For a lot of women, fixing their hair is the single most time-consuming grooming task of their day. Between washing, blow drying, and styling, it’s easy to spend a good 30 minutes just on hair. For some people, that’s every single day. My curly hair dries out if washed every day, so that cuts down on the time for me. But still—women’s hair often gets a lot of attention! Here are my tips for taking care of your hair while you travel.
Double duty products. There are plenty of products that will do more than one thing—a hair spray that adds shine, for example. Multitasking products save time and space, so use them wherever you can.
Bring your own. I highly, highly recommend bringing your own shampoo and conditioner (and other toiletries). This way you know how your hair will react! Simply pour your usual products into 3 oz. refillable bottles like these GoToob bottles from REI.
Contact lens cases. For products that only require a small quantity, use a clean, spare contact lens case. Best space saver ever.
Travel size tools. If you use a hair dryer, curling iron, or flat iron on a daily basis try to find miniature versions to travel with (like this Conair MiniPro curling iron). Otherwise half of your suitcase would be taken up by hair stuff! Be careful that a smaller version doesn’t require way more time spent on your hair—if that’s the case, it may not be worth it.
A style for days. If you’re one of the people who can get away with not washing your hair every day, try to get your hair in a style that will look good for a few days. My mom often gets a blowout right before a trip—that way all she has to do is brush it, and it will last her entire trip.
Wear it up. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is wear your hair up. On travel days I choose a hairstyle that’s not in the middle of the back of my head, like a low ponytail or bun. Otherwise I’m not able to rest my head comfortably against the headrest on the plane.
Readers, what are your tips for taking care of your hair during travel?
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Love the contact case idea for hair serums and such!
If I’m travelling. I like to go get my hair styled at the beauty shop the day of my flight if possible. I wear my hair in a shoulder length bob and if it is blown out to maximize my natural curl. I can get away without washing my hair for 4 days as long as they don’t use too many styling products. My favorite trick is take my shower in the evening and let my hair dry naturally during the night. In the morning, I can normally get my hair looking good with just a brush. If I need to I’ll flat iron it straight. Or pull it up in a french twist.
I always carry a travel sized goldbond powder to use in shoes etc but it also helps absorb extra oil from my hair just like dry shampoo. It can help me get an extra day out of my do on the road. My hair is pretty wash and wear with just a quick dry and a little work with a round brush.