Travel editors at leading international media have shared their tried-and-tested beauty habits that help them get through flights, changes in climate and seaside holidays without damaging their skin or hair. These include both simple tricks and favourite products that always live in their travel make-up bag.
Head of Travel at The Times and The Sunday Times Claire Irvin recommends using a clear make-up bag for your hand luggage. This kind of pouch is easy to show at security, makes it simple to find what you need, and holds more small items inside. She says she always packs a 111Skin Black Diamond Face Sheet mask, which she uses during the flight, and for lip hydration she opts for the Laneige Lip Mask, while also making sure she keeps an eye on her water intake.
Travel writer Karen Edwards, during a long journey around South-East Asia, tried a simple trick with regular Johnson’s Baby Oil that she has now been using for around 20 years. She applies a small amount of oil to her face before take-off to protect her skin from the dry cabin air, then washes it off after landing and notes that her skin stays moisturised even after long-haul flights.
Freelance travel editor Hayley Spencer stresses the importance of hair care when swimming in the sea or the pool. According to her, hair behaves like a sponge, so before you get into the water it should be thoroughly soaked with fresh water. This way, your strands will absorb less chlorine or salt. She also recommends applying a leave-in mask to damp hair, such as Philip Kingsley Swimcap: it protects against damage, makes hair shiny and at the same time doesn’t leave a sticky feel if you put it up for the whole day.
JRNY Travel Magazine editor Lauren Jarvis, who writes extensively about nature and conservation, focuses on reef-safe beauty products that are harmless to marine ecosystems. She favours British brand Tropic with its natural, vegan and cruelty-free formulas. Her favourites include the Sun Day Dewy Facial SPF and Great Barrier Sun Lotion sun care, as well as Hair Feast Deep Conditioning Treatment and Hair Smooth Radiance Oil, which she uses after a day in the sun and while snorkelling. The brand also offers mini travel kits.
The award for the most frequent flyer, by her own admission, could easily go to travel editor and hotel industry expert Danielle Point-du-Jour, who gets on a plane at least once a month. To keep her skin from suffering with the constant climate changes and dry cabin air, she always carries travel sizes of her key products: Shani Darden 2-step Exfoliating Face Peel, Dr. Jart+ Cyro Rubber Cooling Mask and the rich Tatcha Dewy Skin Moisturiser. For her lips she chooses EADEM Le Chouchou Lip Balm which, she says, not only hydrates well but, thanks to its tints, also helps her look put-together the moment she lands. She also uses Touchland hand sanitiser so she doesn’t end up applying skincare to dirty hands.
Global travel editor at The Independent Annabel Grossman points out that on the road sensitive skin reacts even more strongly to weather changes, sun, wind and lack of sleep, so the main thing is to keep your routine as simple as possible. She avoids new products, fragranced formulas and complicated actives, and always carries two reusable mini bottles filled with tried-and-true CeraVe products: a moisturising lotion and the Hydrating Cleanser. This approach, she says, keeps her routine consistent, straightforward and budget-friendly.
Wallpaper* travel editor Sofia de la Cruz recommends packing multi-use products when space in your cabin bag is tight. She recalls a classic trick: using lipstick as a cream blusher, which lets you cut down on the number of products while still looking polished. She notes that brand Refy has a lipstick designed specifically for this kind of double duty, and her favourite shade, Amber, is a natural coral that gives the face a fresh look.
Escapism deputy editor Christie Spring shares not so much a beauty product as a handy sleep accessory for travel. She uses a SnoozeBand mask, which combines an eye mask with built-in headphones. This gadget blocks out light, lets you listen to audiobooks without earphones digging in, and saves space in your luggage by replacing several items at once. According to her, whether you’re on a plane, a coach or in a hotel room, all you need to do is put the mask on, switch on a soothing sound and you’ll be asleep in a few minutes.
Travel writer and guidebook author Zinara Rathnayake recommends paying attention to local beauty brands when you travel. She recalls once buying an RMK Comfort Airy Shine Lipstick in shade 10 in Osaka, Japan, and she hasn’t travelled without it since. She uses it as an everyday sheer long-lasting lip colour with a delicate shine, as well as a cream blusher: it goes on easily, gives a natural glossy reddish tint and allows you to create an evening make-up look without extra products, which is especially convenient when you’re travelling light.
All these tips are united by a few shared principles: simple formulas, travel-friendly formats, the ability to use one product in several ways, and an awareness of the environmental impact of what you pack. The experts advise planning your travel make-up bag in advance, choosing only products your skin already knows, that pass easily through airport security and help you feel comfortable on the move — from the flight to the beach.