The ultimate holiday toiletries packing list

Packing for a holiday should be simple. Then you open your washbag and suddenly nothing fits. Do you really need three haircare products? Is one sunscreen enough, or should you double up with a proper SPF for your face? Here’s the truth: the ultimate toiletry packing list isn’t about cramming in everything you own. It’s about picking pieces that actually earn their space. Think hydrating serums that counteract cabin air, cooling gels for after-sun evenings and SPF that won’t leak all over your wardrobe. Get it right and your washbag becomes the easiest part of the trip.

Kérastase Bain Après-Soleil, £22, and Masque Après-Soleil, £36.99 Oof, it’s expensive, but this is the gold standard of after-sun haircare – once you’ve tried Kérastase, it’s hard to accept anything else. The shampoo contains hydrating coconut water, antioxidant vitamin E and a UV filter, while the mask deserves a medal, frankly – it can rescue even the most frazzled hair from becoming straw, using the same three key ingredients as the shampoo but with added frizz-fighters and detanglers. And it smells divine. It’s particularly good for coloured hair as it helps safeguard against colour fade.

Wella Invigo Sun Care Shampoo, £10, and Conditioner, £10 If the price of Kérastase is just too much to contemplate, here’s the more affordable alternative. Part of the Wella Professionals range sold through salons, this deeply hydrating shampoo with pro-vitamin B5 and vitamin E gently removes sand, salt and chlorine, and the conditioner feels lightweight yet contains apricot oil to repair and soften hair and leave it looking glossy. And it’s delicately scented too – like a holiday in a bottle.

Garnier Ambre Solaire Invisible Protect Dry Mist SPF30, £6.99 One of the great innovations in suncare is the dry mist – no more faffing around rubbing in suncream that simply won’t disappear and then being left with it all over your fingers. This ultra-light, non-greasy mist absorbs quickly and really does go on invisible. It contains soothing aloe vera and vitamin E, can be used on face and body and is also water resistant. And it has the subtlest of scents. It’s a yes from us.

Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Glow SPF50, £9.30 The kind of multifunctional product every holiday washbag needs: a lightly tinted, high-protection sunscreen with vitamin C, which fades dark spots and combats dullness. It’s lightweight and absorbs quickly, giving the skin a healthy, luminous sheen. Can be used under make-up or instead of foundation – because who wants to wearing full make-up when it’s blazing hot? Sheer tints like this are the way to go.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lavant B5, £16.50 A soothing wash foaming gel that is suitable for face, body, babies and, ahem, intimate areas. Yes, down there. This is a one-stop shop shower gel for the whole family. It’s formulated for irritated skin, which means that it’s gentle, therefore ideal for parched skin that’s sensitised or post-sun (but it might struggle to wash away very heavy make-up). Fragrance free, it’s also suitable for eczema sufferers.

Anua PDRN Collagen Glow Facial Serum Spray, £13 OK. PDRN is fragments from salmon DNA that helps improve skin’s appearance and glow. No, no idea how they come up with these things either. But Anua is among the best of Korean beauty – and South Korea is leading the way in the beauty industry in the 2020s. This serum also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and collagen to help maintain the skin’s barrier function, yet it’s lightweight and dewy. This is the cabin bag friendly 30ml size, because it’s a great skin-saver while flying, but 100ml is also available.

Eucerin Sensitive Relief Gel-Cream, £13.50 Aftersun that really works. Eucerin is dermatologist approved and this is a clever non-greasy formula that soothes and calms stressed skin. It contains two liquorice root extracts that are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and help support the skin's repair function, and has a cooling effect so is also great for sun rashes and allergy-related prickles. Light and quickly absorbed, it leaves you to get on with your evening without further ado. Hurrah for that.

AKT The Deodorant Balm, £21 So much to say about this. (I know!) AKT was created by two West End performers who were struggling to find a deodorant that could handle the heat under theatre lights and the adrenaline surges of two daily shows. So they created their own. It comes in five variants of fragrant botanicals, plus unscented, and has a deo-barrier complex to keep you dry. It’s aluminium free and can be used on feet and face too. Just what you need in a long, hot summer.

E45 Itch Relief Gel, £7.26 The gel that will solve a multitude of problems: perfect after insect bites or on rashes, obviously, but it also has a cooling effect that is lovely on tired, overheated legs and feet. With glycerin and vitamin B5 to moisturise and soothe skin, it has a lightweight gel texture so melts into skin effortlessly. If only one product deserves its place in your suitcase, it’s this.

Beach Powder, £22.95 for the set Really does do what it says on the tin, as proved during a pitch on Dragons’ Den, after which Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman invested £60,000 in the brand. Made from plant and mineral powders (but not talc), it instantly wicks moisture out of the sand so it dries out and can be simply brushed off. Genius. The shimmer variant is great if you’re going straight to eat from the beach and want to feel a bit more presentable. Suitable for babies and children too.

Megababe Thigh Rescue anti-friction stick, £18.30 Chub rub is no laughing matter. And it’s not always about chub either – this brilliant little stick that goes on like a silky powder can help chafing thighs, but is also useful for preventing blisters and runner’s nipple, sweat rashes, or protecting any area prone to friction. It’s made with aloe vera, grapeseed oil, vitamin E and pomegranate seed extract, and is dermatologist approved.

Photo by Crystalweed cannabis on Unsplash

Davines SU Aftersun Nourishing Replenishing Fast Hair Mask, £25.75 I know we’ve already had a hair mask but this one is simply too good to omit. It effectively combats lost moisture, making sunbaked hair softer and more manageable, thanks to regenerative bitter orange extract. Simply apply to wet hair, leave for 30 seconds and rinse out – the sort of no-hassle solution we like.

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