16 Nov A Guide To The Best Cleansers & Face Washes For Travel
It’s important to take the time to properly cleanse your skin at the end of the day especially whilst travelling.
Visiting beautiful, but often polluted, cities or liberally applying sunscreen at the beach exposes your skin to unknown chemicals, dirt and debris that can affect its complexion. Flying can also leave your skin feeling dehydrated, tight and dull.
Cleansing removes these built up impurities that can block your pores and lead to irritated, dry or even acne prone skin.
Whether you are looking for an oil controlling cleanser, a cleanser to reduce your in-flight liquids or just a fuss free way to clean your face, our extensive guide to the best cleansers and face washes for travel has got you covered.
In This Travel Cleanser Article:
1. Best Liquid Cleansers For Travel
Let’s chat about the classic liquid cleanser…
Focusing on products with hydration, gentle exfoliation and decongesting pores. Important when flying, spending a whole day in the city or sun as that can really leave your skin feeling dull and dehydrated. Find a travel size of your favourite liquid cleanser or decant it into handy travel pots.
Keep an eye out for cleansers at duty free, as you can save on the RRP & is also an approved way of getting full sized liquids onto the plane. Win-win. ?
Here are our top travel face wash cleansers to ensure your skin stays clean and clear wherever you’re on-the-go.
Gel Balm Cleanser
Eve Lom
Prayers have been answered with the release of Eve Lom’s lightweight, portable take on their OG cleansing balm.
This cleanser is literally made for travellers. Its infused with Shea butter to replenish lost moisture from the flight and the signature eucalyptus and chamomile oil dissolves impurities and grime built up from a day of exploring. A no brainer travel addition.
Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser
Kiehls
Formulated with white Amazonian clay, this liquid facial cleanser is perfect for travel as it decongests pores, successfully clearing the skin of blackheads and surface impurities.
Aiming to target skin congestion this cleanser will clear your pores of thick suncream and dirt, without removing that much needed moisture.
Find Your Balance Cleanser
Ole Henrickson
If you have oily skin and are concerned about the effects of suncream on holiday, this travel friendly facial cleanser is proven to reduce oil and restore the skin’s balance after a build up of irritants and dirt.
Part of a three-piece travel oil controlling kit that work alongside each other to balance and mattify your skin. Ideal if you know travelling unbalances your skin’s oil production.
Clarifying Cleanser
Murad
Spots suck, and even more so on holiday. BUT Murad’s clarifying cleanser with salicylic acid and green tea extract helps reduce that dreaded threat of acne by stripping away pore clogging grim and releasing a soothing medication to treat and prevent breakouts.
Leaving your skin feeling balanced, purified and you worry free, ready for that sunset insta shoot.
2. Best Travel Cleansing Powders
Made from finely milled ingredients such as rice bran or oats, you simply add water to turn the powder into a foamy lather.
Customise the texture of the powder to suit your skin. Simply add more water for a gentle cleanse or slightly less for a deeper clean.
Powder cleansers are ideal for travel as they don’t contribute to your liquid limits and usually come in lightweight, compact packaging.
What’s even better? The course, grainy texture can double up as an exfoliator. So not only do they reduce your travel weight, but they are a multi-tasking product that help streamline your travel skincare collection.
Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser
Clinique
This ultra fine powder cleanser with added vitamin C, awakens the skin and refines its texture for an all round brighter look, perfect for a dull post-flight complexion.
The gentle exfoliation delivers instant results, revealing awakened, rejuvenated skin.
The individual powder cleanser sachets are great for travelling as you can just take as many packets as your need, instead of a heavy bottle.
Radiance Boosting Powder
Diptyque
The natural white clay powder of this cleanser, when mixed with warm water, helps to smooth and purify the complexion. With added rose, jasmine and neroli petals, it acts to remineralise, soothe and rehydrate the skin, providing the nutrients your skin craves after a day in the sun.
The botanical scent alongside its nourishing formula is a perfect and luxurious way to begin or end a day of travelling.
Magic Black Powder Sparkling Wash Powder
Caolion
Achieve a brighter, more radiant complexion with this travel friendly cleansing powder by removing dead skin cells, blackheads and impurities. The cleansing powder also draws out harsh toxins to purify the skin and promote cellular repair and restoration.
This formula works perfectly for travellers who are apply heavy sun creams daily or are worried about the effects of city grime on their skin.
Daily Microfoliant
Dermalogica
Targeting that dull and dry holiday complexion, this rice based exfoliating powder gently removes dead skin cells and daily dirt to brighten and polish the skin. It also regulates the production of melanin which has been found to help protect your skin from UV rays.
The perfect powder cleanser for travel as it comes in a mini 13g size with no chance of liquid spillage!
3. Best Solid Stick Cleansers
Say hello to our favourite type of travel face wash. Cleansing sticks help streamline your skin care routine, fit easily into a carry on bag and are an essential for any light traveller. It is a multi tasking miracle, as it cleanses, exfoliates and brightens your skin all from a simple swipe and a splash of water.
These travel stick cleansers are the new travel must have; the solid formula means it can’t be confiscated at the airport and you don’t have to worry about it leaking in your bag and ruining your clothes.
Dubbed the ‘face wash for people that don’t like to wash their face’ it couldn’t be easier to achieve a flawless complexion and glowing skin, even on holiday.
Frxxxtion Stick Exfoliating Cleanser
Tarte
This 3 in 1 cleanser, exfoliator and face mask is the ultimate travel face wash essential.
It can be used daily to help draw out surface oils and reduce shine or left on as a mask to deeply clean the skin, absorb toxins and reveal a glowing complexion. This cleanser is a great in-flight face wash as it is a mess free way to rejuvenate even the driest complexion.
Real Fresh Cleansing Stick
Neogen
Neogen’s multipurpose travel friendly cleansing stick contains thirteen natural oils, including coconut and evening primrose, that gently cleans your skin and removes daily makeup.
Perfect for on the go travel, the addition of green tea leaves means the formula is full of antioxidants and moisturising qualities to help repair skin from weather damage and reduce inflammation and dryness caused by flying.
In Your Face Cleansing Bar
Ethique
Using New Zealand’s natural sea salt, this cleansing bar leaves your skin with a vibrant and glowing complexion. Ideal for combatting post flight dryness as the addition of cocoa butter, coconut oil and sweet orange essential oil provides deep moisturisation and re-hydration without leaving the skin feeling greasy.
This cleanser is also perfect for the conscious traveller. Being plastic free, carbon neutral, palm oil free and vegan its not only good for your skin, but also good for the environment.
Matcha Cleanser Mini
Milk Makeup
This cleanser is an all in one product for any gal looking for a complete facial and a bit of pampering whilst travelling. It exfoliates, detoxifies, purifies, and banishes excess oil using matcha and lavender extract.
This antioxidant heavy formula targets all skin concerns- think acne, inflammation and redness, so is the perfect way to nourish and soothe your skin, giving you spa like results without having to leave your hotel room. Plus it comes in a mini stick form that makes it the perfect cleanser for travel.
$15
5.4g
4. Best Cleansing Wipes For Travel
Cleansing face wipes are an essential for any savvy traveller. Easy to pack and mess free, they are a fast way to rid your skin of dirt and makeup while keeping your skin hydrated.
Cleansing wipes are ideal for a quick refresh mid-flight, offering a boost of hydration whilst avoiding the awkward climb over the person next to you to get to the bathroom.
You may not want to permanently replace your usual cleanser with face wipes, but as a holiday companion there is nothing easier than removing your makeup in one simple swipe from the comfort of your bed.
Makeup Melting Cleansing Cloths
Pixi
Let’s be real ladies, we’re most likely wearing makeup most days while travelling cause you know…. for the ‘gram.
That’s where these makeup melting wipes come oh-so-handy. Swipes your makeup off like a dream and it doesn’t leave the skin feeling dry or dehydrated after.
Coming in a clip up packet, these are the perfect facial wipes for your travels.
$16
25 wipes
Hydro Boost Facial Cleanser
Neutrogena
Perfect for dry or dehydrated skin, Neutrogena’s travel friendly facial wipes use hydrating technology combined with hyaluronic acid to ensure an effective clean and produces a protective barrier to help lock in moisture in the skin.
These wipes are great to use mid-flight to rehydrate your skin and clean away any built up oil and dirt. They make a great addition to every traveller’s hand luggage, whatever your budget.
Take The Day Off Micellar Towelettes
Clinique
Cliniques ready-to-go cleansing towelettes are saturated in a soothing micellar cleansing liquid to swiftly remove makeup without causing any irritation. The moisturising formula ensures your skin is not left feeling tight or dehydrated and the resealable packaging means the wipes won’t dry out.
A great travel alternative to the Take The Day Off Balm Cleanser or Liquid Makeup Remover. Save your liquid allowance for all your other beauty products! #travelhack
Sensibio H2O Wipes
Bioderma
These wipes are a sister product of Bioderma’s infamous Micellar Solution, they offer the same cleansing and moisturising results but are way easier to chuck in your hand luggage.
With the helpful addition of allantoin, they are a perfect on the go option for when you need to clean and soothe your skin, without leaving a greasy residue.
5. Best Travel Face Cleansing Tool
Who doesn’t want to make washing their face easier, especially on holiday? From cleansing pads to silicone cleansing devices these tools aims to streamline your skincare collection and improve your cleanse, leaving your skin feeling clean and clear, with little to no hassle.
They’re small enough to throw in your hand luggage, take up basically no space and are reusable. Basically everything you want when you’re on holiday, no?
Make sure your skin isn’t sensitive to these tools and remember to thoroughly wash your cleansing pads and brushes after each use to avoid a build up of any bacteria!
The Modern Makeup Remover
Face Halo
Labelled the game changing makeup remover, these reusable fibre pads use only water to trap and remove makeup and dirt for a deep clean and gentle exfoliation.
The water loosens your makeup allowing the fine fibres to reach deep into your pores to decongest and clear your skin. Replacing up to 500 traditional wipes, these pads are the ultimate space saver for travellers and limit the impact your skincare routine has on the environment, without forcing your to forgo the ease of a makeup wipe.
Luna Play Plus
Foreo
This tool is perfect for anyone that describes their skincare routine as ‘lazy-but-ambitious’. The LUNA Play Plus provides a deep clean, with minimal effort, using thousands of pulsations to reach deep into your pores and remove dirt, sweat and makeup residue.
Simply apply your cleanser and use the LUNA to gently massage it on your face. It’s the smallest of the LUNA products and the perfect cleanser tool for on the go travel, allowing you to maintain glowing, clear skin wherever you are.
Remy Face Microfibre Pad
Remy
Remy could be your new reusable, make-up removing best friend. Replacing wipes, oils and cleansers these micro-fibre pads can be used up to 200 times to melt away makeup and impurities with only warm water.
An impressive space saver and ultimate travel cleansing tool, the Remy pad can substitute a whole host of skincare products without compromising on results.
Have you tried any of these cleansers?
What are your favourite cleansers to use when you’re travelling?
Let us know on Instagram if you know of the best travel cleansers! We’d love to hear your suggestions.
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