How To Create A Travel Self Care Kit
Self-care is just as important when you are travelling as when you are at home. From exploring lots of new sights and sounds to travelling between destinations, it’s easy to neglect basic self-care on vacation. One easy way to ensure that you still take care of yourself is to create a travel self-care kit.
Create Your Go-To Travel Self-Care Kit
Your self-care travel kit can just be the essentials you need on the road, or it can be an elaborate kit to pamper yourself on low days. The key is to customize it to suit you. Just ensure that it will be easy to transport in your travel luggage.
Choose A Container For Your Travel Self Care Kit
Firstly you just need to decide what you will store your kit inside. It could be a cosmetics bag, a make-up organizer, a hanging toiletry bag or any other travel-sized case. I always use a lightweight medium-sized container so that it will fit into my weekend bag or carry-on. It just needs to be easily accessible so that you can use it when you are on the mover rather than just at your accommodation.
Decide On Essentials For Your Travel Self-Care Kit
Deciding what essentials to put into your self-care kit is the fun part. The items you put it in should be a mix of your favourites, basic staple items like feminine care products and things that will relax and pamper you.
Just remember that everything you choose needs to be small or travel-sized items that are within airline hand luggage size restrictions so that you have no issues when you go through any security.
Your self-care kit’s sole purpose is to keep you feeling relaxed, energized, refreshed and good about yourself. So think about items that will do one or more of these things.
Things To Include In Your Travel Self-Care Kit
Here are a few ideas of items that you could include which I usually have in my kit:
Hair Bands
Spare hair bands in your kit are handy if you are like me and always lose them.
Toothbrush & Toothpaste
I always keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in my travel kit so that I can brush my teeth at airports on long multi-flights.
Painkillers
I’m prone to headaches when I travel so I usually keep a travel-size pack of painkillers in my kit.
Deodorant
An obvious item for long stints of travelling.
Body Wipes
For those times when I’m in desperate need of a shower during long flights. Body wipes are a great way to feel a bit cleaner and fresher.
Feminine Care Products
I always keep a couple of ultra-thin pads in the kit just in case of an emergency. There are few things worse than getting caught out when you’re travelling so I’m always thankful that I pack some.
Perfume
I always put a travel-size bottle of perfume or roll-on perfume in my kit.
Makeup Remover Wipes
When I’m travelling especially if I’ve had a long day the last thing I want to do is spend ages removing my make-up. So I always use make-up wipes when I travel as it’s just much quicker and easier.
Face Sheet Mask
I absolutely love face sheet masks so I always keep at least one in my kit. Eye masks are fantastic as well, especially after a long flight.
Moisturizer
I always keep a moisturizing face cream in my kit as my skin gets really dry, especially after flying.
Body Lotion
Although hotels usually provide things like body lotion, I often include some in my kit.
Hand Cream
Give your hands and nails some TLC too with a moisturizing hand cream.
Dry Shampoo
Dry Shampoo is a must for travelling when I don’t have time to wash my hair. It’s an instant refresher and just buys some time, especially for long-haul journeys.
Water tumbler
A water tumbler just makes it easier (and cheaper) to stay hydrated.
Journal Or Notebook
I always have some kind of notebook or journal with me when I travel.
Headphones
I don’t go anywhere without headphones. I love watching movies on planes or on my devices when I travel. It’s one of my favourite ways of staying relaxed and passing the time.
Do you have a travel self-care kit? If you do, what are some of the travel essentials or must-have items you put in there? If you don’t hopefully this list of essentials and packing tips can help you get started on making one.
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Gemma Lawrence is a British expat, solo female travel blogger, and the creator of This Brit’s Life — a travel and lifestyle blog that helps women explore the world confidently, live abroad independently, and stay informed about global issues.
Born and raised in England, Gemma has been living in British Columbia, Canada since 2016 and has been traveling solo for over a decade. With a background in journalism and over ten years of experience in digital marketing and communications — including leadership roles with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/BC) — she brings both storytelling and strategy to her writing.
Through her posts, Gemma shares practical solo travel advice, expat insights, and confidence-building resources, while also covering broader topics like women’s rights, democracy, and self-care. Her goal is to inspire independence, awareness, and personal growth — one adventure at a time
