All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Packing for a trip is stressful enough without having to squeeze an entire skincare and makeup routine into a carry-on. As a beauty editor who’s spent years testing products, reviewing travel beauty trends, and hopping between time zones, I’ve seen (and made) just about every beauty packing mistake possible.
The main mistakes I make include trying to bring too much, forgetting the essentials, or ending up with leaky disasters in my bags – I'll never quite get over the time a perfume bottle broke in my suitcase and stained everything I packed. Beauty products are some of the hardest things to pack, partially because they come in so many forms – liquids, powders, creams, aerosols – all with their own pesky airline regulations. Add in climate changes and the unpredictability of travel, and it’s easy to end up with the wrong products or deal with a completely ineffective skincare routine.
But travelling doesn’t mean compromising on beauty, it just means being smart about what you pack. Whether you’re off for a beach break, a city escape, or a long-haul adventure, here are the seven biggest beauty packing mistakes I see travellers make – and some simple swaps that will keep your skin glowing and your luggage light. Stick to these golden rules, and you’ll arrive at your destination looking fresh, hydrated, and effortlessly polished.
Pack full-sized products
The mistake: Stuffing your suitcase with full-sized body care and haircare. It’s tempting to take bulky, heavy items especially if you’re checking them in. But this is, in my experience, always a mistake.
The fix: If you’re away for more than two weeks, you are undoubtedly better off buying heavy, frequently used items like shampoo and body wash when you arrive at your destination, rather than lugging them around with you and risking leakage. It also means you get to try some local brands, which is always fun. For shorter trips, decant your essentials into reusable mini travel bottles. I’m a fan of Cadence's travel bottles: they come in a variety of sizes for different lengths of trips, or Muji’s Stacking Travel Containers for short stays. Many brands now offer travel-friendly ready-made kits too, like Malin and Goetz travel kit, which is ideal to pick up as a last-minute holiday saver.
Use multipurpose products
The mistake: Packing individual products for everything – moisturiser, hand cream, blush, lip colour. Before you know it, you’ll have half your bathroom and beauty cabinet in your bag.
The fix: Look for multitasking heroes in every beauty category. NARS The Multiple Stick works as a blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow, saving you valuable packing space and cutting down on the length of your holiday make-up routine. Meanwhile, do-it-all skincare, like Gisou Honey Infused Beauty Balm, works as a rich moisturiser, highlighter, and overnight mask and can be used to mitigate humidity-induced hair frizz. If you’re extra tight on space, Ultra Violette Queen Screen Illuminating Super Glow Drops act as broad spectrum sun protection, skin primer, and dewy skin enhancer in one. It’s your time to chill, so make your products work harder.
Pay attention to the weather
The mistake: Bringing the same products you use at home without considering how your skin will react to a new climate and what it might need.
The fix: If you’re heading somewhere humid, swap out any heavy creams for lightweight, gel-based formulas like Tatcha The Water Cream, which helps hydrate without feeling heavy on the skin. Top up with a hydrating mist like Clinique Moisture Surge Mist.
For dry, cold destinations, add an extra layer of hydration like First Aid Rescue Barrier Cream. This helps to lock in moisturise and protect the skin’s delicate barrier. Finally, if the air is drier than expected (for example, on long-haul flights) then prepare for that – REFY Lip Buff is an intensive lip serum, exfoliator and mask all in one. It's a true flight must-have.
Don't overpack hair tools
The mistake: Bringing a hairdryer, straightener, curling wand, and hot brush – then realising these don’t even work with the voltage abroad. Not to mention the huge amount of space they take up in your suitcase.
The fix: Choose a styling tool that gives you multiple options, like the Dyson Airwrap Original, which dries and styles hair in waves, curls and more. Those who love a sleek look should try the GHD Duet Hot Air Styler, which combines the brilliance of a dryer and straighteners in one handy gadget to save time and precious luggage space. If you want to go fully gadget-free, embrace your hair’s natural texture using a little of JVN Air Dry Cream, which helps to give shape, softness and hold without any need for heat styling.
Don't skip your in-flight skincare routine
The mistake: Not hydrating your skin on long-haul flights leads to tightness, blemishes and dehydration.
The fix: You don’t have to be excessive or take a giant beauty stash on board – especially if you don’t enjoy it – but a few helpful products can go a long way to keeping your skin hydrated, clean and feeling good as you step off the plane. A mid-flight skincare routine can make all the difference, but keep it simple. Before you settle in, cleanse any bacteria from your face using Simple Biodegradable Wipes or a deep cleansing wash like Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser. Follow with a hydrating sheet mask (Augustinus Bader’s ones are excellent) and finally, lock it all on with Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask. You’ll definitely reap the rewards on arrival.
Pack a make-up remover
The mistake: Relying on hotel soap or face wipes to remove makeup and daily grime while you're travelling. I’ve made this mistake in the past and have ended up using rough hotel flannels and harsh soaps to remove makeup ineffectively.
The fix: Cleansers tend to come in large pots, so you can, of course, decant them, but there are also mini versions available. Elemis Pro Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm comes in a mini travel size and melts away makeup and dirt without drying out your skin. For extra cleansing, mini micellar water, like Garnier Micellar Rose Water, works well for plane and eye makeup removal. If you do want to use wipes – allowable only for travel, in my opinion, due to their single-use nature – then Klorane Soothing Biodegradable Make-up Wipes is the closest thing to freshly washed skin.
Don't use the hotel shampoo and conditioner
The mistake: Assuming hotel shampoo and conditioner will be good enough for your hair – particularly if you’re away for over a week.
The fix: Hotel amenities are not all alike, so depending on where you stay, you can expect a glorious gamut from delicately scented Hermes amenities to the reliably brilliant Cowshed ones that genuinely feel like a treat. But others feel less than luxurious and, in my opinion, quite interchangeable – have you ever noticed how some conditioners and body lotions feel and smell the same? Unless I know a good quality brand will be stocked in the hotel bathrooms, I always take travel-sized formulas like Olaplex shampoo and conditioner on hand to keep my hair strong and healthy. If you’re short on space but want that freshly washed feeling, then K18 Air Wash Dry Shampoo is the best out there.
