If you have limited space in your luggage and aren’t able to bring all your favorite products with you, don’t worry — experts say it’s fine to skip certain aspects of your regular skincare routine and pack the absolute essentials. While leaving behind your favorite bottle of serum or facial mist may be difficult, you can rest easy knowing skipping them for a bit won’t completely throw you off your skincare game. “If [you’re] traveling somewhere which necessitates light packing, I consider the essentials to be: Sunscreen with at least SPF 30, makeup wipes, facial cleanser, and nighttime moisturizer,” says Carol Cheng, M.D., health sciences Assistant Clinical Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Director of the Acne Procedure Clinic at UCLA Medical Center (per SELF). Additionally, dermatologist Shari Lipner, M.D. adds that if you are prescribed topical medication for your skin by a doctor, you should always consider that to be an essential, as stopping your medication unplanned can have adverse effects and lead to a flare-up of the condition your medication was prescribed for.
If you are struggling with limited space, bringing multi-tasking products is also a good idea, so you don’t need to pack as many. For example, instead of packing your mattifying setting spray, bring the makeup setting spray that doubles as a facial hydrator so you feel better about leaving your serum at home.
