Travel & Hair Care

[rhysiana]

I thought it might be interesting to find out what people take with them for their hair care regimen when they have to travel, especially by plane.

My story (and keep in mind that this was prior to my finding LHC, if this sounds like a horror story): I took an almost-3-week business trip to Asia this summer, involving stops in both Japan and China and covering 5 different cities within those countries. After previous bad experience (did you know some luggage never, ever comes back?) I always try to fly with a rollaboard-sized suitcase, so I'll never have to check a bag unless the plane is really tiny. With all the restrictions on liquids now, I had decided to simplify my life by taking only a shampoo bar and using conditioner from the hotel wherever I was on wash days. Imagine my surprise to discover that Chinese hotels don't believe in conditioner! This is how I came to be stuck in China for 10 days with only shampoo and a brush. I won't do that again.

Anyway, since more and more airlines are starting to charge for even the first checked bag, and I suspect a lot more people will start wanting to take only carry-ons, what are some of your favorite travel techniques and/or products? I need to start planning for my next trip, whenever that is!

[Periwinkle]

I'm watching this with interest - I'm flying to Italy on Saturday, and won't have room for five hundred different conditoners! :O

I went away a few weeks ago (canal boat) and took with me my wooden comb, a plastic shower comb, shampoo and conditioner, two pairs of sticks, a million elastics and loads of kirby grips and wavelength pins.

[Anje]

I haven't tried them, but there are several Etsy sellers with "solid conditioner" bars without sulfates. I think if I were flying any time soon, I would probably give it a try.

[2TortyCats]

I use a mix of either shea butter or mango butter melted with jojoba on low heat on the stove, then poured into a plastic jar after it cools some. It becomes solid when completely cool, so it doesn't leak everywhere with the pressurization on the plane. You could use it to oil your hair if you got stuck without conditioner.

[Soniasonia]

Well then I dont believe in China!:P

[chloeishere]

The last time I traveled, I took:

a bar of cold processed soap with seeds for exfoliation (no stripping SLS for me, please!) for my body and face-- this was in a travel soap dish.

A small tub of dairy whip (which is the soap I use for my hair, doesn't require an acid rinse for me-- it's closer to solid than liquid, I think).
A little "dishwashing soap" bottle of conditioner, which was 2 ounce size-- believe me, that's quite a bit of conditioner! I'm sure it would have lasted 10 days, even if you washed every day.
I like to mix a heavier/ richer conditioner with something thinner and lighter, so that's what I did. I still need to finish off that little bottle, actually.I think two ounces of conditioner would last for a decent amount of time, as long as you used something decently thick and decadent!

Airlines will let you take little 2 ounce bottles of fluid on in a carry on, but they have to be in a single, sealed zip lock bag.

I got the little dishwashing soap bottle from target in the travel-sized area for something like fifty cents, and I think it was perfect for conditioner! They probably have similar stuff at Sally's, or any sort of chain like Target, Walmart, etc.

[anna1850]

If I'm going away for just a couple of weeks and travelling light I just take conditioner and go CO. COing for more than a couple of weeks leaves my yucky but it's OK for a couple of washes and I don't want to take shampoo, vinegar, mixing bottle for vinegar etc.

I also have some travel size bottles that I got from Boots (pharmacist) which I can decant stuff into.

On a side note, I went to Edinburgh for 4 days last week and my sister asked me where my shampoo etc. was and I said "I washed it on the morning we left." and she said "Yeah, but you'll have to wash it again," and I explained that I'm only washing my hair every 6-7 days now and she gave me the weirdest look. She washes her hair every day. Another convenience of long hair :)

[rhysiana]

Anje: I've seen some solid conditioners some other places too, and have pondered them, but I haven't quite worked myself up to using them. I bet someone in the Solid Shampoo thread has an opinion about this; I'll check.

2TortyCats: I can tell I'm going to have to learn to improve my kitchen creativity here!

SoniaSonia: Heeheehee

chloeishere: Yeah, I normally would have done that, but I'm lazy, and I think I had to make something like 10 different passes through various airport security screenings during that trip, and I was determined not to have any liquids to get out and put back in.


On a side note, I went to Edinburgh for 4 days last week and my sister asked me where my shampoo etc. was and I said "I washed it on the morning we left." and she said "Yeah, but you'll have to wash it again," and I explained that I'm only washing my hair every 6-7 days now and she gave me the weirdest look. She washes her hair every day. Another convenience of long hair :)
anna1850: It was one of the strangest things to me the first time I cut my hair, realizing that I had to wash it so much more frequently. It's always surprising to me when people comment that my long hair must be so hard to take care of. I've always found it the opposite!

[Tapioca]

If I'm going to be there more than two or three days, I'll bring a small travel-size bottle of shampoo and buy conditioner there. (And since I've never been out of the US, I can always find conditioner.) Oh, and I need to bring my aloe/jojoba snot. Can't live without it.

[SHELIAANN1969]

I would have used some oil, any oil, cooking oil, shortening, anything (as long as it was unused) haha for oiling my ends.

I am sure the kitchen in thehotel, a nearby restraunt or store should have had something?

Many Chinese women (and Asian women, in my opinion) have wonderful, long, silky, healthy fabulous hair and they HAVE to have some type of hair care regime in the Far east.

*off topic* Did you find any cool hairtoys while you were there? How was the visit? Did you have a great time?


ETA -- solid shea butters or cocoa butter sticks would have been a great idea as well

[truepeacenik]

I have a "review" of two solid conditioners in my LHC blog.
link in siggy.

[rhysiana]

*off topic* Did you find any cool hairtoys while you were there? How was the visit? Did you have a great time?

Unfortunately, I didn't find any great hairtoys this time. The last time I was in China, though, I came back with 3 lovely metal hairsticks with cloisonne toppers, found in Shanghai IIRC.

I really wanted more time to look for stuff in Japan, but that part of the trip was very whirlwind. I lived there for a year, but at the time my hair was fairly short, so it didn't occur to me to look. Rotten luck. I'll have to go back!

I can't say that this particular trip was a great time, but it definitely had some bright spots. I blogged about it extensively, starting here (http://dkwatson.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/the-great-japanchina-trip-getting-there/).

[rhysiana]

I have a "review" of two solid conditioners in my LHC blog.
link in siggy.

I must post more so I can access it! Will work on that immediately.

[Periwinkle]

Lush sell solid conditioners. I've tried a few, and they're really nice! They smell divine, too. If I use a wash-out conditioner (normally I use leave-in), then I use one of theirs.

[rhysiana]

Lush sell solid conditioners. I've tried a few, and they're really nice! They smell divine, too. If I use a wash-out conditioner (normally I use leave-in), then I use one of theirs.

I am eagerly awaiting the opening of the new Lush store in my town, so I'll definitely give them a look. From the website, they seem to only have Jungle in solid. Do they have others?

[CopperHead]

www.soap-lady.com/shampoo.html

I really like these shampoo bars and the Treatment Bar is great! It is small, but you don't need very much. :)

[Amara]

I loved my hair in a few smaller braids for a short trip. No detangling, no washing, no worries.

I also love my 'poo bars for easy hair care. I don't condition or do anything else to my hair besides an ACV rinse, and I would think wherever you're traveling to you could find a small bottle of ACV and just use it while you're there rather than traveling with it.

[intothemist1999]

I haven't tried them, but there are several Etsy sellers with "solid conditioner" bars without sulfates. I think if I were flying any time soon, I would probably give it a try.



Yikes, the cheapest is $12 a bar?? Wow!

I've used a shampoo & conditioner bar from the health store for only a couple of bucks. I'll check if they do conditioner bars. I could have used those when I travelled recently (especially with all the restrictions on how much liquid you can take).


.

[Anlbe]

I just travelled to Spain for ten days and forgot to take any pins! Had to use a pencil for the whole ten days.
In the heat and sunshine and with regular sea bathing my products were burts bees avocado pre shampoo treatment sat in my hair all day. Jojoba oil to comb my hair out with a wide tooth comb each evening, and a small amount of shampoo and conditioner as I only wash my hair once a week.
All good hair came back with no damage except that it's slightly blonder.

[Chromis]

I take a Chagrin Valley CV bar since those have the most consistent results on my hair and a lotion bar when I travel. Citric acid would be easy to travel with but I always worry they would think it looks like something suspicious (but I'm a very paranoid traveller, the planes don't bother me but I hate the security).

[rhysiana]

Okay, after spending most of yesterday reading through 67 pages of the 100+ page thread on shampoo bars (what can I say, work was slow) and then doing some light Googling, I can report back on some of the key points I came away with, and other with more experience with said bars, perhaps Clomis, can correct where necessary.

1) Shampoo bars (CV, PLH, Serpentine Hair, etc.) and solid shampoos (Lush) are considered to be different things, because the bars are entirely sulfate-free.

2) Sulfate-free shampoos also seem to necessitate, for most people anyway, following with a vinegar/citric acid rinse. (In the case of the vinegar, this again runs into the problem of a liquid, but the citric acid comes in powder form, as Clomis mentions above.)

3) A possible reason we don't seem to hear much about solid conditioners is because most people in the shampoo bar thread find they do not need to use conditioner once they find a successful shampoo bar routine, due to the amount of moisturizing oil already in most shampoo bars.

4) Lush now makes most of its solid shampoos SLS-free, but they do use sodium coco-sulfate. The power of Google says that SCS is a diluted form of SLS. The internets also say that SLS, etc. should only be a concern to people who have an allergy. (My rudimentary searches of LHC haven't turned up an explanation of why all sulfates are supposed to be bad, so I'd welcome an explanation, as I'm new here.) Anyway, the use of sulfates seems to preclude the need for a vinegar rinse, so provided that one doesn't have strong feelings about being 100% sulfate-free, this might be the better option for traveling.

4a) I use the Lush solid shampoos, and the one I was using in China (called "New!") is one that supposedly helps regulate scalp oils. I'm not entirely sure how well it does that specifically, but it does leave my hair very soft, and it remained mostly tangle-free the whole time I was there and unable to follow it with conditioner. My ends may have started to be a little dry by the time I got back to the US, but that's not bad for 10 days of high stress, strange and varied water, and unusual food. I habitually use a BBB, so that was probably helping to redistribute some oil to the length anyway, but I probably would have been able to do without conditioner entirely and on purpose if I taken solidified oil like 2TortyCats suggests.

[serenitygal]

I generally try to bring this stuff in my carry-on, as I can't imagine being without a lot of it. As we're restricted to a one-quart-sized plastic ziploc bag, I generally get the small 3 oz bottles and fill them with what I need: 1 bottle conditioner (I dilute my conditioner to about 50%, so even a small bottle will last for a while), 1 bottle mixed aloe gel and jojoba oil, 1 bottle contact solution, and 1 screw-top container of Oyin Whipped Pudding (works for hair and body). I use a cake of soap instead of body wash. I slip my lipstick/mascara/lip gloss/lip balm in the nooks and crannies of the bag.

[Chromis]

Okay, after spending most of yesterday reading through 67 pages of the 100+ page thread on shampoo bars (what can I say, work was slow) and then doing some light Googling, I can report back on some of the key points I came away with, and other with more experience with said bars, perhaps Clomis, can correct where necessary.

1) Shampoo bars (CV, PLH, Serpentine Hair, etc.) and solid shampoos (Lush) are considered to be different things, because the bars are entirely sulfate-free.

2) Sulfate-free shampoos also seem to necessitate, for most people anyway, following with a vinegar/citric acid rinse. (In the case of the vinegar, this again runs into the problem of a liquid, but the citric acid comes in powder form, as Clomis mentions above.)

3) A possible reason we don't seem to hear much about solid conditioners is because most people in the shampoo bar thread find they do not need to use conditioner once they find a successful shampoo bar routine, due to the amount of moisturizing oil already in most shampoo bars.

4) Lush now makes most of its solid shampoos SLS-free, but they do use sodium coco-sulfate. The power of Google says that SCS is a diluted form of SLS. The internets also say that SLS, etc. should only be a concern to people who have an allergy. (My rudimentary searches of LHC haven't turned up an explanation of why all sulfates are supposed to be bad, so I'd welcome an explanation, as I'm new here.) Anyway, the use of sulfates seems to preclude the need for a vinegar rinse, so provided that one doesn't have strong feelings about being 100% sulfate-free, this might be the better option for traveling.

4a) I use the Lush solid shampoos, and the one I was using in China (called "New!") is one that supposedly helps regulate scalp oils. I'm not entirely sure how well it does that specifically, but it does leave my hair very soft, and it remained mostly tangle-free the whole time I was there and unable to follow it with conditioner. My ends may have started to be a little dry by the time I got back to the US, but that's not bad for 10 days of high stress, strange and varied water, and unusual food. I habitually use a BBB, so that was probably helping to redistribute some oil to the length anyway, but I probably would have been able to do without conditioner entirely and on purpose if I taken solidified oil like 2TortyCats suggests.

Yes, I do indeed find that I do not need a conditioner with my shampoo bars though I do need an acid rinse. If the water is soft where I am travelling I can skip it though and if not I just live with it being a tad waxy and wear it up. In some places you can swipe vinegar packets from fast food places to use to rinse hair with or you can experiment with what you can find locally. The lotion bar keeps my hair from drying out, esp in hot climates and smooths frizzies wonderfully.

[intothemist1999]

I take a Chagrin Valley CV bar since those have the most consistent results on my hair and a lotion bar when I travel. .


The lotion bar keeps my hair from drying out, esp in hot climates and smooths frizzies wonderfully.


Wow, I've been in the LHC for over a year and never heard of a "lotion bar" before, or using it as an option to combat the frizzies!

I just checked the CV website (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/) for them (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/lotbar.htm). Although it says it's for skin, you find it works well for hair, too, huh?! How cool!


.

[Chromis]

Wow, I've been in the LHC for over a year and never heard of a "lotion bar" before, or using it as an option to combat the frizzies!

I just checked the CV website (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/) for them (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/lotbar.htm). Although it says it's for skin, you find it works well for hair, too, huh?! How cool!


.

I do have Ida's 3 Butter Bar, but my favourites are actually a couple that I got from a local farmer's market that are mostly shea-based and much softer. The booth was called Turtlelily, but sadly they don't seem to have a website. I actually find they work much better in my hair than they do on my skin :D

[Eryka]

As a frequent long haired traveller, I spazzed when the airports did their liquid crack down. Honestly though, it's not that bad.

Regularly I fly from southern San Diego to Copenhagen in Denmark, either stopping in Atlanta, Chicago or London. With a little forethought, it's no biggie.

Take duplicates of your essentials in your carry on. Make miniature shampoos, oils, condishioners, leave-ins ect. Same with any skin care products. Get 1 plastic baggie for each, smaller the better. Personally I don't mind this because I've had several things explode while travelling and have lost a lot of money with the conditioner.

Take the mini's in your carry on and PLAN that your large luggage will be lost for up to 5 days. I've only lost mine once and I had it in 24 hours but, better safe than sorry. So take an extra tshirt, pants ect. (Generally I don't take extra bra and undies because I can just wash in the sink of wherever I'm going.) The only makeup I bring is loose powder and a heavy duty chapstick. The powder is ok to have but not necessary, just vanity. The chapstick however, is necessary. Plan on using at least half of it in a 8+ hour flight.

This last and final thing will save your skin and hair: DRINK WATER! Drink it when waiting for your plane, during layovers, at dinner, on the plane, everywhere! If you don't feel like you can swim to your destination, you're not drinking enough.

Travelling has been made complicated but, with a little planning, it can go smooth as silk.

[danacc]

Okay, after spending most of yesterday reading through 67 pages of the 100+ page thread on shampoo bars (what can I say, work was slow) and then doing some light Googling, I can report back on some of the key points I came away with, and other with more experience with said bars, perhaps Clomis, can correct where necessary.

1) Shampoo bars (CV, PLH, Serpentine Hair, etc.) and solid shampoos (Lush) are considered to be different things, because the bars are entirely sulfate-free.

2) Sulfate-free shampoos also seem to necessitate, for most people anyway, following with a vinegar/citric acid rinse. (In the case of the vinegar, this again runs into the problem of a liquid, but the citric acid comes in powder form, as Clomis mentions above.)

3) A possible reason we don't seem to hear much about solid conditioners is because most people in the shampoo bar thread find they do not need to use conditioner once they find a successful shampoo bar routine, due to the amount of moisturizing oil already in most shampoo bars.

4) Lush now makes most of its solid shampoos SLS-free, but they do use sodium coco-sulfate. The power of Google says that SCS is a diluted form of SLS. The internets also say that SLS, etc. should only be a concern to people who have an allergy. (My rudimentary searches of LHC haven't turned up an explanation of why all sulfates are supposed to be bad, so I'd welcome an explanation, as I'm new here.) Anyway, the use of sulfates seems to preclude the need for a vinegar rinse, so provided that one doesn't have strong feelings about being 100% sulfate-free, this might be the better option for traveling.

4a) I use the Lush solid shampoos, and the one I was using in China (called "New!") is one that supposedly helps regulate scalp oils. I'm not entirely sure how well it does that specifically, but it does leave my hair very soft, and it remained mostly tangle-free the whole time I was there and unable to follow it with conditioner. My ends may have started to be a little dry by the time I got back to the US, but that's not bad for 10 days of high stress, strange and varied water, and unusual food. I habitually use a BBB, so that was probably helping to redistribute some oil to the length anyway, but I probably would have been able to do without conditioner entirely and on purpose if I taken solidified oil like 2TortyCats suggests.

A bit of a hijack here. "Shampoo bars" use soap to clean. Soap by definition is alkaline and will form a coating on hair, moreso with hard water than soft. The diluted vinigar rinse will return the scalp and hair to its happy slightly acidic place. It will also help prevent the coating from remaining on the hair by rinsing the minerals and residue left by the water and soap more effectively.

Most shampoos, including the Lush solid shampoo, use a detergent and not soap to clean. The most common detergents used in shampoos are sulfates; SLS is one of these. Shampoos are typically pH balanced, and typically don't leave a coating on the hair. Sulfates are fairly thorough detergents, and they strip the natural oil from the hair. Some folks' scalp is sensitive to sulfate detergents, and some to all detergents. There are SLS-free shampoos that use milder detergents instead of sulfates or soap.

End of hijack.

[danacc]

I took coconut oil in a very small container, shampoo in a 2 oz. bottle and conditioner in a 3 oz. bottle. I also brought hairsticks and a comb. I can forego conditioner for a couple of washes as long as I have my coconut oil. I don't wash that often, anyway, and I only use conditioner on wash days, so those 2-3 oz. will last me a long time. :)

[lynlora]

I just take what is at home.

[Carolyn]

I'd be interested in hearing what CO'ers do when flying and don't want to put a big bottle of conditioner in checked luggage. I use about 1/4 bottle of WR for each CO wash and I wash every other day. When I'm away from home I'd probably want to wash more and not less, as I'd want to look my best. I do not use CV bars but would consider trying the LUSH solid conditioner. I'd use hotel shampoo if I wanted to use shampoo. I don't think hotel conditioners would be that good for CO as most that I've used feel like they are cone conditioners. CWC with hotel products would be one possibility as would stopping at a drug or grocery store if it was convenient.

[Juanita]

Daughter and I will be travelling to Bali in November. I just buy what I want over there and can leave it behind at the end. I like the asian hair products so can find something I'm happy with.