I was NOT happy after a recent trip to Target, which for adults is like a kid getting angry after eating a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Not the norm. I needed a few vegan travel size beauty products for a trip the next day, and there were almost ZERO options in the extensive toiletry section.
In just the past few years the amount of vegan products on the market has exploded. There are more options than ever for quality vegan skin care, makeup and beauty products. For almost everything we use there is a vegan option that works just as well (or BETTER!) then its alternative.
The problem is that not many of these companies produce travel sizes. The ones that do have a tough time competing with the lower priced competitors on the shelves, so they are much harder to find. After my disappointing trip to Target, I was inspired to round up some of the best vegan travel size products on the market.
**Update** It’s been over a year since this post was first published, and I’m excited to see more and more vegan toiletries in the store.. even Target! Most of the original products on this list are still here because they have proved to be great staples that work well for almost everyone. I removed a few that became hard to get, and added some new favorites.
Keeping this list entirely vegan rather than just cruelty free did eliminate some otherwise great brands. Vegan products do not contain any animal or animal derived ingredients. Cruelty free means the final product or ingredients were not tested on animals. One does not necessarily mean the other is true.
For example; although Burt’s Bees does not test its products on animals it uses an animal produced ingredient, beeswax. This makes it cruelty free but NOT vegan. Now, let’s get to the goods.
I learned my lesson the hard way by relying on hair products provided by hotels. They are not usually great quality and rarely vegan. After a year filled with travel and severely damaged hair I decided to make sure to always travel with my own hair products.
Aveda is a great place to pick up vegan travel size products for hair care. They carry a bunch of best sellers in travel size, so there are multiple options for different hair types. I love the Damage Ready and Shampure lines.
Paul Mitchell One Shampoo and The Conditioner are classics. Mild and gentle, they are both great for all hair types. The Conditioner can even be used as a leave in conditioner, shaving cream, or moisturizing body wash in a pinch.
The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day line is ideal for combating hard water and product buildup. It won’t strip the color from color-treated hair either. This perfect kit has a travel size version of both the shampoo and conditioner, along with dry shampoo and styling treatment
I don’t know about you but for me traveling without a dry shampoo is just not an option. Sometimes after a long flight or even longer day there just isn’t any energy left to wash and blowdry. To quickly get rid of the grease or amp up the volume, dry shampoo is a lifesaver.
Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo is suitable for all hair types and available in two different scents, Original and Lush. Reviews say this one is heavier than other dry shampoos, so start with less than you think you need.
I mentioned the Living Proof line above for its great shampoo and conditioner. The dry shampoo absorbs and repels dirt, to actually clean hair.
A powder rather than a spray, the application process for Verb Dry Shampoo is a bit different. Gently shake out a little product along your part and let set for 2 minutes before brushing. If you accidentally apply too much, just blow dry away the excess.
This is one of my favorite dry shampoos on the market for its light clean scent and super absorbent formula. It’s made without talc, so there is no white residue left behind.
My favorite place to pick up natural and vegan travel size products is The Body Shop. Most of their lotions and body creams come in travel sizes as do their shower gels, scrubs and hair care.
Shower gels from The Body Shop are made with glycerin rather than soap, getting skin clean without drying it out. There are lots of great fruity, floral and clean scents to pick from but classic mango is one of the most popular.
For a vegan travel size body wash, the low price point of Love Beauty and Planet can’t be beat.
This set includes 3 different scents, all organic and free of parabens and sulfates. They are made to be safe for even the most sensitive of skin types.
Besides being ultra moisturizing and luxurious, Supergoop! Hand Screen boasts an SPF 40 to boot. Keep this one in your bag to apply to hands and arms throughout the day.
The Body Shop Body Butter has been a cult classic for years. The thick, creamy formula softens the driest of skin without leaving a greasy residue. There are different options for every skin type ranging from normal to extra dry.
The whipped formula of Tarte Cake Butter goes on like a dream and absorbs quickly into the skin. It has a strong, sweet scent that is fun to use when you want something fragrant.
Sun Bum Original SunScreen Lotion SPF 30 is water resistant up to 80 minutes, gluten free and reef safe.
The whipped mousse consistency of Supergoop! Unseen SPF 40 does double duty as both a moisturizer and a sunscreen.
I’m adding Badger Sport Broad Spectrum SPF 35 to the list because it’s sold in many grocery and big box stores in travel size, although it DOES contain beeswax, making it only cruelty free. Even though it’s not vegan, it IS reef safe. When faced with only non-vegan options, this will likely be your best bet.
I have been using natural deodorant for a few years now, and I can be honest when I say they don’t all work. After trying several different brands I finally found one that worked BETTER than my regular deodorant…Schmidt’s. Schmidt’s goes on smooth, doesn’t leave a residue and prevents odors.
I jumped for joy when I found out Schmidt’s started making travel sized versions and picked up more than one to have on hand. I usually go with Bergamont-Lime or Charcoal-Magnesium, but there are lots of unique scents for both men and women.
The aluminum free Kopari Beauty deodorant is a blend of coconut water, coconut oil and sage oil great for sensitive underarms.
Deodorants from Each and Every contain no aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrance, baking soda or gluten and come in sustainable packaging made from sugar cane.
There are lots of natural toothpaste options on the market these days. I have seen more and more options popping up at traditional grocery stores rather than just specialty shops, making it easier than ever to buy. When it comes to travel sized tubes though, they are much harder to find.
One thing to keep in mind when shopping for vegan toothpaste is that many of the options will be fluoride free. Most mainstream vegan brands do sell varieties that contain fluoride as well, so be sure to pay extra attention to the ingredients to get the one you need.
Activated charcoal products are taking over and toothpaste is no exception. The innovative black paste made from coconut ash both whitens teeth and freshens breath. Hello makes a minty version at a low price point.
A classic natural toothpaste, Jason Powersmile is one of those brands that used to be hard to find, but is now hitting the shelves of major grocery chains. The 3 oz tubes are a little bigger than typical travel size, but they are still small enough to fit nicely into a toiletry bag.
The 1oz size of these tubes from Tom’s of Maine are the perfect carry on vegan travel size toothpaste. Full Disclosure: Tom’s parent company (Colgate-Palmolive) is NOT vegan, just something to keep in mind when making your choice.
Like any other beauty product, finding the vegan travel size product that works for you is a matter of trial and error. Personally, I have been swapping out one non-vegan product at a time for a vegan alternative, and have been blown away with the quality of the products out there. Picking up these mini versions is the perfect way to try new products before committing to the full size version.
If you have a favorite that I didn’t mention, share it with us in the comments!
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LOVE THIS!!! As someone who is transitioning from vegetarianism to veganism, this is SOOO HELPFUL when travelling. Thank you!!
Not a bad list - but not great list either Hailey. My problem with this is that you have given the list the title of VEGAN TRAVEL SIZE BEAUTY PRODUCTS, so it is aimed at travellers and in most cases to far off destinations (or even domestic ones). The vegan bit I love as I'm a vegan, and a lot of the products are ok - not great as many have a great deal of water (eau/aqua bulking them out too!) - but what I find hard to take is that all of these products are packed in plastic - so they're not zero waste or recyclable which is an imperative these days when you're travelling to places like the Caribbean or other exotic vacation locations where they just can't cope or deal with plastic or non-recyclables which just end up in a landfill or even worse in the ocean. That's why i use these guy's products at http://www.TheSolidBarCompany.com, they're 100% vegan with great ingredients and all eco-friendly - and they ship all over the world! I'm not associated, related or an affiliate just a planet loving vegan world traveler. Best wishes!
Thank you for the feedback Cathy. I agree with you 100% about trying to limit plastic. I personally have reusable containers that I decant makeup and other products into from the full sizes for travel. I especially appreciate when a product that I use daily comes in travel size, so I can continuing refilling the travel size bottle. I have been using the same mini tea tree bottle for years and refilling it. Sometimes it's nice to have those original labels! This is a lot easier for me because I do travel so often. I know that a lot of people don't bother doing that for one or two trips a year, and I want to give them vegan options regardless. I will give the company you suggested a try for myself.
I truly agree that some of the Hostel I've stayed with are not really using a good quality toiletries and rarely vegan. You own an amazing list here, and I haven't tried using most of these products, except for the Body Shop products. And I must say that it is really recommendable. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I am glad I came through this post. I got to learn what is the difference between vegan and cruelty free. Are organic products different type and they can be cruelty free and not vegan as well?
That is such an amazing recommendation of vegan travel-size beauty products. I've been looking for a dry shampoo and would love to check it out Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo!
I am glad to hear that the options for vegan and cruelty-free products have expanded in recent years! I also honestly didn't know the difference between the two, so thanks for including that in your post :) I have never used dry shampoo but I keep hearing it mentioned and think I need to give it a try.
One idea is to buy the small empty plastic containers (which I've seen at Target) and then fill them with the bigger bottles of your favorite brands at home before a trip. It's a little greener and probably cheaper since you're buying more in bulk. However, I can't say I've been great about doing that myself when I travel. It's admittedly more effort and you've got to clean them out if you plan to refill them, especially with a different product later.
Great to know, I will definitely pass this list along to my wife who I'm sure will make great use of it! Thanks for putting this together!
Travel size products are nice and convenient to bring around in many trips. Recently, I've been using my empty small bottles from my favorite hotel, and refill them with my products. It's cost savings!
Good list, especially the sunscreen which is essential. Many people think that sunscreen is just for the beach but you should wear one every time you spend time outside. Especially on the face.
I am a vegetarian and also want to use vegan cosmetics and beauty products. It is great to know about all these products as they are very much environment-friendly. For beaches and sunny locations, I would prefer Supergoop! Sunscreen Mousse SPF 50.