The Best Natural Beauty Essentials You’ll Ever Need on Your Travels

Wash the day away with cleansers for face, hair, and body.

If you’re looking for the simplest facial cleanser out there — and the one that takes up the least amount of room in your luggage — check out Face Gems by Feather and Bone. They’re fingernail-sized face wash tablets made with just three all-natural ingredients: sandalwood, fuller’s earth clay, and cornstarch. Just “pop, drop, and wash it,” and then your face will be cleansed, exfoliated, and moisturized in one quick go. The Jet-Setter Pack — designed for travelers — is $9 for 10 tablets, but you can also try a pack of three for free.

Another favorite in the cleansing game are Beauty Bars ($4) by Tom’s of Maine. Designed to maintain your skin’s natural moisture, the Beauty Bars — free from artificial preservatives and ingredients — work to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth through the use of organic botanicals like coconut oil, raw shea butter, and Moroccan argan oils.

Shea Terra Organics captures the rejuvenating spirit of a Moroccan spa in the form of the Argan & Ghassool Shampoo + Spa Body Bar ($8), a multifunctional soap bar that can be used to clean your hair and body. It’s 100 percent natural; argan oil moisturizes and softens skin and hair, and silicone-rich ghassoul — which flows deep inside Morocco’s Atlas mountains — purifies your skin while cleansing and strengthening your hair.

Stay hydrated from head to toe with moisturizers.

Those prone to flight-induced dryness should carry a bottle of pure argan oil onboard to avoid painful cracking. The KENZA Pure Argan Oil ($35) by KENZA International Beauty is a good option because it serves a multitude of purposes: You can use it as a daily moisturizer on your face and body (it’s great for soothing sunburns) or apply it on your hair as a conditioner and moisture booster. You can also use KENZA’s Pure Fusion Oil ($10) as a daily moisturizer (it comes in travel-size roll-on form) or the roll-on Prickly Pear Seed Oil ($17) as a night serum.

Made with travelers in mind, Nomad OYYL ($68) is a 100 percent organic, all-in-one product that will keep your skin and lips hydrated on long flights, tame your tresses, and even remove mascara smudges after a mid-flight siesta. Its spicy scent, stemming from cardamom, is another perk, not to mention the fact that the packaging is airline-approved and can go anywhere with you. Best of all, Nomad OYYL is a company both owned and run by women. The oil’s organic ingredients even come with their own papers of origin upon request.

If you’re desperate for a full-body moisturizing session, Dream Cream ($30) by Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is a rich and soothing lotion, especially if you’ve been out in the sun all day. Its main ingredient is oat milk, so it works well to cool and calm the skin, and it also contains lavender, chamomile, olive oil, and cocoa butter. It’s gentle enough for even the most sensitive and troubled of skin.

Replenish your skin on the go with the 1.7-ounce Hydra-Nourish Moisturizer ($20) by Natura Brasil, a sustainable beauty brand from the Amazon. Enriched with the antioxidant and emollient properties of vitamin E, rice peptides, and cupuaçu butter, this daily moisturizer strengthens your skin’s barrier system to help prevent moisture loss. The company’s super-fine dry body oil mist — available in açaí or castanha ($24) — is another great way to replenish your dry skin while on the run.

Herbal Dynamics Beauty has a range of products to keep your skin feeling fresh and nourished. The company “harnesses the synergy of nature and science” to create a botanically-inspired product line free of additives like parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. The Prickly Pear & Vitamin C Daily Face Moisturizer ($24) promotes youthful, even skin tone and helps protect from environmental stressors. For a power-packed overnight dose of hydration, the Hyaluronic Acid & Oat Overnight Recovery Mask ($30) will make you feel brand new. Apply it to your face before you settle in and recline your airplane seat, then wake up hydrated and supple afterward.

If you just need a small refreshing pick-me-up, give your skin a drink of Amazon Mist Rainforest Atmospheric Water, an ultra-hydrating facial spray. According to Amazource, makers of the facial water, “Amazon Mist is naturally formed together with the pristine oxygen and organic potassium released by the richest flora on earth.” The 2.5-ounce size ($9) can fit in your purse and won’t push the TSA’s liquid carry-on limits.

Lastly, don’t forget that even your hair needs hydration. The Kérastase Paris Aura Botanica all-natural line will do the trick. Pack the Masque Fondamental Riche ($20) for a self-applied salon-worthy treatment, or if you’re in a climate that’s humid enough on its own, Kérastase’s Lait de Soie blow dry milk ($20) smooths, nourishes, and controls frizz for up to 96 hours, even in 90 percent humidity (plus it offers thermal protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to protect your hair while styling).

Freshen up with a spritz of toner.

Getting groggy from time zone differences or waking up from a train-induced nap can leave you disheveled and sleepy. Spritz on a Breath of Fresh Air ($11) by Lush — this soothing seawater toner spray will give your tired face a quick refresh. Plus, no one wants to look greasy and unkempt after a long haul, so you can also dab a bit of Lush’s Grease Lightning ($16) onto oily areas for a matte finish. It’s a treatment gel for troubled, acne-ridden skin, but with its key ingredients — a soothing infusion of tea tree, rosemary, lavender, and aloe vera — it makes an ideal ointment to dab on insect bites, too.

Get a peaceful start to your morning with the travel-sized Rosewater Facial Toner ($15) by Luana Naturals. This lightly scented floral water is made with 100 percent organic aloe vera and essential oils created from the steam distillation of freshly harvested flowers. The pure plant waters help to protect the skin from daily environmental factors, promote cell repair, and absorb excess oil. Free from alcohol, harmful preservatives, and synthetic fragrances, it’s gentle enough to be used throughout the day to refresh and balance the skin.

The Rose Water Calming Face Toner ($12) by Herbal Dynamics Beauty delivers another refreshing mist of rose-scented hydration. It contains rose, green tea, chamomile, and witch hazel to keep your skin feeling moisturized and balanced.

The Moroccan Rose Toner ($15) and Orange Blossom Neroli Toner ($12) by KENZA International Beauty, both just 2 ounces, help to calm your skin. These products work overtime: They can also be used to remove makeup, cool off on a sweltering day, hydrate your hair, perfume your body, and even scent your room or fabrics with a rejuvenating scent.

Protect your skin with sunscreen.

Goddess Garden Organics, the leading reef-safe sunscreen brand for sensitive skin, offers a range of products with SPF to protect you from getting burned, and they’re free from chemicals like oxybenzone, parabens, and synthetic fragrances. Face the Day Daily SPF 30 Moisturizer & Firming Primer ($19) is a powerhouse that protects, repairs, and readies your skin for the day, all in one easy-to-use product that helps prevent sunburns (and the wrinkles that result from overexposure to sun). Another standout, the Facial Natural Sunscreen Lotion ($15), is perfect to pack for any sun-soaked beach getaway because it’s sheer and non-greasy.

If it’s already too late for even the best SPF, the non-sticky Aloe Vera After-Sun Gel Spray ($11) by Goddess Garden Organics makes the perfect post-burn soothing treatment, especially since the fine mist means you don’t need to rub it into your sore and scorched skin. It contains tea tree and lavender essential oils, so it begins cooling your skin on contact.

Bali Body, a natural Aussie skincare brand that’s all about glow, makes a natural, vegan SPF 15 BB Cream ($30) that hydrates while protecting, correcting, and perfecting your skin. It provides instant natural coverage — available in four different shades — while giving your skin a healthy, dewy glow. Swipe on a layer of the SPF 15 Coconut Lip Balm ($20) to protect your delicate lips from getting burned, too.

Love Sun Body creates 100 percent natural-origin, broad-spectrum mineral sunscreens for face and body. They’re reef-safe and vegan, and are the first and only sunscreens in the US to be certified by Cosmos Natural; not to mention they’re hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and won’t sting delicate eyes. They’re available in lightly scented and fragrance-free varieties and come in conveniently packable 3.38-ounce bottles ($21).

When you travel, visiting places with a harsh climate or heavy pollution can leave your skin screaming for help.

Natura Brasil’s Daily Revitalizing Oil ($52) restores vitality and radiance to dull, stressed skin that’s caused by daily aggressions such as excess sun and pollution.

To defend against pollution (and the resulting look of premature aging), check out the Skin Warrior Anti-Pollution Repair Cream ($46) by Naturally Serious. It’s a powerful daily cream that builds up the moisture barrier of the skin and can help with dryness, redness, and uneven skin tone. Plus, it’s cleanly made, ethically developed, and clinically tested.

The in transit pollution shield ($40) by ThisWorks is a spray-on skin barrier that combats pollution and helps protect and hydrate the skin. You can mist it onto clean skin or spray it on after applying makeup (and throughout the day) to put a physical barrier against atmospheric pollution in place.

Reduce the effect long-haul flights have on your eyes with eye cream.

Dark circles and puffy eyes seem to come hand in hand with long travel days. The Zero Baggage Anti-Dark Circle Eye Cream ($44) by Naturally Serious is an advanced eye cream that reduces the look of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness while protecting the eye area from pollutants that would serve to age it. One rub with your finger along the orbital bone around your eyes will immediately start to perk up your peepers.

The Pure Eye Serum ($47) by KENZA International Beauty is another option for minimizing the signs of jet lag. It will keep your eye area moisturized during a long flight. It contains argan oil, prickly pear seed oil, green coffee bean oil, and lavender essential oils, all known to help brighten skin and ward off the signs of aging.

Caffeine isn’t just served in cups. After a particularly exhausting travel situation, dab a dot of the Revitalizing Eye Cream with Caffeine ($22) by Swanson Health and you’ll see what that means. Your eyes begin to look more awake and you feel ready to face the day, no jitters needed. The 1-ounce paraben-free formula supports healthy, smooth, and youthful-looking skin.

If you want a serious upgrade to your look — more along the lines of an instant facelift — use the BratoxInsta ($60) by Brazilian Skin on your face, including around your eye area. It will smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in 60 seconds or less. Brazilian Skin’s entire line of products is under 3 ounces, and it uses naturally-derived and scientifically-proven ingredients sourced from the Amazon Rainforest.

Avoid chapped lips with chapstick and lip balm.

Few things feel worse than split lips in freezing cold climates. Fight off the risk of cracked, chapped lips by carrying an ample supply of chapsticks or lip balms, and make sure to put one in every bag so you never have to go without.

Maple Holistics Therapeutic Lip Balm provides a great way to do this because its lip balms — made with beeswax, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, castor seed oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter — are sold in a pack of four ($7.45), each differently scented and perfect for spreading across your luggage while you travel.

Another option is the Moroccan Magic lip balm line. The balms are infused with pure argan and essential oils that lock in the perfect amount of moisture for any climate. Plus, Moroccan Magic is the only woman- and minority-owned, cruelty-free, USDA organic small brand on shelves. Wear the rose flavor ($14 for three) under your lipstick for longer wear, or swipe on the peppermint eucalyptus ($12 for three) for an instant pick-me-up.

If your lips are really suffering, give yourself a mini spa treatment with the lip scrub and mask duo ($38) by Herbal Dynamics Beauty. Start with dry lips in need of major TLC and emerge in 10 minutes’ time with plump, soft lips. The fun pink color and bubblegum-like flavor make this easy treatment feel all the more pampering.

Of course, great lips are of little use if you don’t have fresh breath. Tom’s of Maine makes the perfect toothpaste for travel; it’s great-tasting, whitens teeth with naturally-sourced silicas, helps fight cavities with naturally-derived fluoride, and freshens breath with pure peppermint leaf oil. It comes in a 3-ounce TSA-approved travel size and pairs well with the Naturally Clean Toothbrush.

All-in-one, on-the-go travel beauty kits are life savers.

If you want to skip the headache of figuring out all the different individual items you need to bring, buy an all-in-one kit with all the products you need to get your toiletry situation figured out in one purchase.

The Travel Set Gift Bundle ($50) by milk + honey is the perfect place to start. TSA-friendly and all-natural, the bundle comes with aluminum-free No. 9 Deodorant, a travel-size Body Cream No. 16 to keep your skin hydrated, Lip Butter No. 40 to ensure your lips are supple and soft, Hand Purifier so you can ward off germs, and a travel-size Everything Oil (a multi-tasking secret beauty weapon capable of moisturizing skin, removing makeup, nourishing cuticles, and even conditioning dry hair).

Another great option is the Rejuvenating Kit ($125) by Elina Organics. Featuring completely organic, cruelty-free, and handmade products, this travel skincare set was created for people who are looking to keep their skin hydrated, brightened, and firmed while on the go.

And don’t miss the Mini Kit ($48) by Kari Gran, an all-natural skincare line. The kit includes travel-sized portions of Kari Gran’s Cleansing Oil, Hydrating Tonic, Essential Serum, and Three Sixty Five SPF 28, combining to create a three-part skincare system that tops things off with SPF to keep the skin protected and to ward off aging.

Made fresh in small batches, Kimberly Sayer of London products are gentle, non-GMO, and chemical-free. These steam-distilled organic ingredients come straight from the earth and sea to deliver visible results. They are also certified organic, cruelty-free, made in the USA, and housed in recyclable packaging. The Travel Pack for normal to oily skin ($54) comes with 1-ounce containers of the Kimberly Sayer Light Cleansing Lotion, Botanical Astringent, Ultra Light Facial Moisturizer-SPF 30, and Tangerine and Calendula Healing Light Night Cream — everything you need to keep your skin looking its best, even while you travel.