Vacation should be about kicking back, relaxing, and taking pictures for the ‘gram. At no point during your trip should you spend more than a few minutes a day caring for your vacation hairstyle.
Whether you’re going away for a week or a weekend, you’re going to want to bring the following essentials for those low-maintenance travel hairstyles that keep your hair looking cute.
Pack These Things for Your Travel Hairstyles
1. Leave-in Conditioner
If you’re going to an environment that has an unpredictable climate, your hair may need a lot more moisture than usual. Throw a travel-sized leave-in conditioner into your carry-on.
You don’t need a lot, but it’s nice to have on hand to give your hair a bit of definition when styling your travel hairstyles.
Now, it’s important to note here that most airlines have a liquid limit for your carry-on where products should not exceed 100ml. And nothing is worse than TSA throwing away a brand-new bottle of a product you bought just for your trip.
So get yourself some travel-sized products. They’re super cute and easy to travel with. But be sure to check with the most up-to-date TSA regulations on travel-sized items.
But if you’re ballin’ on a budget and you already have bulk-sized products at home, rather get small refillable containers, like these cute ones above from our affiliate partner, Amazon, in which to decant the vacation products that you’ll travel with.
Just remember, some airports will limit the amount of clear bags you can have with travel-sized liquids and gels.
2. Dry Shampoo, Shampoo, & Conditioner
If you’re going to the tropics where it is hot and humid, then you’ll need to pack a certain category of products to keep your travel hairstyles tame. This includes multiple cleansers that you can use to wash your hair.
You can bring traditional shampoo to cleanse out any sand, dirt, and oils that accumulate in your hair, as well as a dry shampoo for in-between days when you don’t have the time to mess with fresh styling.
Of course, you’ll want your conditioner as well. When it comes to conditioners, consider packing a multi-purpose conditioner.
This is a conditioner that can serve as a traditional conditioner, deep conditioner, and even a leave-in when need be. That way, you won’t have to bring as many products and you’ll be confident knowing that the product works.
And if you’re really feeling saucy, try your travel conditioners with your travel hairstyles before your trip!
I cannot stress enough the importance of packing these products, especially if you’re going to go in and out of the water. On days when you don’t need a deep cleanse, you can just do a co-wash and use the leave-in conditioner.
Apart from the above-mentioned items, you’ll also need a hair mask treatment, preferably one that is fast-acting to replenish your hair after cleansing it.
Of course, your travel hairstyles wouldn’t be complete without a hair serum for frizzy hair.
3. Hair Oils & Serums
Whatever you do, make sure to bring some type of hair oil or serum in a small container. Hair oil is one of the most versatile hair products that you’ll use on your travel hairstyles.
You can apply it to add instant shine to your hair or smooth your edges, and a little bit gets the job done so you don’t need to bring a lot.
4. Hair Tools
Unless you’re braiding or rocking cute hair buns, your travel hairstyles aren’t going to get very far without the proper tools. Even still, you’re going to need your combs and brushes.
Bring the trusty hair tools you use to enhance your styles, such as a detangling hair brush and a styling brush. You’ll find that the fastest way to get defined curls on vacation is by brushing through your hair with a detangling brush.
Your travel hairstyles won’t stand a chance without them!
Make sure to add a hair comb to your bag, especially one with a metal tip, and even an itch brush can really come in handy on vacation if you have natural hair.
And bring a few clips as well to help separate your tresses and tame your hair when styling. Clips and bobby pins make it easy to achieve a wide array of cute travel hairstyles.
Also, you can’t forget a good headband and a bobby pin, which is essential to getting your hair to stay the way you want it to when styling it.
You’ll need a mirror as well to check your hair after styling to make sure that it looks good. Don’t forget your hair protectors, such as a bonnet or a head scarf.
This is essential to protect your hair especially when you’re on vacation because you never know what kind of pillowcases they have.
Of course, lest we not forget the trusty hair straightener, curling iron, and hairdryer. Now some hotels have hair dryers, but you can really save time on those low-maintenance travel hairstyles if you get a hair-drying brush.
5. Styling Products
A styling gel is one of those products you’ll need to pack if you have curly natural hair. It might also be a good idea to pack some type of foam to give your hair a hold depending on its porosity.
You’ll then finish the look and seal everything in with a spritz. Remember to keep all of your hair products and bottles in a separate bag and then put that bag in your carry-on for stress-free, easy access.
This will make your traveling experience a little easier.
6. Accessories
Last but not least, remember to bring hair ties or scrunchies as they’re crucial when you don’t want your hair in your face and it’s so much easier to put your hair in a bun when you’re traveling.
Don’t forget large hair bands or scrunchies can create high puffs. Scrunchies are cute and won’t damage your hair.
And pack more than one because some hair bands break easily so you want to have a backup supply just in case.
You can also bring a bonnet to keep your hair in place while sleeping. Or you might like to have a satin scarf to tie your hair up or to block the sun from reaching the top of your hair.
It can really come in handy when it comes to keeping your travel hairstyles from getting dried out by the sun.
You’ll need a hat for the curls and wear a silk scarf underneath to protect your hair and prevent excessive indentation. Whether it’s made from silk or satin, a soft scarf will go a long way in helping to keep your curls protected under the hat.
Last but not least, bring your own satin pillowcase because when you sleep on a satin pillowcase, your hair won’t get frizzy.
Things to Consider When Packing for Vacation
There are a few questions you need to ask yourself when planning for a vacation, such as identifying where you’re going.
Is it hot?
Is it humid or cold?
Also, what are you going to do on your trip?
Are you going to go swimming? Are you going to go hiking, walk around, or just sightseeing? How long is the trip going to be? A few days? A week or so?
Answering these questions will help you determine the types of products you need to bring on your trip to achieve the travel hairstyles that you want. It will also help determine whether you should bring full-sized or travel-sized products.
For instance, if you’re going to be gone for more than two weeks then chances are, you’re going to need deep conditioner. If you’re going someplace humid, you’ll need a good gel to tame the frizz.
By the way, go for a water-based formula that’s designed to hold the curls in place.
The key to making sure you don’t forget anything for your travel hairstyles is to write it all down. Write down the activities you’re going to partake in and what you need to do with your hair during those activities.
Of course, you don’t have to write down every little thing you’re going to do and every product you’ll need for every moment of each day, but you can get a good idea of exactly what you need for all your travel hairstyles if you plan ahead.
Remember TSA rules, plan ahead, and write things down. If you do these things and consider the items above, your travel hairstyles will be glorious.
