Keeping Your Travel Toiletries Fresh

When I was in Corporate America, I held some positions for which I traveled frequently. That was when I created a travel toiletries kit that could be added to my suitcase with minimal updating. I wrote about how to create such a kit in Toiletries for Travel.

Years later, I’m still using that toiletries kit, although the contents have been changed multiple times over the years. It’s such a time saver to have my travel-sized toiletries all ready for my next trip instead of having to start from scratch every time. When I get home from a trip, if I know I’m not going to be going anywhere soon, I remove anything that has an expiration date (such as eye drops) so that it doesn’t become obsolete.

I hardly ever travel these days, and I was recently wondering about everything else in my kit. Sure, my shampoo and face wash don’t have expiration dates, but that doesn’t mean they will be fresh forever. So I’ve decided to finish them up before my next trip, which won’t be until November.

I’m going to bring them into the bathroom and use them in place of the larger versions that I use all the time. Once the containers are empty, I’m going to wash them out, let them air dry, and put them back in my travel kit. I won’t refill them until it’s time for my next trip.

Are your travel-size bottles in need of refreshing? Check them out in advance of your next trip, before you get sucked into the rush and pressure of packing.