun intended) of time, I need to account for feminine products and pills as well.
But then there are things I often bring even on short trips, like makeup and hair care essentials. By some standards, I'm actually somewhat of a minimalist in this area. I don't usually wear thaaaaat much makeup day-to-day and I wear even less when I'm traveling - mostly because I sweat easily. It's also worth noting that I don't always feel the need to take much because I know that I can get products almost anywhere I go. Though this assumption holds less true when I travel to more remote places, like Morocco or Zambia.
Beauty Products Intended for Travel
Still, because I fit it all into a backpack, I aim to travel light. I focus only on what I absolutely need and things I really like. For example, I prefer beauty products I use to be fragrance-free. Otherwise I overwhelm myself after using only two or three strongly-scented products. I don't go anywhere without Dr. Bronner's liquid soap and I use it for literally everything: face wash, body wash, quick laundry, dishes, and sometimes shampoo if I'm running low. Justin has even used it as toothpaste in a pinch. (Literally everything.)
It's a good example of the types of beauty products I choose because it's natural, cleansing, and not overly potent-a little goes a long way. When I traveled Europe for a few months two years ago, I took only Dr. Bronner's
I've recently become a fan of Fly Girl beauty products for the same reasons I love Dr. B's. They come sans parabens, sulfates, sodium chloride, or gluten and are compact enough to fit in a small tote. They don't smell overwhelmingly like chemicals or fragrance trying to mask them. Of the things I've tried, the intense calming balm has been my absolute fave, but I could totally see myself taking the dry shampoo, conditioner, or hairspray on my next trip as well.
At the end of the day, the moral here is that even though we women sometimes have to put in a little extra effort when it comes to travel accessories, we can also get exactly what we want from them. We don't necessarily have to give up looking good or feeling good for the sake of shedding pack weight. So go 'head with your fly self.
