Your Ski Trip Packing List: The Ultimate Beauty Editor’s Guide to Skin Care and Wellness Packing

Prudent organization is essential when it comes to toiletries to ensure that you can efficiently fit everything you need—and let me be clear, your skin and hair will be craving a heaping dose of TLC after being out in the blistering cold. As a beauty editor with every product at my fingertips and an avid skier, I’ve done my fair share of testing what works best for my skin on the slopes, and I won’t travel without the essentials.

Toiletries and First Aid to Pack on Your Ski Trip

To encompass my skin-care and general wellness products, I start with KUSSHI  Signature Makeup Bag. One of my favorite aspects of Kusshi bags is how easy they are to clean. I usually try to give them a quick refresh between trips. Inside the Kusshi goes a hydrating face wash. Since I have dry rosacea-prone skin, every skin-care product I bring to the mountain has a hydrating element. I love the feeling of sliding Alpyn Juneberry & Collagen Hydrating Cream Cleanser across my face after a long day of blistering wind. 

A skin-protecting serum is a must-pack to ensure skin is safe from the elements.  Fresh Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum does everything, including smoothing skin, restoring bounce and promoting a glow, but when in the mountains, the most important benefit is that the formula is able to bolster skin’s resilience to external stressors. While I don’t tend to wear much makeup on ski trips, I always pack a cleansing balm just in case. A balm is also good to have on hand for a double cleanse to make sure the SPF and grime of the day are definitely off.

I like to pack a hydrating, barrier-protecting, but lightweight daily moisturizer, like  Dieux Skin Instant Angel, as well as a more intensive, deeply moisturizing night cream. My lips tend to suffer the most in the alpine air, but I think I’ve finally found a winning combination to seal in their moisture, even in whipping winds. You’ll find me repeatedly applying  IMAGE Skincare ORMEDIC Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex on the lifts. It keeps my lips hydrated for hours, and it feels luxurious. Overnight I like to wear a mask like  Lawless Forget the Filler Overnight Lip-Plumping Mask. The plumping benefits are great, but most importantly, I wake up eight hours after application, and my lips are silky smooth and ready for the day ahead. We can’t forget about the body. My favorite way to hydrate is a Kate McLeod Body Stone—the  Relief Stone is a great option for sore muscles, but all the scents are divine. Additionally,  The Feelist Do Not Disturb, extra strength body cream with CBD, is a savior when it comes to aches and pains.

Pack a trustworthy deodorant that will keep you dry and smelling sweet all day. We’ve all had the goggles tan line before, and we don’t want to go to work with that (again), so a long-lasting sunscreen is essential. Less exciting, but ever important—don’t forget a toothbrush and toothpaste.

In my KUSSHI Everyday Makeup Bag, I pack the few makeup products I want to bring. I tend to skip makeup most days and nights on a ski trip, but in case there’s that one night I'm feeling fancy, I want to have a few essentials. Keeping with the hydrating through line, I opt for tinted moisturizer or serum, like  Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, in place of foundation. Tweezers and an eyebrow pencil will always be with me on trips because my brows tend to be unruly. Lastly, I’ll pop the mascara of the moment into the bag.

If you have the room, it’s always nice to bring your own body wash, shampoo and conditioner because you know how your body will react to it. When I’m away for a while, I try to sneak a hair mask as well to moisturize those strands that are prone to breakage when they're out in the cold all day. My hair desperately needs a detangler after it’s been in a braid or buns on the slopes, so I make sure to pack a bottle to use with my hair brush. I always have plenty of hair elastics to ensure hair is tucked away so I can focus on skiing. If it’s that time of the month, don’t forget to pack tampons, pads or whatever you use to manage flow.

All Other Important Miscellaneous Items for Your Ski Trip

I like to keep all the most important items in one secure spot to ease any anxiety about forgetting things. The smaller of the KUSSHI On-the-Go Pouch Set is the perfect place for my season pass, phone, charger and wallet. In the larger pouch, I store medications, glasses and hand and foot warmers. My laptop and charger are always with me on ski trips in case there’s a breaking beauty story—of course. A camera or GoPro and refillable water bottle will always be in my bag. I never forget to pack a book, but rarely get to enjoy more than 10 pages because I’m too busy skiing. Headphones, dealer’s choice. I like to use corded headphones or knock-off AirPods because I will lose a pod in the snow, never to be found again. You can buy snacks when you arrive, but I like to bring some from home to fill my pockets for the slopes, like granola bars or nut mix, so there are fewer ski breaks in line in the lodge.

As a former dancer, I have a few pre-existing injuries, so I’m always sure to pack the items I need to make skiing more comfortable and safe. Personally, I bring a knee brace and inhaler, my partner packs a heating pad and foam roller when it fits in the suitcase or bag, and we always keep our fingers crossed that someone brings a Theragun. Bandaids and an antibacterial ointment are also a good idea for any scrapes or blisters that may occur.

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Allie Hogan is the Associate Beauty Editor at NewBeauty, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness across digital and print. She’s spent the past four months in California and Colorado but is based in New York.