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12 best holiday beauty essentials

Whether you're jetting off to somewhere hot, or facing a long drive down to the coast – these products will help you stay fresh on the go and during your holiday

Monday 06 August 2018 13:20 BST

Travelling can cause a range of skin complaints, get into holiday mode with our beauty roundup (Shutterstock)

Whether you’re looking for eye masks, hand sanitisers, facial mists or lip balm – we’ve got you covered when it comes to your travelling beauty necessities.

There’s no need to suffer from jet lag or chapped lips this summer with our guide to the best travel essentials you need to keep you looking fresh on your travels.

Our testers included a range of holiday makers – including those travelling on long and short haul flights, by car, train and even bike!

All the products featured below proved the perfect beauty accessories to take on the go.

Patchology On The Fly: £18, Space NK

There’s so many great things about this cute package of travel beauty goodies that it is without a doubt a winner in our eyes.

Slim enough to slot into your cabin bag, it has all you need to ensure your face stays refreshed throughout a flight – a hydrate and illuminate mask, a pair of eye gels and a hydrating lip gel.

Our tester, who used it on a flight to Cyprus, found that it helped their skin remain refreshed and hydrated whilst in the air. The lip gel worked a treat on dry lips and the eye gels proved not only soothing but pleasantly cooling too.

A novelty product at a great price that ticks all the right boxes.

France Prescott TRI-BALM: £46, Cult Beauty

If ever there was a product to help you multitask, this is it. It’s a cleanser, moisturiser, makeup remover and exfoliator in one.

In fact, even before our tester had taken the lid off the smell was so divine they knew they were onto a winner – this gorgeous, stick style product has strong scents of grapefruit and mandarin.

Frances Prescott is a highly regarded makeup artist and facialist who knows her stuff. You can avoid lugging lotions and potions along with you when you travel as this balm is all you need.

It completely cleansed our testers face, taking every bit of makeup off at the same time. This product is also great for dry skin, as the balm helps you avoid any tightness of the skin during travel.

We love that as it’s a solid balm, it won’t spill and can be taken in your carry on.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask: £42, Summer Fridays

Our tester suffers from bad jet lag that tends to impact their complexion, so any product that is supposed to instantly refresh and hydrate with the words “jet lag” in the name was instantly appealing.

This mask helps lift tired skin thanks to its vegan formula that drenches your skin with a nourishing mix of vitamins, ceramides, antioxidants and gently exfoliating extracts.

Our tester noted that they didn’t suffer any of the skin puffiness that they would usually would postflight. At £42, it isn’t super affordable but the tube is big so it’ll certainly last, as a little goes a long way.

Dr Roebuck’s BONDI Hydrating Mist: £22, Space NK

On a hot summer’s day, this mist is the perfect travel necessity. Not only did it instantly cool our tester down when squashed on an overheated carriage, but it also perked them up as the smell is heavenly.

It worked well sprayed over makeup, giving a fresh, almost dewy look. It isn’t just great to use on your travels, it’s also handy in any over heated office.

Germaine de Cappuccini Secret Mist: £44, Germaine de Cappuccini

This mist worked well as a primer before a long journey. Our tester was pleasantly surprised to find not only did it work as a great base, but it was the only product they found that kept foundation in place – it prevents your makeup going cakey or streaky.

It also serves as a hydrator, so a few spritz of the spray and skin feels well hydrated. It’s also the perfect size to fit in to your handbag.

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lavender Hand Sanitiser: £4.99, Dr Bronner

Our tester is used to flying to America with their two young children, so this hand sanitiser proved an essential for both them and their kids, but also as a spray to clean the aeroplane tables.

We love the fact that this product is organic and the lavender smell is so good too. An excellent product to pop in the bag and ensure bugs are kept away.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel: £28, Aromatherapy Associates

For anyone prone to muscle strain, this muscle gel is a must. On applying it to sore forearms, our tester felt an instant cooling to the area. The product has a lovely herbal scent to it and was non-greasy to apply unlike some gels.

This is a great travel product to ease the tensions of travel, and is also a perfect treat for gym users to soothe tired muscles.

ECooking Moisturizing Mask: £19.95, Luxplus

Face masks are the perfect pick me up for sore holiday skin and this boasts a list of ingredients that are so pure, some can be used in cooking – hence the name!

We loved the Scandi brand’s cool minimalist packaging and the mask was a joy to use. It has a subtle floral, fruity scent and because it is 100 per cent vegan and infused with calming aloe vera, it will comfort your conscience as well as your complexion.

Our tester’s skin was dry and sore from some time in the sun, once they’d heaped on this moisturising mask and washed it off ten minutes later, it was instantly revived.

Lano 101 Ointment: £10.99, Waitrose

Cracked lips and insect bites are all part and parcel of holidays, so a multi use product we tested that protects all nasties has come in a winner.

In fact, whatever the skin problem, our tester found the ointment soothed and treated all sorts of skin conditions, including dry skin patches and cracked heels.

It’s the perfect multiuse product to carry with you on the plane and it fits that pesky under 100ml rule too!

Arbonne Prepwork Gel Eye Masks: £48, Arbonne

These soothing and cooling eye masks are perfect for in-flight beauty. Our tester often complains of itchy eyes from the aeroplane air-con.

The masks were cool on contact with the skin and through a moisture boosting superfood cocktail of antioxidants, omegas and phytonutrients, they also helped soften the around the eyes that can become puffy during travel.

This product is 100 per cent vegan and cruelty free too.

Oh K! Gold Gel Lip Mask: £4.50, ohklife.com

This Korean beauty brand has come up with such a cute and clever product – the mask fits lips perfectly and the infusion of honey meant they tasted good too.

Most importantly – and for those of you who suffer from dry or chapped lips after flying – they are totally moisturising.

This goes a step further than your standard lip balm, and is a lovely treat while travelling.

Feather & Down Sweet Dreams Travel Essentials: £12, Feather & Down

A good night’s sleep is often hard to come by for some travellers, especially those moving through different time zones. We love this range as it provides a selection of products designed to help you get some shut eye through its blend of soothing lavender and relaxing chamomile essential oils which smell absolutely divine.

Our favourite is the night pillow spray that can be used all year round when insomnia strikes – it has such a soothing and long lasting scent.

The Verdict: Best beauty products to take on holiday

When it comes to travelling, taking your beauty products with you is no mean feat so something compact, versatile and easy to use will lessen the stress. With Patchology you have your flight needs covered when it comes to looking after your skin. And those after a deeper skincare routine just have to try Frances Prescott’s Tri-balm – a multitasker like no other!