The Natural Beauty & Skincare Products in My Carry-On Luggage (2025)

It’s no secret that I’m a carry-on packing enthusiast. Traveling light is freeing, and gives you so much more flexibility if (ahem, WHEN) things go sideways…like a super-tight connection or dragging your luggage all over a new city. But it’s hard not to feel really limited by the draconic TSA toiletries rules.

Travel is hard enough on your body (skin, sleep, digestion, etc.), and adding a big burden by switching products or using tons of ingredients you’re not used to is not a great idea. For me, at least. So over the years I’ve developed an approach to maximize what I can bring and ensure that I have the products that matter most to me—WHILE still keeping to (mostly) carry-on.

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While I’ve done a couple dedicated posts to specific products or brands that I’m obsessed with, I wanted to do a full overview of the clean, non-toxic skincare and beauty products that I travel with…a.k.a. what’s always in my “ziploc” (plus makeup bag).

First, a bit about my style…I’m not terribly high-maintenance with my beauty routine (it takes me literally like 20 minutes to shower and get ready), but I do feel strongly about using my own chosen products. For instance, I’m not touching hotel shampoo or conditioner, though I rarely bother packing my own body wash. When it comes to skincare, hair, and sun protection, I want to make sure I’m using things that 1) work, and 2) won’t add to my toxic load.

One of the biggest challenges is that some natural beauty products are more difficult to transport or transfer into small travel-safe (and carry-on compliant) containers. In a couple cases, I just have to leave them at home, but as you’ll see in this post, I’ve found workarounds like thesetiny dropper bottles and tiny little jars, along with the usual suspects like refillable pouches or squeeze-bottles.

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Just a quick note—this post contains affiliate links & I may make a small commission from any purchases that come through clicks on them (which I greatly appreciate, and at no extra cost to you). All opinions stated here are, as always, totally honest and COMPLETELY my own!

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I still use a quart ziploc bag, rather than a clear zippered case, though from what I understand, either should work. There are some non-negotiables that are literally always in there, like my shampoo and conditioner, a tiny toothpaste, and a tiny thing of spray gel.

But then there are some differences based on where I’m going, what my skin needs (e.g. hot or cold, dry or humid), and how long the trip is (i.e. I may suck it up and make do for a two-day trip, but if it’s a longer one I really need my favorite stuff). Broadly speaking, there are a handful of natural brands that are go-to’s for me…Araza Natural Beauty (makeup), Toups & Co (deodorant, some skincare, a bit of makeup), Sky & Sol (sunscreen), and JVN (haircare). (Note, all of those links except JVN include a discount.)

Now, I can’t fit every single one of these into my ziploc bag every time…for instance sometimes I bring my sunscreen, while other times I focus more on extra layers of face moisturizer (winter!). If I’m going on a beach trip that’s about the only time I actually check a bag, because I insist on bringing LOTS of my own healthy, tried-and-tested sunscreens.

Also, I realized as I was about to hit “publish” that I forgot my #1 most important toiletry—my ever-present tube of Aquaphor. This is the only thing I can put on my lips and it is always within reach. But…I never think/remember to put it in my ziploc these days, it’s always in the depths of my purse. I can’t promise it wouldn’t get found or taken away, but I’ve never had it happen.

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My favorite clean skincare products for travel

Let’s start with the face. I was blessed to have absolutely perfect skin for 35+ years of my life, and then developed some issues the past few years (yay, autoimmune reactions!). I’m super picky about what I put on my face, as it’s a “canary in the coal mine” for what’s going on in my body. So I’ve been testing different combos of products, but these are my current faves.

I mix it up on face wash (at home I usually use homemade ones), but Moon Rivers Naturals has been a go-to for years. They have travel-size versions of both their coconut milk face wash or matcha avocado face wash, and I travel with both (though the avocado one is my fave right now).

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After cleansing, I usually use a simple inexpensive hyaluronic acid on my face to help pull in moisture…depending on how long my trip is, I either pack this dropper bottle as-is, or use a tiny dropper bottle if it’s a short trip and I’m tight on ziploc space.

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Once my hyaluronic has mostly dried, I use this Toups & Co Glow Oil, which I’m OBSESSED with. It makes my face feel amazing, and it smells unbelievable.

Even though some of my favorite natural skincare products don’t travel well, this face oil is definitely a must-have, and I use those tiny dropper bottles to bring the right amount and keep it safe. (And yes, it’s expensive but it lasts FOREVER…also that links gives 10% off)

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Then I almost always put a small amount of a high-quality moisturizer on top once the glow oil has soaked in, to seal in the moisture.Depending on the climate of where I’m going and how much space I have in my ziploc, that will usually either be my tiny Biossance moisturizer pot or Sky & Sol’s tallow-based “Everything Cream” (also great for my dry cuticles).

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Makeup-wise, I’ve already written a detailed post on why Araza is my go-to for clean, non-toxic makeup. I’m in love with Araza’s coconut cream foundation and concealer, their lip/cheek pots for blush and bronzer, and their lip glosses (that link gives you 15% off as well).

Here’s where it gets a bit tricky with TSA rules. Personally, I’ve never had any issues with having a separate small makeup bag or two. One has eyeliners, mascaras, eyeshadow, and maybe a lipgloss or two. Similarly, I tend to have one or two of these lipglosses in my purse and haven’t had any issues with TSA. My second makeup bag has the pots of foundation and cream blush, and the TSA has never hassled me on them not being in my ziploc.

That doesn’t mean it *can’t* happen, but Araza says they haven’t ever heard of an issue and I myself also have traveled with these for years without putting any of it in my ziploc, and haven’t had any issues.

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One more face thing to add before moving on. This KoreanAHA peel is…honestly for my 40+ year-old face, it’s a must-have.If I’m going to be gone more than a few days, I’ll usually bring a tiny pot (or if I’m out of space, snack-size ziploc) with a few squirts of it in there, to help do a deep exfoliation once or twice a week.

I can’t tell you exactly how “clean” this one is, as it’s in Korean, but in general I feel a lot more comfortable with Korean products based on their more stringent standards around skincare ingredients.

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Traveling with natural skincare products for your body

Okay, moving on from the face to the body, something that has been a recent GAMECHANGER is using body oil right after showering, before toweling off. I use my hands to kind of slick or squeegee the water off my body so I’m damp but not dripping, then use this Toups & Co body oil all over.

It is so much more effective than just using lotion (though I usually put a small amount of my tallow-based lotion on top once the oil has soaked in and I’m mostly dry). A little goes a long way. Using it while the skin is still wet helps the oil pull the moisture into the skin, then create a barrier to protect it.

If I’m only going to be gone a day or two, I may not bother bringing this, but if it’s longer than that or traveling in winter to a cold destination, this is absolutely going to be in my ziploc (in these dropper bottles).

At home I usually put some Stone & Spear tallow lotion over it (20% off with ONEGIRL), though don’t always travel with it as the container isn’t as conducive to flying.

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Thankfully one thing that doesn’t have to be in my ziploc is my stick deodorant. Deodorant is one of the first swaps I made when it comes to non-toxic beauty products, but it’s taken a lot of trial and error to find ones that consistently work well for me.

My current favorite is Toups & Co natural deodorant, specifically the super fresh, subtle lime and bergamot scent. If I can only bring one, this is my go-to. If I’m on a longer trip, I’ll usually bring a backup (this one from Phresh) because sometimes it helps to switch it up every-other-day.

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Then there’s sun protection…there’s the everyday answer here, and then for beach or other mostly-outdoor trips, this could go down a huge rabbit hole.

My baseline sunscreen for travel is from Sky & Sol (various SPFs), because I think their tallow-based sunscreens feel great and work great. (Note, that link gives you 10% off.) I’ve written a detailed post on why I’ve made a switch to clean, non-toxic sunscreens and how awful most drugstore brands are for you, if you want to learn more.

For a beach trip, I usually bring several different sunscreens for different purposes and typically end up checking a bag so I can have exactly what I want. I go into much more detail on my favorite face sunscreens (mostly Korean) and body sunscreens if you’re interested, but I’ve increasingly switched to this one for health reasons.

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This is one of the few NOT-natural products on here, but it’s been a lifesaver at times. I usually travel with this after-sun lotion as my primary body lotion to save space. It does make my skin feel great and smells good, and if I accidentally get a bit too much sun it really helps blunt the impact and “cool things down” so it doesn’t develop into a true burn.

Obviously I put it in a little squeezy bottle to fit in my ziploc.

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The best natural haircare products for travel

My overall haircare regimen has been evolving recently, both in finding clean haircare alternatives as well as because I’ve been dealing with massive waves of hair loss (largely due to surgeries and possibly asymptomatic covid exposure). I’m pretty happy with what I’m using right now, though will continue trying new ones.

This natural rosemary shampoo smells great and lathers really well, and I pair it with this JVN conditioner (I’m excited to try other JVN products as well, I have a hair shine oil and leave-in conditioner). Both of these are in tiny squeezy bottles, usually in a snack ziploc for extra protection against spills.

I’ve also been experimenting with Kitsch bar shampoo…I love it in some ways (smell, how it makes my hair feel), though I’m still a little hesitant to *only* rely on it for cleansing, as I struggle to get enough lather in my hands. However, bar shampoo is perfect for travel since it doesn’t count against your ziploc liquids.

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A few additional non-fancy items I always have:

  • Spray gel: I just have a small refillable spray bottle that I pour a bit of gel in, to help me tame all my frizzy flyaways.
  • Travel toothpaste: I’m not picky about which one, as it’s only for a few days.
  • Eye makeup remover: I always rub some Aquaphor on my eye makeup, but then use these Almay wipes as well.

So there’s the detailed rundown of the best non-toxic beauty products for travel, and specifically the items I always find a way to fit in my carry-on!

Other helpful tips to make your travels go smoothly:

  • The Only Carry-On Suitcase You’ll Need
  • 5 Travel Essentials for Cold Weather Travel
  • My All-Time Favorite Bra For Travel
  • A Desert Packing List, Including What to Wear in Middle Eastern Countries
  • Everything You Need For A Chill Beach Vacay: The Ultimate Beach Packing List

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