Just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean that you have to let your beauty routine go. Lack of space in your luggage is not an excuse for not bringing your favorite products, hair tools, or accessories — there is travel-size everything these days. And even if you don’t have access to running water or electrical outlets, you can look like you just got walked out of the salon thanks to cordless travel hair tools, dry shampoo, and more.
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All the Best Hair Products, Tools, and Accessories You Need While Traveling
We hope you love the hair products, accessories, and tools we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
Travel-size hair products
Travel-size dry shampoo
@acurebeauty In search of a non-aerosol, benzene-free dry shampoo? Look no further! 👀 We have two easy to use and fast acting dry shampoos to fit your hair color formulated with clean, natural ingredients to refresh your lucious locks. #AcureBeauty #benzenefree #benzenefreedryshampoo #cleanhaircare #dryshampoo #veganhaircare #nonaerosoldryshampoo ♬ original sound – JP 🇵🇭
Dry shampoo is not only useful to make you hair look clean when you haven’t had the time/opportunity to shampoo, but it also helps with volume for those days when your hair is flat. Most dry shampoos come in aerosol containers, which are treated in the same way as liquids by TSA, i.e. you can’t bring more than 3.4 ounces of it.
Klorane’s dry shampoo with oat milk is very gentle, works for all hair types, and cleans your hair without water in just two minutes. Klorane’s dry shampoo with oat milk is available for both dark and light hair and comes in a spray or in a non-aerosol container (just squeeze the bottle to puff out the dry shampoo onto your roots.) Acure’s dry shampoo is another very popular option and one that is a little easier to find in North America. It comes in a non-aerosol bottle, and just like Klorane’s, it’s very gentle and caters to both dark hair (blue bottle) or all hair types (yellow bottle). Both Klorane and Acure’s dry shampoos are vegan, use clean ingredients, and come in travel-size containers.
While some complain that dry shampoo leaves their hair powdery, most often, it’s just a matter of adjusting the amount you use and shaking out the excess with your hand or a hair dryer with your head down.
Shampoo and conditioner bars
@kitsch packing our bags rn with these products 👀 #travel #travelhacks #packing #vacation #hairhack #shampoo #conditioner #fyp #kitsch @Madds ♬ Kawaii Aesthetic – LoES
The best way to get around TSA’s liquids rule is to either check a bag full of your favorite full-size hair products, or outsmart the system by purchasing shampoo and conditioner bars. That way, you’ll be able to bring as many as you want and you’ll be doing the planet a favor by cutting on plastic bottles. While in the past shampoo and conditioner bar offerings were limited, today, there are bars for every hair type under the sun, including coily hair, dry hair, etc.
Naturél offers solid, made-in-the-USA hair care products for all hair types and is vegan and cruelty-free. Some reviewers complain about the strong fragrances used in Naturél products, so if you’re sensitive to strong scents, keep that in mind. Another one of the most popular brands of solid shampoo and conditioner on the market right now is Kitsch. It offers a variety of fun-shaped shampoo and conditioner bars that are vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA, some of which are even scent-free.
Some complain that shampoo and conditioner bars tend to be used up faster than products in bottles, but it’s a problem that can be easily remedied. Instead of lathering the bar directly in your hair, do so in your wet hands and only then apply the product to you hair. If you let water run over the bar, it’ll sud away into the drain.
Buy Naturél’s shampoo and conditioner bars Now
Buy Kitsch’s shampoo and conditioner bars Now
Travel hair tools
All-in-one hair tools
@imanogundeko Using the Shark Flexstyle for the first time! Some key thoughts: this was very seamless to use, from blow drying to stretching the hair to curling. Using the curlers took a few tries to get but then it went by super fast. You want to hold the wand on the heat setting for 10 seconds and then hold the cool setting for 10 seconds before you release the curl. I used the tool on the highest heat and speed setting the entire time. I’ve since washed my hair and haven’t noticed any damage so far. Have you tried this? Did it work for you? Let me know! #curlyhairblowout #sharkflexstyletutorial ♬ original sound – Iman – ur fave Chicago girl
If you like to change your hairstyle a lot, say from a straight mane to soft curls to a voluminous blow-out, you should splurge in an all-in-one hair tool. Rather than having (and paying for) three or four separate tools, like a hair dryer, a curling iron, a flat iron, etc., you can carry (and purchase) just the one with the attachments you favor.
The two big names on the market for all-in-one hair tools are the Shark FlexStyle and Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete. Both have been thoroughly compared and tested by beauty influencers all over the internet and it’s hard to judge which one is best — they are both excellent and roughly the same small size and weight. Both can be customized to your hair type so you have the attachments you need (from volumizing round brushes to curling air wrappers and more), but Shark’s product is the only one offering a proper hair dryer function, as well as a diffuser attachment for curly and coily hair. Note that the Shark FlexStyle starts at $299, while the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler starts at $599, a considerable difference for very similar products.
Buy the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Now
Travel hair dryer
@jacmystyle THIS HAIR DRYER IS SO INSANE! 11 MINUTES & I achieved striaight hair r u kidding?! I’m obsessed! @Shark Home #sponsoredbyshark #sharkhairdryer ♬ original sound – Jac
There are dozens of travel hairdryers available on the market, but not all hair dryers are the same. If a hair dryer is an indispensable tool for you to feel good about how you look, and if you use one every day, several times per day, you should splurge for something of good quality.
The highly rated Shark HD120 BRN HyperAIR Ultra Fast is one of the top travel blow dryer on the market. It comes with the two attachments of your choice among three options: a concentrator, diffuser, or styling brush. Or you can get all three of them for a little more money ($185 instead of $159). The Shark HD120 BRN HyperAIR Ultra Fast is popular for drying hair extremely fast without creating heat damage.
While it does not fold, this hair dryer is perfect for travel as it measures just 4.92 x 2.95 x 11.02 inches. Note that it weighs 1.65 pounds, which seems very little to carry in a luggage, but some reviewers complain that it is hard to hold it up for too long.
Buy the Shark HD120 BRN HyperAIR Ultra Fast Now
The best travel-friendly hair straighteners
@leanneeverett Which one are you? Straight/Curly? 💁🏽♀️ The #DysonCorrale does both in half the time! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Thanks to the flexing plates and NO CORD 😍 Styling my hair is so effortless and enjoyable now! I immediately noticed my hair feels baby smooth using the Corrale. I never had to go over any section of my hair twice, It’s definitely less damaging!! Plus, I love that I can take it with me on-the-go! #WhichDyson4U #DysonHair #dysonhairtutorial #dysonhairtip #leanneeverett ♬ original sound – LEANNE🦁777
If a flat iron is your tool of choice for straightening your hair or creating curls, then you should go cordless — it’s a lot easier to use, you can fix your hair anywhere, and it’s a breeze to pack, even in a carry-on. Cordless hair straighteners are getting very common so the choice is vast: From the $471.99 Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener to the better rated $69.99 Zavarea Cordless Hair Straightener. The Zavarea Cordless Hair Straightener is 12.4 x 1.34 x 1.34 inches and weighs just 0.97 pounds (The Dyson is 11.5 x 1.6 x 1.6 inches and weighs 1.23 pounds.) It has a 40-minute battery power (10 minutes more than the Dyson) and heats up in just 60 seconds. You can charge it up with a USB or USB-C cable in just 40 to 60 minutes and it comes in a heat resistant pouch that you will barely notice in your luggage. And make sure to use the airplane mode button when flying so it does not accidentally turn on while you’re in the air.
The only complaint about the Zavarea Cordless Hair Straightener is the size of the plates — they are a little small.
Buy the Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener Now
Buy the Zavarea Cordless Hair Straightener Now
The best heatless curlers
@brirubinich Replying to @devmcconnell braiding your heatless curler into your hair makes the curler stay in place all night and leaves my hair frizz free 🤍 using the most comfortable to sleep in curling kit from @kitsch !! #heatlesscurls #heatlesshair #heatlesshairstyles #heatlesswaves #heatlessblowout #heatlesscurlsovernight #heatlesshairstyle #heatlessovernightcurls #kitschpartner #kitschheatlesscurls ♬ original sound – Bri Rubinich
They are multiple ways to curl your hair without heat. You can use low-budget methods by using socks, scrunchies, and clips, or you can go the trendy route and get yourself a satin heatless curler. A satin heatless curler resembles a long satin cotton-stuffed sausage which you place on top of your head with a clip. Once pinned down, each extremity of the satin banger should hang on either side of your face so you can wrap your hair around it and tie it with the satin scrunchies provided with the kit. Keep it on for a few hours (or, even better, overnight) and you should wake up with lovely, soft curls. Satin heatless curlers kits are very easy to transport and don’t require a plug, so they’re perfect to use while traveling — some even use them during long flights. Kitsch’s heatless curling set is the leader on the market with glowing reviews and the very affordable price of $15.98.
Wrapping your hair around a heatless curler is slippery, and the whole process is a learning curve — but pratice makes perfect! Also, some reviewers find sleeping with a heatless curler uncomfortable, especially if you don’t sleep on your back. Other heatless curling tools exists, including flexirods, rollers, zigzag curlers, etc. but the satin heatless curler is likely the most easily transportable and faster way to get curls.
Buy Kitsch’s heatless curling set Now
Hair accessories for travelers
The best shower cap
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The main problem with most shower caps, whether they are the ones you get for free at hotels or the ones you purchase at the drug store, is the elastic band. It’s either too tight or too large, and if it’s the right size, it wears out so fast that, in no time at all, it does not hold your hair any longer, defeating the purpose of a shower cap altogether. Enter Glow by Daye’s Satin Lined Shower Cap, a revolution in the world of shower caps. Not only is it adjustable with a drawstring so you can always make it fit to you head, but it also caters to a population ignored by other shower cap makers: Those with lots of voluminous hair. Because this shower cap is satin-lined, you hair does not come out all frizzy from your ablutions. For just $19.99, you get a shower cap that does the job, that looks great (there are lot of patterns available), and that will last you more than just a few weeks.
Buy Glow by Daye’s Satin Lined Shower Cap Now
Great hair ties
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While hair ties may look unimportant to many, those with long hair know that good hair ties are worth their weight in gold. Ideally, a good hair tie will hold your hair in place no matter the style you choose, will not hurt upon removal, and will leave no dent in your mane.
Goody Ouchless Women’s Polyband Elastic Hair Ties fit two of those criteria: They hold your hair in place all day, and they don’t hurt when you take them off. The Goody Ouchless Women’s Polyband Elastic Hair Ties come in small plastic bags that contain 150 strong and durable polybands. The elastic ties are small, but they extend a lot if you need them to — although they won’t fit around your wrist for safekeeping. Goody Ouchless Women’s Polyband Elastic Hair Ties ($3.28 for a pack of 150) come in black and transparent to blend in with any hair colors. For those who have thicker, voluminous hair, go for Kitsch’s Spiral Hair Ties ($6.12 for a pack of eight) — they fit all the ethos of a good hair tie listed above, can match any hair colors (from black to very blond), and are extremely durable. 