10 Must Have Travel Beauty Products • The Blonde Abroad

Updated March 2020

Want to look less jet-lagged and more jet-set? For a healthy glow, adventure-ready hair and overall wellness, you don’t need an arsenal to travel in style. Feeling gorgeous and refreshed is all about packing smart. Here are my favorite beauty products that will transform your travel style. Trust me, you’ll never leave home without them again!

Check out these 10 travel beauty products for your next trip!

Refillable Travel Jars + Travel Bottles

I never travel with full-size beauty products because they can take up so much space and weight in my luggage — in fact, I keep my toiletries “travel size” pretty much all the time, even when I’m at home, so they’re easy to take on-the-go. I love these refillable travel jars from Kitsch for traveling with my serums, moisturizers, and masks! I opt for their larger travel bottles for my shampoo, conditioner, and lotions (and they’re BPA-free!).

Shampoo Bar

Shampoo bars are SO great for travel — not only do you not have to lug around more “liquids” it also reduces plastic-consumption and can double as body/hand soap if you want to travel light. The Acure Coconut & Argan Shampoo Bar has a coconut oil soap base and is palm oil-free. It’s gentle on all hair types and free of all those “nasties.”

Anti-Aging + Hydrating Facial Wipes

I typically use a high-quality face wash but when I’m traveling or even hitting a workout class, I love to have some hydrating wipes to remove makeup or just to freshen up. I love these facial wipes from RAWGANIC because they’re made with natural, clean ingredients and are 100% Organic Cotton so they are biodegradable and plastic-free.

Tinted Facial SPF

I wear sunscreen on my face daily! It’s the best way to prevent sun damage which leads to wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and more. I love PCA SKIN Sheer Tint SPF 45 — it’s creamy and feels AMAZING on my face. It’s not greasy and you can layer makeup on top of it nicely. It’s worth the investment for your skin!

Eye Gels

These natural eye gels are so travel-friendly. They have soothing Vitamins C + E to repair skin and reduce wrinkles, plus they have a unique blend of elasticity-boosting collagen sourced from cacti! Plus, one of the key ingredients is aloe vera which is so hydrating for your skin. Goodbye puffy eyes after a long haul flight!

Helpful Trick: Put these on about an hour before landing on a long flight so I land feeling refreshed and ready to go!

Acne Treatment

As someone who has struggled with acne my whole life, I couldn’t be happier about this product. It’s hard to keep up with a skin regimen constantly on the road, so these No B.S. Acne Patches minimize scarring while promotes rapid healing — and they’re pretty discreet.

Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is so good for brightening your skin and evening out skin tone! The Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum is super lightweight and infused with aloe to hydrate without weighing skin down. The stable Vitamin C brightens and firms skin as powerhouse rose hip lightens dark spots and softens the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s some serious “clean” beauty!

Crystal Nail File

I’ve been using a crystal nail file for years on the road — the double-sided filing surface allows you to file your nails with a lighter touch, and in any direction, without damaging the nail. Not only is it a handy space saver, but also it lasts for ages!

Moisturizer

This lightweight, fast-absorbing lotion is full of natural actives to calm, hydrate and nourish skin without clogging pores or creating shine. It’s perfect for a daily moisturizer that you can reapply anytime!

Refillable Perfume Bottle

If you’re like me, you LOVE fragrances but not lugging around the whole, precious bottle. This refillable perfume bottle is perfect for taking your favorite scent on-the-go!

Instagram

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18083248064243187

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

Cancel reply

Angel

Hello Kiersten,

Thanks for the tips:). I travel a lot and sometime I forget to take some products in my bags. I’m happy that you explain that easily
Angel

March 3, 2017 at 4:54 am · Reply

Rita Vincent

Great Tips!

I would like to add one more thing to your list that is “hair dryer”. Blow-drying your hair is not necessary but it sure does make styling your hair a lot easier. Another advantage of using the blow dryer is that it is so much faster than air-drying. This gives you more time to attend to other important things.You can carry this anywhere anytime 🙂

Thanks for posting @Kiersten Rich!
Keep Sharing!

March 26, 2017 at 11:49 pm · Reply

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