Traveling is an incredible experience! A possibility to discover new places, get to know new people, try new foods, and immerse in a new culture. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But behind every great trip, there is a lot of planning, writing lists, research, and packing. Doesn’t matter if you go camping, take a cruise, play tourist in a glamorous city, go road tripping with RV or walk days on a pilgrim route, you need to pack your bags.
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery
I try to travel as lightly as possible because every airline has its own rules on luggage size and it’s better to be safe than pay those extra baggage fees.
After walking 105km (65miles) of Camino de Santiago, I realized that we could have left our sleeping bags at home, should have brought some bug spray with us and there was no need to have all those beauty products weighing down my already heavy backpack.
It’s hard to decide on what to take and what to leave, and let’s be honest, most of us pack things we never use on our travels. What a waste of space!
So over time, I have started to save space in my luggage by taking with me products that work for multiple purposes. Why should I take with me 3 different creams, when just one product works for the whole body? Yes, you heard right, it is possible!
Here are the top 3 natural, chemical-free, economic, and eco-friendly products that fit perfectly into your travel bag but do the work of at least 15-20 products.
Aloe Vera
Most of us have used aloe vera in some way or another. Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) plant is native to North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Canary Islands. Did you know that almost 99% of the Aloe is water and the remaining 1% is full of impressively powerful ingredients? Amino acids, Salicylic Acid, minerals, and vitamins are just some of the components that make aloe vera a widely used ingredient in traditional medicine.
We had several aloe vera plants at home as decorative plants when I was a kid. Whenever we managed to burn our fingers or scrape our knees, mom cut a small part of the plant and rubbed it on our damaged skin. It really worked wonders!
While you won’t pack an entire plant in your luggage, invest in a good aloe vera gel! It’s almost impossible to find 100% aloe vera gel, but there are products that contain up to 99,75% of aloe vera.
Here is a list of ways you can use the aloe vera gel while traveling.
- For removing makeup
- As a shaving cream
- To soothe sunburns
- To soothe and cure diaper rash
- As a moisturizer for all the body
- As an antiseptic
- To soothe insect stings and bites
- To relieve the pain caused by blisters
- As a conditioner for hair
Activated Charcoal
Do the words activated charcoal ring a bell? This product went viral because of YouTubers who used it for teeth whitening, but you know what, activated charcoal has many more benefits and uses besides helping you to get a blinding white set of pearly whites.
Activated charcoal/carbon image by Ravedave, CC-BY 2.5
Activated charcoal or also activated carbon is created when common charcoal is heated in the presence of a gas. Thanks to the gas, charcoal develops thousands of tiny pores that increase the charcoal’s surface area and also increase its ability to trap toxins.
As with aloe vera, I remember this product from my childhood. My mom gave us activated charcoal tablets when we had tummy problems and I have to say, that those black tablets worked their magic!
Activated charcoal can be produced from coconut, sawdust, bamboo, peat, and also hardwood. I’d recommend coconut-activated charcoal as it’s the most effective due to the largest surface area (more space to trap those bad chemicals!)
Activated charcoal too, has a lot of uses and according to this ultimate activated charcoal guide, the product can be used for tons of different purposes.
Here’s a little list of the ways you can use activated charcoal while touring the world.
- Is said to prevent hangovers
- Works well for acne treatment (mix it with the above-mentioned aloe vera gel and you’ll have a great face mask)
- To soothe and cure Insect bites
- Works wonders with food poisoning
- Makes a great emergency water filter
- Helpful for jet lag
- Can be used as a shampoo
Tea Tree Oil
The tea tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) is native and unique to Australia and the oil is produced by steam distilling the leaves. Aboriginal Australians have been using the powerful oil for generations, but commercial tea tree oil consumption started in the 1920s.
Tea tree oil is widely researched and is reported to have antibacterial, analgesic, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to these traits, oil is widely used in the cosmetics and healthcare industries.
I have been using tea tree oil since I was a teenager, to cure breakouts, but I actually had no idea that this essential oil had other uses too. Let’s see below why tea tree oil is good!
- Efficient as an insect deterrent
- A great antiseptic
- Perfect for acne treatment
- Works well as an all-purpose cleaner (perfect for the RV)
- Helps to remove ticks (just add to the skin, and the tick will usually unlatch)
As you see, aloe vera gel, activated charcoal, and tea tree oil are products that help you out no matter where or how you travel!
I love the aloe the best. I use it for burns and it works great.
Great list of products. I didn’t know you could use them in the ways you listed.
Aloe vera is the best of the best!! I love it. I will try that oil tree.
Its amazing how many uses various products have. I have never heard of most of the things you mentioned in this post. Thanks so much for sharing this, I will be trying out tea tree oil when i get acne to see how it works.
what a great list to bring. I never knew anything about the activated charcoal. Must pick up some.
It’s just plain smart to take along natural products that have multiple uses when you’re traveling! You never know what circumstances might happen!
These are all very good for your skin and health. I love aloe vera it does wonders and it’s perfect if you’re going to a place with a lot of sun!
I never thought about activated charcoal before. That’s definitely something to consider from here on out. The others I have!
Aloe Vera, we really need that on our travel. I am so glad, I have some on my garden.
Activated charcoal as shampoo and then aloe vera as conditioner?! Wow! This is really awesome!
I always have an oil with me whenever I travel. For me it is helpful specially when you feel dizzy inside the vehicle.
I had no idea I could use Aloe Vera for so many different things. I’m going to keep it on hand from now on especially when I travel.
I would love to try them. Let’s see if I can get my hands on activated charcoal
I would definitely add them. Aloe Vera is a must have for people who are at least concerned with skin care.