Though you may not want to spend much time on your hair while traveling, you’ll be glad to have the essentials for cleansing, protecting, and styling with you on the road. What products should you pack for your trip? That depends on a few factors, like your hair type, whether you prefer to air dry or blow dry, if you like to skip washes, where you’re going, and the season.
“Products with hold and memory that contain moisturizing agents are great for a more hot or humid climate,” says New York hairstylist Kali Ferrara. “Products like hair masks and leave-in conditioning balms are ideal for colder, dryer climates.”
To save you time ahead of your next adventure, we’ve rounded the best up multi-purpose, tried-and-true hair products for travel. Our picks include everything from shampoo, conditioner, and in-shower treatments to leave-ins, texturizers, and detanglers, all available in mini, TSA-approved containers.
Sephora
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This deep-cleansing shampoo washes away dirt, oil, and buildup, helping you go longer between washes while away from home.
This palm-sized bottle contains 3 ounces of shampoo that promises to wash away dirt, oil, product buildup, and other impurities while strengthening and softening your strands with keratin. We should note the clarifying formula is technically not meant for daily use — it can help you go longer between washes, which might be convenient while traveling. But if you do lather up daily, it shouldn’t dry out or strip your hair so long as you use conditioner afterwards.
Price at time of publish: $14 for 3 ounces
Amazon
“The best way to have healthy, shiny hair is for it to be properly moisturized with oils and other conditioning agents,” says Ferrara, noting that moisture is essential for both humid and dry climates. With this in mind, we suggest the Pureology Hydrate Conditioner. It calls on sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, and shea butter to nourish and soften without weighing down your hair. Though the strong scent isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, others love the invigorating aromatherapy blend of peppermint and corn mint essential oils.
Price at time of publish: $11 for 1.7 ounces
Sephora
According to Ferrara, deep moisturizing products are ideal when traveling to cold climates with low humidity, as they can help prevent dry, brittle hair. Amika Soulfood conditions, nourishes, and hydrates your hair to help repair damage while restoring softness and elasticity. This in-shower mask can be applied every few days after shampooing. Alternatively, you can use it as an everyday cream rinse in place of your daily conditioner if you want to pack fewer toiletries.
Price at time of publish: $18 for 3.3 ounces
Sephora
Ferrara recommends packing Olaplex No. 6 on your next trip, especially if you’re heading to a colder, drier climate. This leave-in styling cream can be applied to dry or damp hair from mid-length to ends. Containing the brand’s patented bond-building molecule, it’s been shown to repair and protect chemically damaged or otherwise brittle hair. No. 6 also helps your hair dry faster and keeps flyaways under control for up to 72 hours. While it only comes in one size, the 3.3-ounce pump bottle still meets TSA liquid requirements for carry-ons — which is currently 3.4 ounces.
Price at time of publish: $30 for 3.3 ounces
Ulta
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A go-to for all hair types, this virtually invisible, highly absorbent dry shampoo instantly soaks up oil and sweat while adding body and texture.
You’ll never regret packing dry shampoo — or at least, you very well might regret not packing it. In any case, Living Proof Perfect Hair Day is a go-to for all hair types. The highly effective formula soaks up excess oil, sweat, and odor while adding body and texture to second- or third-day hair. It’s virtually invisible when sprayed on and disappears entirely when you massage your roots and brush it through. Just a heads up, you’ll have to shake the can vigorously each time to get the product to come out. If you’re still having trouble, the brand recommends running the nozzle under warm water.
Price at time of publish: $18 for 2.4 ounces
Ulta
Thinking about skipping the blow dries or leaving your flat iron at home? If you have naturally wavy or curly hair, Beach Babe will be your best friend during your trip. This easy-breezy spray can be used on wet or dry hair. After spritzing it on, scrunch with your hands to separate your waves, texturize, and add body. This product is formulated to provide UV protection from the sun’s rays. But the salt component can be drying, so don’t go overboard when applying it.
Price at time of publish: $7 for 8 ounces
Ulta
“Memory in a product helps hair stay in the style you put it in, even with some perspiration and humidity,” says Ferrara. In addition to hot, muggy locales, she explains that hair spray can also be good in dry climates to prevent static. This small but mighty product promises to provide a flexible yet reliable hold that lasts up to five days without causing a flaky scalp. That said, a little bit goes a long way, so use it sparingly to avoid a sticky feel and a crunchy texture. TSA allows aerosol cans under 3.4 ounces, so this one is perfect for packing in your carry-on.
Price at time of publish: $17 for 1.7 ounces
Amazon
Ferrara’s go-to heat protectant for travel is Oribe Maximista, a body-building spray that safeguards your hair from heat styling and UV damage. “While its textbook use is to add thickness and volume, which it does, it’s also super versatile,” she says. “It can be used as a hairspray to slick back a ponytail, a blowout product, or a spray-in product to define curls.” This product may feel a bit sticky once it dries, but this can be avoided by using a smaller amount.
Price at time of publish: $19 for 1.7 ounces
Amazon
We also like Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil. This hair primer contains UV filters to protect your locks from the drying, fading, damaging effects of sun exposure. It also defends against heat damage for temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. And that’s not all, this product also combats the effects of extreme humidity by smoothing your strands and preventing frizz. One thing to note is that since it’s an oil-based formula, it might be a little too heavy for folks with fine hair.
Price at time of publish: $15 for 2 ounces
LolaVie
If your hair is prone to tangling, toss this product in your toiletry bag. LolaVie’s Glossing Detangler gives hair the slip it needs to separate twisted hair, untie fairy knots, and make your mane all-around more manageable. As the name suggests, this spray-on primer also adds shine. Then it goes above and beyond to provide heat protection and shield against environmental damage, leaving a pleasant woody citrus scent in its wake. The only thing to note is that although it’s meant to be lightweight and suitable for all hair types, it might make thin hair appear flat or limp.
Price at time of publish: $13 for 2 ounces
Amazon
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This small, packable comb can be used for detangling, separating, or styling wet or dry hair.
The mini comb from Tracee Ellis Ross’s hair care brand is perfect for travel — and not just because of the small, packable size. With long, wide-set teeth, it’s ideal for detangling, separating, and styling wet or dry hair. Like other Pattern products, it’s designed with curly and coily hair patterns in mind, but all hair types can benefit from using a wide-tooth comb. We also like that it has a handle with an imprint for your thumb, ensuring a sturdy grip when combing out your hair.
Price at time of publish: $8
Ulta
If you prefer a brush, we suggest the Original Mini Detangler from Wet Brush. Products from the brand are designed to gently detangle and smooth wet and damp hair, but they can be used on dry hair as well. This small (but not too tiny) brush has soft, flexible bristles with nylon tips to minimize painful tugging and breakage. It’s the ideal size for packing but still big enough to work its way through thick, coarse hair.
Price at time of publish: $5
Tips for Buying Hair Care Products for Travel
Be mindful of TSA regulations
Keep TSA liquid regulations in mind when buying hair care products for travel. For carry-on luggage, you can bring containers up to 3.4 ounces, including spray bottles, aerosols, tubes, and pump containers. You can’t always prevent additional screening, but packing these items in a separate, resealable quart-sized bag (like a Ziplock bag or a clear toiletries carrier) can help speed up the process. Containers larger than 3.4 ounces are allowed in checked baggage.
Consider the climate
Think about the climate and forecast of your destination to determine which hair products to bring. According to Ferrara, hair gets frizzy and fluffier in humid climates because dry strands attract water in the air. “By putting a barrier on the hair and sealing the cuticle, the individual strand will be less porous and less inclined to need moisture,” she explains. That’s why moisturizing formulas, like masks and leave-in products, are ideal.
“When the air lacks moisture, everything becomes dried out,” says Ferrara. In addition to moisturizing, nourishing products like conditioning balms, she recommends hair spray when traveling to cold, dry regions. “By adding hold to the hair, it counteracts the static you may experience.” Hair spray can also help keep flyaways in check in hot, muggy weather.
Why Trust Travel + Leisure
Theresa Holland is a freelance commerce writer and product tester specializing in cosmetics, luggage, travel, and online shopping. For this story, she interviewed New York hair stylist and colorist Kali Ferrara, who provided product recommendations and insight into which formulas are best for different climates. Theresa considered a wide range of travel-size hair care products from a myriad of brands and retailers before narrowing it down to top-rated, multi-use formulas for all hair types.
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