Finding black girl friendly beauty products on the road can be a daunting task, so traveling prepared is a must if you want those edges to stay laid on your next vacation. Being a woman of color and finding good products that work for our hair and skin types can be frustrating. Of course, only the best will do to keep our skin, body, and hair looking flawless especially in ever-changing climates. So, we’ve found a few products on the market, many of which are made by us and for us, that will ensure you’ll be looking your best. Get your 3-ounce bottles and quart-size ziplock bags and check out our favorite beauty products for female black travelers.
Photo: LightField Studios/Shutterstock
The 10 Best Beauty Products for Black Women Travelers
1. The Black Travel Box ($32)
Photo: Black Travel Box
The first travel packing must is a new brand, the Black Travel Box, that I absolutely adore because a lot of its products have multi-purpose uses. It features a carry-on starter kit that includes:
- Body balm — protects and nourishes skin to keep it soft and glowing, and also doubles as a nice light fragrance
- Hair balm — great for sealing moisture in kinky/curly hair types and doubles as a braid or LOC butter, which is perfect for protective styling
- Shampoo bar — equivalent to 4 ounces of bottled shampoo and can double as a body soap bar
- Conditioner bar — equivalent to 4 ounces of bottled conditioner and can also be used as a light leave-in conditioner to help with light frizz and curls
- Lip balm — naturally minty with peppermint and rosemary essential oils, and it won’t melt in your pocket
2. Briogeo’s Mystical Minis ($18)
Another travel-size kit also made for those black girl hair problem days is Briogeo’s Mystical Minis founded by Nancy Twine. This hydrating duo is Brigeo’s Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo along with its award-winning Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. These products are perfect for after those too-long beach days when you need to cleanse and moisturize your hair without it leaving you dashiki afro-style.
3. Black Girl Sun Screen ($18.99)
Photo: Blackgirlsunscreen/Facebook
Not only is this sunscreen oxybenzone- and octinoxate-free, but it also uses all natural ingredients such as avocado moisturizers, jojoba, cacao, carrot juice, and sunflower oil, which are meant to hydrate and protect your skin. It’s packing an SPF 30 with an ultra sheer formula, leaving no ugly white residue.
4. Shea Moisture’s 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Facial Wipes ($6.99)
These facial wipes are perfect for taking off makeup without having to fully wash your face. If there isn’t a sink available and you can’t wash your face, these come in clutch.
5. KAIKE’s Tasting Set ($15)
Photo: KAIKE/Facebook
KAIKE (pronounced “cake”) was founded by Keli Smith. The brand is a fun, plant-based, vegan skincare and beauty line that has a variety of multi-purpose products that use only the best ingredients. The Tasting Set is the perfect go-to for traveling and it includes three of its most popular products:
- Frosting — a multi-purpose moisturizer that can be used for the face, body, and hair that is so good you can eat it
- Sugar Scrub — great for the body or feet
- Lip Frosting — a candelilla wax-based lip balm made with mango butter and coconut oil
6. The Body Shop’s Nicaraguan Coffee Awakening Mask ($19.60)
This is a secret beauty product for all my traveling women on those sluggish early mornings when you’re trying to catch the sunrise for those epic Instagram shots. It is enriched with a powerful blend of coffee beans that exfoliates to help reduce visible signs of fatigue. It will warm you up like a good cup of joe and get your skin looking awake and refreshed.
7. Bosica’s The Future is Female: Blotting Linens ($7)
Photo: boscia/Facebook
If your skin is becoming too oily and moist from sweat, then having these blotting linens is crucial for soaking up those face juices on the go. It has hints of peppermint which gives the skin a nice refreshing effect and, for natural product lovers, is made of 100 percent abaca tree fiber.
8. The Body Shop’s Coco Calming Face Mist ($7)
Another must buy from The Body Shop that helps calm your skin and keeps it moisturized on those hot beach days. It provides instant relief and it won’t ruin your makeup in the process.
9. Touchland’s Power Mist ($11.95)
Photo: touchland/Facebook
A must-pack, this is a moisturizing hand sanitizing spray that will kill 99 percent of harmful bacteria and illness-causing germs on your hands. The spray helps evenly distribute the sanitizer easily and a variety of scents are offered. It leaves your hands feeling soft and smelling great all day.
10. Design Essentials’ Sleek MAX Edge Control ($12)
We all know a black girl’s edges are the most unruly suspects, especially when we’re out of our element and exposed to different humidity levels. Design Essentials‘ Sleek MAX Edge Control provides the ultimate hold for those baby hairs and edges on the go. A little goes a long way and it doesn’t leave any nasty white flakes after it dries. 