5 Items To Bring In Your Carry-On For Glowing Skin — During & After Vacation

A relaxing vacation means something different for everyone—some may spend ample time on the beach, others may prioritize going out with friends, while some may prefer exploring a new city. No matter what vacation looks like to you, packing your beauty essentials can feel pretty overwhelming. Think squelching your favorite formulas into tiny, TSA-approved containers and selecting which products you actually need during your time off. 

This one is a given–even when you're not on vacation. We tend to reach for non-nano, mineral sunscreens here at mbg, as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been deemed safe and effective by the FDA1 and are better for the environment than their chemical competitors. And if your trip calls for hours on end in the water, you'll want to look for something water-resistant as well. 

We have comprehensive product roundups of our favorite face sunscreens and body SPFs if you want to do some research, but we'll add our top two recommendations below to make your browsing easy. And remember: You must reapply your sunscreen every two hours to ensure continuous protection. 

For face: SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen, Juice Beauty ($16); amazon.com, credobeauty.com

Luckily, you can add some skin-loving supplements to your daily routine to ensure you're giving your skin and body optimal support.* Our cellular beauty+ is a perfect option to include in your travel beauty bag. Superstar ingredients like astaxanthin, phytoceramides, ubiquinol CoQ10, and whole fruit pomegranate extract support skin hydration, enhance skin photoprotection from UV rays, and promote cellular metabolism, energy, and rejuvenation.* 

When it comes to vacation, less is generally more when it comes to makeup. If you're spending time in the sun, jumping in and out of the water, or tend to sweat a little more than usual, it may be your best bet to play it simple. This way, you can reapply sunscreen throughout the day without fear of pilling and forget about constant makeup touch-ups—because who wants to worry about that while they're away? Here are some of our favorite minimal must-haves.

Concealer: Revealer Concealer, Kosas ($28); kosas.com, sephora.com

Our go-to? The mbg postbiotic body lotion. Aloe vera extract is whipped together with other powerful botanical ingredients like moringa seed oil, shea butter, and squalene, which all work wonders for supporting the skin barrier post-sun exposure. 

Imagine: You've just finished a long day in the sun, and you're about to head out to dinner. You probably feel super relaxed but a little bit…drained, to say the least. Your mood and skin are likely on the lookout for a little refreshment. Our fix? A trusty face mist. 

You can keep a mist in your bag to spray on throughout the day for extra hydration. If you're wearing makeup and would rather not attempt to apply a goopy sunscreen lotion, an SPF face mist is a great alternative. 

Refreshing option: January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist ($24); credobeauty.com, amazon.com