Clever beauty hacks Women are using to save space & time when travelling: Go carry on luggage only every time
You know the scene....you've left packing your cosmetics and facial care products until the very end and now, along with several pairs of shoes and numerous other items you probably won't use, your beauty products now need a suitcase of their own. When budget airlines introduced extra charges for checking on luggage we all shook our fists in anger but when faced with such adversity there are two ways we can react. 1. Get annoyed, queue up and just pay or 2. Figure out a solution to beat the system! I for one decided on the latter years ago and now am an expert in packing light in all areas including cosmetics and facial care products. I hate queuing and the thoughts of standing in a queue at at airport makes me shudder so this was impetus enough for me to become a hand luggage packing expert. I've successfully travelled around Asia for weeks with only hand luggage and still managed to arrive home with purchases! Read below for my top 5 tips.
01: Use multitasking products
One of the main space saving tips is to bring products that have more than one function. A cleanser which doubles as a moisturiser, a facial spf with a tint instead of sunscreen and foundation or a lip tint which doubles as a cheek tint. Also, look for products that are 100 ml or less. Our favourites include
Keegan & Co. Moisturising + Cleansing Balm a multipurpose product in a travel friendly durable and light aluminium tin of 100 ml. Use as a facial cleanser, moisturiser, treatment balm for irritated skin, lip balm, hair mask and tame fly away strands.
Keegan & Co. Moisturising + Cleansing Balm: €24.99 100 ml
Keegan & Co. Treatment Essence with Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid is also multi-use in that is can be used as a second cleanse when swept over skin with a reusable cotton pad or can be patted onto skin as a lightweight hydrating serum. It is also perfect for warm, dry climates when traditional creams may be too heavy.
Keegan & Co. Treatment Essence with Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid €39.99
Tinted spf for facial skin will double up as foundation and will give your skin the protection it needs from damaging UVA & UVB rays. Look for those with broad spectrum and an spf of at least 30. I use Le Roche Posay which I find very good. They have a selection for dry to shiny skin most of which are spf 50+
Lip + Cheek tints are hugely popular at the moment but they too are great for travel. Lipstick can be drying especially in dry, sunny climates so a nourishing tint which doubles up for cheeks will not only work better for dry lips but will also command less luggage space. Of course we love Keegan & Co. Nourishing lip + cheek tint.
Keegan & Co. Nourishing Coconut lip + cheek tint: €7.00
02: Pack non-liquid items
Since restrictions on the quantity of liquid and paste consistency items arrived it makes sense to look for solid items instead. Keep your multi-use liquid and pastes for that tiny 1 litre bag! Good substitutes include
Solid shampoo and conditioner bars
With no packaging to take up valuable real estate in your luggage, plastic free, economic and suitable for all the family solid shampoo and conditioners are a travel no brainer.
Soap bar for shower gel
The humble bar of soap, a solid substitute for a large bottle of shower gel and suitable as a shaving foam choose your favourite scent from the many amazing Irish producers.
Solid lotion bar for body oil or body lotion
Using a combination of butters and oils these bars will melt on contact with skin. As they are solid they do not contribute to the liquid or paste space in your 1 litre travel limit. Keep these in a small tin or wrapped in grease proof paper as they may melt slightly and damage your luggage contents.
Solid toothpaste tablets & mouthwash tablets
These tiny tablets are the perfect substitute for regular toothpaste. Simply chew until a creamy consistency forms and brush as normal. Different flavours are available including strawberry for children.
Above products available from minimal waste grocery (apart from lotion bars)
03: Collect product samples
Many skincare and cosmetics companies will sell small travel size samples or travel size kits but more often than not cosmetics shops and chemists will supply small samples for free. Next time you purchase a cosmetic product ask if there are any samples on offer! It's worth a try. I collect these throughout the year and pop them into a small pack in my luggage so that the next time I begin packing a selection is already there ready to go.
04: Decant into small bottles
Throughout they year I keep any 100 ml or smaller jars, tins and bottles and store them away in anticipation of travel needs. It is possible to buy travel bottles in packs but these are usually plastic and it does seem strange to buy small plastic bottles whilst paying to recycle bottles from products I've bought. A sharpie marker for writing on the outside what's inside and you're good to go.
Aluminium bottles and jars available from Bomar
05: Leave purchasing big items for airport duty free
There are some items that you definitely do not want to scrimp on and one such thing is sun screen especially children's sun screen. I usually leave the purchase of these items for airport duty free as I would definitely use more than 100 ml of sun screen. However, I make sure to not buy too much as any leftovers would need to be decanted into those 100 ml empty bottles mentioned above for the trip home. We use Boots once kids protect & play factor 50 which we buy at the airport every time. As it is 8 hour protect 1 or 2 applications per person per day usually suffice. I would buy 1 to 2 bottles which usually does our family of 3 people for a 1 week holiday.
Soltan Kid's Once available from Boots and Dublin Airport
With these 5 tips and tricks you will be a super organised travel packer. Remember when you arrive home do a stock take of what you used and what you didn't use so that you can pack even quicker the next time. I usually keep my little travel pack in my hand luggage ready to go.
No more queues at luggage drop off, no more messy spillages all over your travel wardrobe and an overall less stressful start to your holiday.