Christmas day is rapidly approaching. Everyone is in a frenzy to get their Christmas shopping done. In addition, many are also preparing for that long awaited Christmas vacation, or simply ready to travel back “home” to spend the holidays with friends and family. That means, not only is there stress in having to bring along all of your holiday gifts, but there’s also your own personal belongings to pack up. As someone who travels a lot, I’ve learned what skincare and beauty items are essential to have while traveling, without going overboard or leaving anything behind. Here are my tips to packing light, while keeping your skin happy.

First and foremost, prepare your skin for the long trip by drinking lots of water. Several days before you intend to travel, drink even more water than the recommended daily consumption of 64 ounces. I know, that’s a lot of water, but the benefits are so worthwhile! Exposure to the very dry cabin air while traveling via airplane is extremely dehydrating. You will not only feel the effects of dehydration in your skin, but also throughout your body. Have you ever wondered why you tend to experience bloating, puffy eyes, chapped lips, and swelling of wrists and ankles after a flight? These are all symptoms of dehydration! The body will actually retain extra water in those particular areas in an effort to prevent total loss of hydration. The best way to avoid dealing with these discomforts while traveling, is to start hydrating your body beforehand.

Be prepared for possible travel delays or detours. Put together a travel size (3 oz or less) skincare kit which you can take along in your hand carry bag to include your facial cleanser, toner, moisturizer, sunblock and lip balm. If you don’t have time to venture out and find travel size containers for your skincare kit, consider a travel kit such as the MD Formulations Travel Essentials Kit.

Carry your toner in a small spritzer bottle. During your travels, a quick mist of your toner will help to revive tired and dehydrated skin.

Your hands will also need some TLC. Include a small instant hand sanitizer gel and a travel size of your favorite hand cream. While traveling, I find myself washing my hands more than usual. So when a sink is not available, I take comfort in knowing that I have my handy hand sanitizer. With all the hand washing and drenching in hand sanitizer, it is important to have a good and heavy hand cream to keep your skin moisturized.

If you are like me, then you cannot travel without your makeup. Here are a few suggestions for condensing your makeup bag. Consider a tinted moisturizer with SPF, such as the Juice Organics SPF 30 Light Tint Moisturizer to take on the job of your moisturizer, sunblock and foundation! A creme blush like the DuWop Blush Therapy For Cheeks, Elixir (natural taupe pink) or NARS The Multiple Multi-Purpose Stick, South Beach is great for your cheeks, lips and even eyes! Be sure to choose a fairly neutral color with just a hint of pink. Lastly, don’t forget your brow brush to keep those brows tamed and mascara to complete your look.

For those of you who can’t leave the house without wearing makeup, then a portable makeup remover like the Revlon Makeup Eraser Pen is a must-have. This convenient beauty tool works great for making small corrections to smudged or running eyeliner or mascara without having to wash off all of your makeup.

There are just so many things to worry about when traveling, especially during the holidays. Ease the burden by using my tips above to keep yourself looking and feeling great, while on the run.