Away from home routine?

[Verdandi]

I spend quite a few nights away from home every month. That has started to interfere with my hair care routine since I don't have the ability to bring all the stuff I usually use (my acquaintances would probably die of laughter if they saw my sleeping cap, for example), wash my hair as I do at home etc and I've started to wonder how other longhairs solve this? Do you have a specific away from home-routine or is your normal routine minimalistic enough?

Mine for sure isn't, and I tend to just ignore the fact that I have hair when I can't handle it as I normally do and end up with sad tangly hair in a ponytail or a braid. I've tried just do do as a do at home, but it's too time consuming and I just end up rushing through it and it results in broken hairs and frustration :rolleyes:

[woodswanderer]

I try to wash my hair less often when I am staying at someone's house. I have the idea that I am going to use too much water and give my host a cold shower. Most of my routine that people would see as abnormal occurs after hair washing anyway. Otherwise I try to find a time when no one wants the bathroom too bad so I'm not hogging it, yet not at night when people want to sleep either so as not to disturb them.

[Kelikea]

Would washing it right before you go and then wearing it mostly up while you are away help? Invest in some spin-pins and a hair stick?

[0xalis]

I'd probably stick to my normal routine regardless of how others would feel about it. I'm a very goofy person so they'd probably not be surprised to see me wearing a satin sleep cap (if I had one. I just settle for a satin pillowcase for the time being.)

[tigereye]

I tend to stick to mine, since I only wash it once a week, and usually mid-week at that. Even if I stay for weeks at something, people don't even tend to notice that I don't wash my hair every other day. The only things people would find weird about my routine is around wash-time. I keep my coconut oil in a little travel-pot, and I think people just assume its a leave-in conditioner when I apply it pre-wash. People can't really see the stuff I apply in the shower, and even my panacea I apply before leaving the bathroom. When I get out, I really just spritz it with detangler and put it up with a waterproof hairstick. I tend to just take tiny travel tubs/bottles with me (unless I'm staying for more than a week, in which case my tiny bottle doesn't hold enough conditioner) and a few hair-toys.

[milque]

I spend every other weekend at the DBF's place. For things like oil and aloe vera gel for every day or every wash treatment, I buy smaller bottles of them or decant mine to keep at his place. For once a week or once a while treatments, I just don't do while I'm at his place. To be honest though I do neglect my hair quite a bit while I'm there, so I'd just put it up all the time except for during washes. Sometimes I don't even brush or style. I have over time bought necessary items like pins and grips, so when I absolutely need them I have access to them. So I guess simplify as much as you can for your away-from-home routine without sacrificing your absolute necessities.

[LMB]

I buy travel sized versions of products I use, or I decant shampoo, conditioner, oil, treatments etc into travel sized bottles/pots and just keep topping them up when I need to. I am away overnight enough that I don't need to worry about product sitting in the smaller bottles for long and it's easier to just fill them up when needed as opposed to trying to work out how much I need for my time away, then washing them out each time I come home to then refill a week or so down the line.
You could get a silk/satin scarf/swatch of fabric to take with you, this is what I do as I just know that people I am staying with would find my sleep cap hilariously funny!

Is it the packing of the products, and the amount of products you need? Or is it the time taken on your routine that you feel others would not understand?

[Sillage]

I maintain my routine because it's really simple: shampoo and conditioner followed by shea butter and a dry oil spray as a leave in.

[SkyChild]

My routine is pretty minimal just now, though I'd take products and toys with me and just get on with it. Also in the goofy camp, so people would just be told "This is what I do" and to leave me alone. I don't see that it's anyone's business what I do with my hair really

[Aderyn]

My routine is also pretty minimal.. just a shampoo bar and maybe a little bit of coconut oil on the ends. For travel, I just don't wash my hair (usually) and wear it up/bring a small bottle of oil (I have a 2 oz bottle of oil that I bought from a salon I have yet to use up, so I typically just take that)/bring sample-size shampoo bars.

[chen bao jun]

What does your acquaintances hair look like?
Maybe they need to learn from you.

[Nadine <3]

When I go away I usually over pack. I can never decide what shampoo and condish I want to bring, so I end up with a bag full, along with my oils. Oh well, I don't give a rip what people think. When I visit my boyfriend I never have to pack anything because I have bathroom stuff at his house on the shelf that he deemed "nadines shelf" He's cool with it. He helps me brush my hair, wash is, condition it...he's asked me to help him with his and we sat around with oils and matching shower caps hehe

[Crumpet]

I travel a lot -- sometimes for months at a time. I keep my basic routine in place. I also wear my sleep cap around people. They don't really care. And they don't really notice how often I wash or what I put in my hair. They always love the hair sticks and forks!

[Chiquita Banana]

I usually wash right before I leave and then if it's a short enough trip, I don't have to worry about it. If it's a long trip, I'll bring along a sample size of my basics - shampoo, conditioner, coconut oil. I've gone without doing this and it was a huge mistake. You never know what somebody else's shampoo will do to your hair!! Eeek!

[Verdandi]

Thanks for sharing :)

I also tend to avoid washing my hair away from home, I wash the night before I leave, but I do a lot of theatre-things and acting, so sometimes I have to get hairspray (I don't usually use hairspray) and such out of my hair.
I don't know why I haven't thought of the travel sized containers! I own several collecting dust in my bathroom cabinet at the moment... :rolleyes:

My everyday routine is pretty simple with LHC-standards, but among non LHC-folks I get a lot of people just shaking their heads and telling me I'm silly with my hair (and yes, chen, they'd probably benefit from listening to why I do it instead of just consider me silly). My routine isn't that elaborate (comb, BBB, a few drops of argan oil, put hair up), to be honest, I just can't find the peace to do it when I have people hoovering around me questioneing it.


So, things to try:

Travel sized containers


Silk scarf or satin pillowcase instead of cap


Remember that what I do to my hair isn't other peoples business (this might be most important...)



And Nadine, your boyfriend sounds awesome! Mine dosn't mind me doing strange hair things, but he would never brush it or anything like that for me :)

[Nadine <3]

Nadine[/B], your boyfriend sounds awesome! Mine dosn't mind me doing strange hair things, but he would never brush it or anything like that for me :)

Thankyou! He is definitely a keeper!:o

[ErinLeigh]

They have awesome little kits at drugstores for airline travel.
I would pack a satin pillowcase (or leave it if you stay at same place often) and then fill the little 1oz containers that come in the travel kit and carry the little kit. Its about the size of a pencil box. There are mister bottles, S&C type bottles and little jars for such goodies as coconut oil. You cold pack serums, oils, product, S&C and still look like a minimalist :)
That covers product and hair cap issue.
Now what is in your routine? Is it more about how you air dry or prepare hair for bed? Would you be willing to share what parts you are struggling to do there?

EDIT: I see you just posted. Sounds like with travel sizes and pillowcase you are set. You now just have to comfortable taking time away from people so you can relax and enjoy your hair time. I love oiling and brushing before bed. I find it so soothing.

[ywall]

I am very particular about my hair and no matter where I go, typically go somewhere every 2 to 3 months, my hair care routine comes with me. I make that extra time at the end of my day to care for my hair:)

[Cederin]

If I'm away a couple of days I just bring my wide-toothed horn comb, my boar bristle brush, a little container with coconut oil and some soft elastics. I rarely wash my hair at someone else's house, so if I have to shower I just WO and spread the oils with the bbb. This goes a long way for me! :)