The only downside of travelling carry – on only is the fact that all of your liquids must fit into small 100mL tubes and you are only allowed a certain amount of liquids in your carry-on. This means that you may not be able to carry enough liquids or your trip depending on how long you plan to travel for. On top of that, you need to go into your bag and pull out all of your liquids as you pass through airport security and then try and squeeze them back into your neatly packed bag. It becomes a bit of a pain. So I’ve been wondering if I could DIY solid toiletries for travel.
At home we have made changes to start reducing our waste, we recycle when we need to, we compost and we don’t use paper towels in the kitchen. I began to think about how I can roll this over into our travel lifestyle. When we travelled to Canada for our Yukon road trip, we brought our own water bottles and collapsible coffee cups. Reducing our plastic use then made me stop and think about the chemicals in all the products we use on our bodies each day which are also stored in plastic containers. With this in mind, my goal was to create all natural products from scratch that I could whip up easily with a few basic ingredients. These products then work out to be so much cheaper than buying the more expensive natural versions, so the money saved gets to go into our travel account!
It all started with just using vinegar and baking soda to clean the house, and that has then lead to me experimenting with making soaps, to now all natural beauty products. Why does this all matter? First of all Im giving you some background information so you don’t think Im crazy, second of all, they are actually super easy to do. So here is my guide to DIY solid toiletries for travel.
Body
Soap Bar:
Obviously a bar of soap is the best option for travel, they last a super long time which means you will definitely have enough soap to last a 2-3 week trip. I make my own luxury bars which contain shea butter for moisturising benefits, which is great when we travel to cold countries as it keeps our skin nice and soft. You can view my recipe here but if you are going to attempt to make your own soap then please try and easy recipe before attempting this. The best thing about creating your own bar soap recipe is that you can have it as moisturising and luxurious as you want! Also, you can add your own essential oils and give your soap your own unique scent!
Don’t want to make soap? Then check out some all natural soap bars like these.
Lotion:
This is super easy DIY solid toiletry for travel, just make sure that if you are travelling somewhere hot that it doesn’t melt! Luckily we go from hot to cold so I have to add more beeswax to my lotion bar so it can stay solid here in Barbados. I usually add a drop of citronella oil so this lotion also acts as a mild bug repellant. The beeswax helps to lock in moisture on the skin which is really great for cooler weather.
If you don’t want to make your own solid lotion then check out this or this!
Here is a super simple recipe to make your own solid lotion bar for travel:
Add 1 tablespoon Beeswax, 1 tablespoon Shea Butter, and 1 tablespoon coconut oil to a pot and heat until melted. Add any essential oils to the mixture, once it has cooled slightly and then pour into a mold.
Deodorant:
I was skeptical when I decided to DIY this one. Surprisingly this stuff actually works! This is more of a cream which can be turned into a bar by adding a bit of beeswax. Here is the recipe for a simple all natural deodorant:
Melt 1 tablespoon of shea butter and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda and 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and mix well. If you do have sensitive skin then just double the arrowroot powder and remove the baking soda. I opt for a bit of tea tree essential oil which acts as an antibacterial. With this deodorant you will still perspire but you do not get that body odour.
You can buy something similar here.
Hair Care
Shampoo:
Did you know that shampoo is really considered a detergent? It contains lots of harsh chemicals that leave your hair pretty dried out which is why we need conditioner so you can remoisturize it. I have managed to formulate my own shampoo bar recipe which leaves my hair feeling super soft and luxurious. It actually works so well that I don’t need to condition my hair afterwards. I will just leave a link to the recipe here, but make sure you read an introductory soap making post and practice with a basic recipe first. Also, everyone’s hair is different so this may not work as well for you.
You can buy a sample set of shampoo bars here to find your perfect bar!
Dry Shampoo
I am now starting to use dry shampoo. I love straightening my hair when I travel but usually by day 4 it looks really greasy. Since I don’t bother carrying my flat iron when I travel, I wanted an option that will carry my hair a bit longer before i need to wash it. Here is a super simple recipe for dark hair:
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. To apply just use a brush to apply to your roots and brush through your hair.
Or you can just buy it here.
Teeth
I have recently purchased some Earthpaste and absolutely fell in love with it. It leaves your teeth feeling very clean. I immediately knew that I needed to figure out how to make my own version because I couldn’t possibly order toothpaste from amazon each month.
Here is the recipe to make your own imitation Earthpaste:
2 tablespoons of bentonite clay, 4 tablespoons of warm water, one teaspoon of stevia or xylitol, pinch of salt. Add all of these ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon, when combined add 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil. If it is too thick then add a bit more water.
Once Ive made up this recipe, I put it into these silicone tubes.
For travelling I found this awesome herbal tooth powder recipe here. This will make travelling a lot easier than carrying the earthpaste! This is a great DIY solid toiletry for travel and you can get rid of using toothpaste tubes! You can also buy tooth powder here.
We have been more and more aware of the plastic waste we produce when using items such as hotel toiletries this is why we have started opting for plastic free alternatives. It turns out that these plastic free alternatives are super easy to make on your own which is even better because they are all natural! Win!
We hope that you enjoyed this post and it has given you a few ideas for some alternatives to add to your toiletry bag!
If you are interested in making your own soaps or shampoo bar then give us an email and I’ll send you the recipe!
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