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We’ve put together a list of must-have items to pack in your toiletry bag. This list is for parents who will be traveling with kids. This is also our ideal toiletries packing list, assuming we are not limited by space or carry-on restrictions.
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Here are our must-have toiletries when traveling with kids. Yes, it’s a lot, but it makes traveling easier and more enjoyable. When we travel, we generally either drive or check bags, so we are not limited by space or liquid restrictions.
Tip: We have an AMEX Platinum card which gives us $200/year in incidental fees on our airline of choice (this can be applied to checked luggage!). Not having to pare down our toiletries to fit within TSA guidelines is a huge plus!
Here are our top 2 tips when packing toiletries:
This is the method we use to pack our toiletries when traveling with kids.
Here is our must-have toiletries packing list (that we’ve perfected after many many trips with kids):
Of course, you will have to modify this list to fit your own needs.
We prefer to travel with our electric toothbrushes if we can. Be sure to charge them before you go (or bring a charger).
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Toothpaste is another essential to pack. Even though this a top toiletry to pack, it often ends up getting forgotten. For this reason, we just keep an extra toothpaste bottle in our toiletries bag at all times. Problem solved!
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Keeping the toothbrushing routine in place for kids is of utmost importance when traveling. Be sure to bring the same toothpaste they use at home. Our (current) kid-approved toothpaste at the moment is Hello.
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4. Deodorant
Bringing your trusty and dependable deodorant is a must-have when traveling. Make sure every family member who wears deodorant has it! We’re currently loving this Native deodorant (the Blackberry & Green Tea scent is amazing!)
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This Thai crystal deodorant spray is a good non-toxic deodorant (if it works for you). Additionally, we use this regularly to spray in shoes and on feet when we go without socks to help keep foot odor at bay. We’ve noticed this really helps keep our shoes from getting stinky. It also comes in a solid crystal form that resembles a deodorant stick but we find the spray easier to use.
We always travel with our micellar water. After antagonizing over ingredients and testing out various different brands, this one by Garnier is our favorite. Garnier makes different versions, but it’s the one with the blue cap that we like best. This takes off waterproof makeup effortlessly and is also great for quickly and easily removing sweat and grime. Bonus, it comes in a travel size (though re-filling it is a pain!)
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7. Reusable Makeup Remover Pads
We use the micellar water with reusable makeup pads. We bought ours from Etsy and have had them for years! The pads are machine washable so we just throw them in with the dirty laundry.
These ones are from an Etsy store called TextileTrolley. They are a “star seller” based out of New Jersey with over 13,000 sales.
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8. Face Wash
We always pack our own face wash in our toiletry bag. If staying in a hotel, we will use the hotel’s soap/body wash, but we don’t risk washing our face with a new product while traveling. We will stick with what we know works and won’t break out our skin. One of our favorite non-toxic face washes that is good for traveling with is this one by Honest Beauty. It’s also smaller in size so doesn’t take up too much room.
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9. Travel-sized Shampoo & Conditioner
We also always bring our own travel-sized shampoo and conditioner. We’ll often use the ones provided by the hotel (if staying in a hotel), but you just never know how your hair is going to react, so we always have a back-up just in case. If we don’t have any sample, travel-sizes of brands we like, we will just decant our own.
P.S. Our favorite non-toxic shampoo (that actually works!) is this one.
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10. Face Serum
For the same reason we bring our own face wash, we also bring our own face serum. We want to keep to our skincare routine. We don’t want to wreak havoc on our skin or introduce new products. We’ve found a lot of great non-toxic face serums we like, including this one by Honest Beauty. It’s super travel-friendly too because the pump twists down to become more compact and prevent leaks. At home, we have some morning specific serums and some night specific serums, but when traveling we do pair it down to one that can be used both morning and night.
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11. Face Moisturizer (with SPF)
Bring a face moisturizer with SPF that all members of the family can use.
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12. Hair Brush and/or Comb
Be sure to pack whatever you and your family members use to do your hair every morning. For our family, this includes both a brush and a comb. We typically just bring a full-sized brush, unless we’re short on space, then we’ll bring a travel-sized one instead (we have this one and like it!).
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13. Continuous Water Mist Spray Bottle
Yes, this may seem a little bougie, but our continuous water mist spray bottle is a part of our child’s daily hair routine. After upgrading from a normal spray bottle, we’ve never looked back. Of course, if we were tight on space, this would probably be the first thing to go. (Getting the hair damp with wet hands works too).
This is also nice to have to use on any wrinkled clothes.
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14. Hair Gel (or Styling Products)
If you use any kind of hair styling products, make sure to pack them in your toiletries bag. One of our favorite non-toxic brand of hair products (especially for kids with curly hair) is Innersense. They make trial/travel size bottles that are perfect for traveling with.
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15. Hair Ties
We always keep a selection of hair ties in our toiletry bag. They always seem to get lost, so the more the merrier! They take up so little room so we just throw a handful in there.
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16. Razor(s)
If you plan on shaving during your trip, don’t forget your razor (and a fresh blade).
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17. Shaving Cream
Don’t forget to pack whatever shave gel or shaving cream you/your family members use. (We can make due using something else for the sake of saving space (like conditioner), but the men in your life likely need this item if they plan on shaving).
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18. Contacts
If you wear contact lenses, be sure to bring enough for your trip (and then some extras), plus any related items.
If you’re running low before your trip, check out 1-800 Contacts! They ship fast. We buy in bulk so we always have some on hand.
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19. Nail Clippers
A nail file/clipper takes up such little space in your toiletry bag, it’s worth packing “just in case”.
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20. Tweezers
Tweezers are another item that takes up such little space in a toiletry bag. It’s worth packing just in case.
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21. Period Products
If you or any member of your family gets periods, then pack your supplies!
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22. Q-tips
We always make sure to pack a couple Q-tips. You never know when a Q-tip could come in handy! They take up such little space, we always throw some in our toiletry bag while traveling!
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We always pack vitamins and recommend including them on your toiletries packing list, even if you don’t regularly take them. With the added stress of traveling and changes in sleep and diet, we like taking a daily vitamin to help give us a boost.
We like traveling with these Rae Vitamins due to their small size.
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We also bring kid vitamins for the same reasons mentioned above. Our favorite brand of non-toxic kid vitamins is SmartPants.
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We also like to take pre and probiotics while traveling. With the germs and diet changes, we like to take these to help keep us healthy.
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We also pack probiotics for kids whenever we travel to do what we can to try and stay as healthy as possible. We like the SmartyKids brand. “The multi-strain probiotics and prebiotics in these great-tasting gummies support digestion and overall immunity with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.”
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If you’ve never had a child with constipation issues, consider yourself lucky. We’ve found that these fiber gummies really help, so we don’t leave home without them. We don’t always need them, but like having them just in case. P.S. They also work well on adults 😉
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28. Thermometer
To save ourselves from any guesswork and give us peace of mind, we always travel with a thermometer. This is another item that we often don’t need, but always bring anyway. In fact, we have a dedicated travel thermometer that lives in our toiletry bag. If a child wakes up in the middle of the night feeling feverish, you’re really going to wish you had a thermometer in your toiletry bag.
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29. Children’s Fever & Pain Medecine
For the same reason we pack a thermometer, we also always pack children’s fever and pain medicine in our toiletry bag.
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A headache can really ruin your day, especially if you’re on vacation. However, you may be more prone to headaches on vacation due to the hustle and bustle and changes in routine. To help prevent headaches while on vacation, our number one tip is to stay hydrated. However, if that fails, we resort to taking meds so we can get the most out of our vacation!
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31. Tums
Stomach problems are another thing can put a real damper on your vacation. We always pack Tums to fall back on.
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32. Band-aids
Band-aids are a must-have item to pack in your toiletry bag, especially if you are traveling with kids. No need for a whole box – just throw in a few different sizes and you should be all set. Feel free to adjust the number of band-aids depending on how accident prone your kids are!
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33. Neosporin
Don’t forget to pack some form of Neosporin. We just bought the smallest tube we could find to put in our toiletry bag.
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34. Spray Sunscreen
We always pack sunscreen in our toiletry bag if we have any plans to spend anytime outside. One of our favorite non-toxic sunscreens is this one (it actually blends in well and doesn’t leave the infamous white cast).
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35. Powder Sunscreen
We know many parents also like the stick sunscreens for kids, but we like this powder sunscreen. It is great for quick, easy applications. We’ve used it alone and also on top of spray sunscreen to get more thorough protection. It’s also great, mess-free way to get sunscreen on the scalp and in and around the hairline.
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36. Bug Spray
If you’re traveling anywhere there may be bugs, include some bug spray. Our favorite non-toxic bug spray (that actually works) is this one.
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So where are all these toiletries going? Most of them get packed in our hanging toiletry bag. It was a game changer when we converted to a large toiletry bag that hangs. Most hotels have hooks on the back of the bathroom door or somewhere nearby. This keeps the bathroom counters less cluttered.
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38. 2nd Toiletry Bag
Because our toiletry packing list is so long, we actually need two toiletry bags. We pack a second zippered toiletry bag that holds our vitamins and first aid items (though you can organize them however you like).
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39. Hair Dryer Brush
If you don’t have a hair dryer brush, it’s a game changer. We have the budget-friendly version, the Revlon hair dryer brush. Yes, it’s big and bulky, but we always travel with it if we can! It lessens the time it takes to get ready in the morning.
This toiletry item is too big to fit in our toiletry bag so we just pack it in our suitcase.
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Phew, we warned you that was a lot! This list can be modified to fit your own needs. Take into account what your family uses on a regular basis. What can you live (or not live) without?
Things like lip balm and hand sanitizer didn’t make our toiletries list because these things live in our everyday purse and would be used while traveling.
Related: List of Mom Purse Essentials (What we always carry in our purse).
The things packed in our toiletry bag are things that we would generally use once we arrive at our destination.
We hope this was helpful in packing your toiletries for you next trip!
