Travel Beauty Booty: 5 Skin Care Products You Should Pack

With age comes wisdom, they say. 

Well that may be true, but in my case, every passing year brings with it more of an obsession with skin care products. I might be determined to grow old gracefully, but I can't help believing that investing in a bit of good practise now, will saddle me up with the armour I need to ride into battle for the fight against wrinkles when they really attack.

Of course, plastering my face with a plethora of creams and serums is all well and good when I'm in the comfort of home. And a dressing table display of beautiful bottles and gorgeous glass jars is one of my indulgent little luxuries. But what horror befalls this beauty junkie when faced with a carry on case and a plane journey that means I'll be away from my lotion and potion loot?

I have to get ready for bed at 6pm to give me time to smother my face in all of this. And this is only half of it.

The variety of skin care I own is so shamefully vast that it would probably need its own suitcase in the hold if I packed the lot (along with my shoes; a whole other sore point). But I'm not daft, so I know that the skin care regime needs to be suitably streamlined when I'm ready for take off.

This begs the question:

What do women really need to look after their skin when they're away or on the road?

And what multi-taskers will see us through?

Here are my favourite five:

1) Vaseline - The skin saviour. Cheap and readily available. Plus, it doubles up brilliantly as a waterproof eye make-up remover and lip balm for even the most sensitive skin.

2) Cleanser - You need this. If I'm planning a long trip, I'll buy it in my destination. Otherwise I'm likely to pack a packet of cleansing wipes. Easy.

3) Toner - Not something I'm prepared to do without, this eradicates every last bit of face grime. Just decant as much as you'll need into a mini spray bottle and spritz it onto a cotton wool pad to use.

4) Moisturiser - At home I have a day cream and a night cream (needs must), but when I'm away I choose a good multi-tasker I can use around the clock. Something like Clinique's Dramatically Different would be a good bet.

5) Sun screen - Goes without saying! Much as we love it, the sun is our number one ageing agent. Be prepared in all climates!

And that's what I pack! I leave everything else at home, but I always leave room for duty-free beauty. Just in case!

(My current brands of choice are Vichy and The Sanctuary, but I do dabble in Chanel when I'm feeling flush!)

Do you have any travel beauty secrets or favourite products? Please share in the comments!