Once upon a time, before I knew I had chemical allergies, I had a strict packing plan when I went on trips. Clothes, shoes, hair stuff, face stuff, body stuff, medications, tooth stuff…all into the bag.
I’ve been through a few different variations since then, but nowadays my travel bag is barely recognizable, and it’s gotten a whole lot easier to get through airport security. Gone are the multiple hair products and face products. Goodbye toothpaste, deodorant, brushes, and half the clothes. Some of the things can be easily purchased at the other end if they’re not practical to bring. Instead of a bag full of name brands, I carry only a few generic products one wouldn’t usually find in a traveler’s bag, plus a lot more fabric. So what’s in my bag these days?
| Then | Now | Why/What Does it Do? |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | Rum | Reduces scalp oils |
| Conditioner | – | Cold water works well enough to seam my cuticle, and the changes to washing make it unnecessary |
| Hair Mask | – | Unnecessary |
| Body Wash | Piece of African black soap | Better for body and environment |
| Face Wash | – | Unnecessary |
| Body Lotion | Carrier Oil | Moisturizes, applied immediately after washing |
| Face Cream | – | Unnecessary |
| Toothbrush | Cotton facecloth | Scrubs teeth |
| Toothpaste | – | Unnecessary |
| Glide Dental Floss | Silk dental floss | Toxicity and flavouring concerns |
| Cortisone Cream | Steroid ointment without propylene glycol | So that the medication doesn’t also cause the allergy |
| – | Immune suppressant ointment | For facial use |
| Steroid Sinus Spray | No longer needed | |
| Aerosol Sinus Rinse | Neti bottle and salts | Rinses allergens out of sinuses |
| Makeup | – | Unnecessary |
| Makeup Remover | – | Unnecessary |
| Cotton Swabs | Cotton Swabs | |
| Hair Brush | Unfinished wooden comb | Redistributes and removes oils, and has no synthetic parts |
| Hair Elastics | Hair elastics | Keeps hair from contacting face |
| Hair Spray | – | Not needed with change to hair care routine |
| Deodorant | Spray bottle of vodka | Kills bacteria until you can wash |
| Clothing | Natural fibre clothing | |
| Bath Puff | Facecloth | Cotton rather than synthetic, and allows for washing with almost no water if necessary |
| – | Towels | For keeping head protected from seat backs and drying off after washing |
| – | Sheets, blankets, pillows | Because it’s hard to trust the safety of others’ laundry routine |
| – | Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder | For quickly neutralizing chlorine in water |
| – | Portable bidet bottle and cloths for wiping | Instead of toilet paper |
| – | Handkerchiefs | For blowing nose – dries quickly |
| Shoes, Coat, and Purse | Shoes and natural fibre coat and purse | |
| – | Plastic 4-cup measuring cup | Aids in washing hair |
| – | Distilled water | Helps prevent hard waste buildup on hair; also used for sinus rinse, can be purchased at destination |
A lot of the above changes are described in greater detail elsewhere in this blog. These changes don’t make packing easier. They don’t make packing lighter. My “liquids” bag is significantly lighter, but that alone doesn’t make the changes worth it. I would love to be able to leave all the towels and linens at home, because that would make my bag smaller and lighter. Despite all this, it is incredibly freeing to not need to pull 30 items out of a bag to get ready in the morning or for bed. It’s also freeing to have healthy, radiant skin and hair without all the chemicals. That’s what makes all of this worthwhile.