Travel Tip 3 - travel light cosmetics

I am sure you are like me and want to stay clean when you are travelling but also want to travel light.  Here are a few of my tips, especially for making things do more than one job.

There is no need to take full size products with you when you are only going away for a short time - up to two weeks. My main intention is to throw things away to make room for the goodies I will be buying and bringing home.  Although I rarely leave home with the full weight allowance each kilo is sacred when I travel home.

Toothpaste - I wait until the tube is almost empty and put them aside for travelling.  When you think you will not get any more out of the tube cut off the seam at the top and inside will be 5-7 days worth of toothpaste that you would ordinarily throw away!  If you do this to every tube you use throughout the year you will save a couple of tubes of toothpaste per year anyway.  Of course I always take my toothbrush with me!

I don't like shower gels. I am a soap person. You may get a bar of soap in a hotel or nowadays you tend to get shower gel.  When my current bar of soap gets to the really thin stage I let it dry and put it with a couple of others in a plastic bag.  These are perfect for travelling because I don't mind leaving them behind whereas a full bar of soap would be too much for me to leave and although doesn't weigh much on its own adds to the total coming home luggage weight!

A few years ago I realised that I was allergic to conventional deodorants and started using coconut oil as a deodorant. This is one item I take with me in it's original jar because changes in temperature can make it melt somewhat and some containers may leak.  However it must be prepared to do more than one job and it does.  (I will be writing a post just about the uses of coconut oil in this series).

I take a small baby powder with me to dust under my arms after using the coconut oil as a fine talc/powder helps to keep you dry and cooler.  It can also be used for any chafing areas or to keep shoes dry and smelling nicer.

Again with shampoo - I will wait until there is only a small amount left in the bottle and put it aside for travelling.  As each bottle is finished it can be thrown away or recycled and doesn't need to come back with me.

That is really all my essentials because they do more than one job but a few others I will take when there is space are:-

Little sample sizes of facial and bath products I get when I buy full size (I like Clarins products and usually get the smaller sizes with a purchase).

Or cleansing wipes that can clean your face as well as take off any eye makeup and can be used for a quick clean on any part of your body.

Even Mr R will take the small samples from his Clarins for Men purchases with him. 

I don't like buying small travel sizes because they work out much more expensive but occasionally it is more practical like the travel shaving foam that Mr R takes - there is enough to last the fortnight's holiday.

It may not seem like a big deal taking all the cosmetics etc that I want but I really do like to keep my luggage as lean as possible on the outward journey and as full as possible on the way home!

What is your favourite travel tip for keeping clean and cool?