My Top Five Travel Essentials

When I’m traveling, my goal is to bring as little as possible, prevent spills, and breeze through airport security as fast as I can. That means multi-purpose products that are spill-proof and easy to carry.

Here are items I always have with me when I’m on the road:

I separate my clothes and other personal items with Ziploc bags and Saran wraps. Spills happen, especially with products packaged in tubes. The Ziploc and the wraps can be recycled for subsequent travels, or used to separate wet/dirty clothes from clean ones.
FANCL’s Cleansing Powder is my favorite facial cleanser for travel. I stock up whenever I visit Hong Kong and Singapore – where you can find many of their stores – but you can find FANCL products online. The Cleansing Powder is easy to carry, spill-proof, foams well, and cleans thoroughly.
I keep individual wipes for sun protection, facial cleansing, mosquito repellant, and antibacterial wipes in my bag, because you never know when you’ll need them. Some favorites are Dr Dennis Gross Skincare EZ4U Facial Towelettes, Shady Day Daily Protection Pack SPF 30, and Herban Essentials Peppermint Towelettes. In Asian countries, you can get mosquito repellent stickers made of citronella in convenient stores. I love these stickers – I can stick them in my backpack, pillow, bed, blanket or jacket instead of putting some yucky, toxic chemicals on myself. In the US, you can get them online or at stores that sell camping supplies. They’re very useful when hiking, sleeping, or dining in the outdoors.
Lush sells two-in-one shampoo and conditioner bars that are easy to carry and make a great space/time saver. My favorite, Godiva, makes hair smell like jasmine.
As a scarf junkie, I think scarves and shawls make the greatest travel accessories and souvenirs. They take little space and are multi-functional. A scarf can flatter the face, compliment an outfit, guard against chills, and doubles as a hair accessory, cover-up, or as a belt or a bag.