Beauty On The Move: Skin Care Products

A facial brush from the Body Shop - keeping
me radiant on my trip to visit my boyfriend in New York

Finding a way to fit your beauty regimen into a suitcase - both literally and figuratively - can be a real challenge. All travelers want to avoid overpacking, but at the same time, many of us have a carefully-developed set of procedures and products that keep us looking sexy... and no one wants to leave their sexy behind!

So when it comes to packing your bag, it's important to know how to travel light and still look fabulous.  It's a tall order, but there are tips - and products - that can help.

One of my best skin care tips is to leave the face scrub at home. It's heavy, you may run out of it, and it's one more liquid that you'll have to fit inside a quart-sized bag when you go through check in. Also, most face scrubs come in flip-top tubes that may accidentally flip open in your bag - no one wants to arrive at their destination to find gritty paste all over their travel essentials.

Instead of face scrub, bring a facial exfoliator. My two favorites are a facial buffer and a facial brush, both available inexpensively at the Body Shop. You only need one or the other, and either one will be lighter, smaller, and last longer than a tube of face scrub. I took both on my recent trip to Europe to test them out, and had great results with both. I found the facial buffer to be slightly easier to use - the facial brush tends to flick drops of face wash around and is best used in the shower - but the facial brush gave a slightly deeper exfoliation. If you're concerned about choosing the right one, buy both and test them out before you go - both together will still cost you under $10.

Traveling is great, but no one wants to look like they're traveling. We all long for the casual elegance of the International Person of Mystery - that enviable traveler who can fit everything they need for two weeks in a carry-on and still look chic and put together. To achieve this, you can either log tens of thousands of frequent-flyer miles... or take the advice of someone who has.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding