Travel Hair Care Tips + Tricks

Monday through Friday we don’t have to waste around our 7-4 jobs to fix our hair. Especially when there are so many other healthy habits to maintain throughout the week: exercise, meal prepping, sleep, and drinking enough water to name a few! But when I’m traveling – I want to let my hair down and enjoy styling it. Travel hair care doesn’t have to be complicated or even require any heat tools if you can manage it correctly. Believe me when I say you’ll be much happier you left the fuss behind when traveling!

Before you Ever Leave for Your Trip

I have found that the less I wash my hair and focus on between shower maintenance -the healthier my hair becomes. That damage from heat styling to look presentable is something I’m trying to move away from that altogether. I also use a specific kind of hairbrush that has really helped me to get shiny healthy hair between washes! A boar’s hair brush pulls oils from the roots (most oily area) to the ends (the dryest areas). In my journey to not wash my hair so much – this has been amazing!

My goal with hair care is to make it super simple so that when traveling I can carry as little as possible in ‘products’. From shampoos to shine serums, we’re coaxed into fixing problems created by trying to ‘fix’ other problems. Even if you think your hair ‘feels’ healthier after using that volumizing 5$ shampoo- you’ll end up spending more, in the end, to ‘fix’ the problems you created. I highly recommend asking a stylist for a regimen that works for your particular hair type! I had never heard it before- but my stylist told me to double wash my hair because it gets all of the really tough buildups off of my scalp. She also recommended Euphora products which I personally love!

I also love the Think Dirty app! You can scan any product and the app lists toxicity concerns for each product and alternatives!

Diet + Supplements

There are a lot of nonsense ads out there telling you that you need supplements in order to have good hair. While I personally don’t believe the hype around most supplements – I do like taking supplements for my overall health and wellness to help me achieve a balanced plant-based diet, like pro-biotics and iron since I’m anemic. This doesn’t mean I’m completely vegan. We just eat a ton of fruits and veggies, with smaller portions of meat and seafood. Your travel hair care regimen will thank you in the long run. Not having to carry supplements and such saves you room in your pack while traveling!

I have not personally taken the time to verify most of the research surrounding many of the supplements that Instagram adds sell and to be honest – I don’t care to. You’re always going to be better off eating a balanced diet and drinking enough water to gain essential nutrients!

Travel Hair Styles

Travel hairstyles don’t have to be boring! While hiking in Colorado I had a girlfriend braid my hair into two big braids and twist them up into high buns? Took less than 5 minutes total and my hair was perfectly out of the way and no fuss. I didn’t need to curl it, straighten it or anything. Just 4 hairbands (two if you have thinner hair) will do the trick! For a more polished look: I personally also love throwing in headbands during the day when my hair is slightly dirty. Sometimes even just going the hat route! After a full day of hiking, you’re gonna need food and probably not have any time to fix it. Throw on a hat and go enjoy the pizza!

Braiding also works incredibly well for pictures and such! For some of my favorite hair tutorials.. click here for a waterfall braid tutorial, a messy bun tutorial, and a heatless curl tutorial! Alex Gaboury’s YouTube channel is basically where I get all of my hair inspo! I also love including hair accessories while I travel because they make your travel looks more polished. There’s only so much space in your backpack and most hair accessories take up very little space!

Best Travel Hair Care Products

There really is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hair care in general except for my hairbrush. I have thick wavy/curly prone to dryness hair and my girlfriends and I all have different kinds of hair – but everyone who uses it loves it! The boar’s hair brushes with natural fibers are the best brushes all around. I used to not even like brushing my hair, and now I do thanks to this brush!

Besides the brush, these are a few of the products I use at home and they also come in travel sizes. These are also eco-friendly and vegan products so that we’re not disturbing the other environments we visit!

Hair Dance ‘Dry Shampoo Volume Powder’

This is one of my favorite new products to be trying right now. Many dry shampoos leave dark hair looking chaulky but this one does a great job!

This product is also ‘Vegan, Cruelty-Free, and eco-friendly. NO talc, parabens, baking soda, or phthalates. Nonaerosol.’ – Overall environmentally friendly and free from toxins! (The only bad thing about it is the plastic container but that’s recyclable as well!)

Available on Amazon

Ethique’s Eco-Friendly Solid Shampoo Bar

This shampoo bar from Ethique is part of their zero waste commitment! As a natural + vegan shampoo – not only the product itself but the box as well are completely compostable!

The first time I heard about this company I was on a college mission trip and a girl had one of these bars. She loved it and used it pretty religiously! I used it a couple of times and while your hair won’t feel the same bouncy-ness that other shampoos may give you – the Ethique Shampoo Bar does leave it feeling clean and moisturized!

Available on Amazon

Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask

This was the best thing I took with me to Italy after a 10-hour flight. My entire body felt dry – hair included.

‘A five-minute, deep, conditioning mask’ is exactly what I needed during my first shower post-flight. Waking up the next day to style my hair was made all the better by feeling moisturized locks! Not to mention that many many places are not as humid as the south-eastern portion of the US. You will dry out – and that includes your hair!

Available on Amazon

My main goal when I travel is to travel. That means exploring and experience new things. While I don’t want to look like a slob – I do want my hair care to take very little of my day. Hope these tips help you to get out exploring a little faster on your next trip! For more of my favorite products – click here for my Amazon List.

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Until next time friends,

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Thanks for sharing!