Travel hair care

Travel is the best, what’s not to love about exploring the world while experiencing new people and places. But admittedly without access to our own bathroom, sometimes even a shower, and limited to only a handful of products, it can take its toll on the healthiest hair. Humidity can cause frizz, greasy roots are tough to keep in check, and dry ends and colour fade from saltwater and sunbathing become inevitable downsides to even the best trips. But who wants selfies ruined by hair issues that are entirely preventable? With the right products, you can look your best whenever and wherever you go, no matter what mother nature throws at you.

Travel hair tips

When you’re away, try to leave the heat styling gadgets at home, giving yourself more space in your luggage allowance for hard-working products that will keep your hair in great condition, wherever you are. 

Less heat styling means healthier-looking hair so opt for styling products that enhance your natural texture. Instantly boost your curls back into shape with Pantene Curl Affair Curl (Re)Shaping Cream which contains Pro-V complex, argan oil and omega 9 to hydrate and define resilient, touchable curls. Its anti-frizz hydration lets you cheat the heat and humidity of every far-flung location. If you’re looking for relaxed undone hair for that, ‘just woke up like this allure,’ then Pantene Sweet Mess Texturizing Sugar Spray is worth its weight in gold in your suitcase. It’s perfectly imperfect, sexy hair in a bottle that gives that surfy beach vibe whether you’re on the shores of Bali or the streets of Barcelona.

How to make hair last while travelling

While it can be tough to shampoo as regularly as you may at home, when you do, ensure you get a really thorough cleanse, rinsing out all product build up, sweat, salt and sand from the scalp and hair lengths with each wash. Giving your hair the best and healthiest foundation with each shampoo will ensure it lasts and looks better for longer. 

For those with greasy hair, travel can be a double whammy of sweat and sebum (your scalps natural oils) and occasional showers can only make things feel worse. 

Intrepid adventures often mean there are extended days between your usual shampooing regime, so this is when Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam will become your hair’s new best friend. Featuring Pro-V complex, orchid flower and the active ingredient tapioca, this foaming dry shampoo leaves no visible residue and works without water to cleanse and refresh hair from the roots. Available in a 180ml and 50ml mini, they’re both portable enough to fit in a handbag or backpack with ease, absorbing access oil and giving added life to your style between washes.

How to protect hair while travelling

From air conditioning on planes to the humidity or sun damage of your destination, those who travel frequently know all too well the effect a new country can have on their hair. Luscious locks morph into straw overnight, and silky-smooth locks can turn frizzy before you’ve stepped off the runway. Just as the sun our skin need protecting from the harmful effects of the sun, so does our hair, and if you’ve gone on your trip just after having highlights or a colour process, the sunlight also bleaches the hair making it more prone to breakage. The holy grail for all hair types is a regular top up of light conditioner that fights frizz and adds softness and smoothness without weight or stickiness. Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist instantly detangles and hydrates for silky, free flowing hair. This daily dry conditioner mist, with Pro-V complex, omega 9, aloe vera and jojoba oil, gives weightless protection from flyaways and tangles.

Travel hair products

Whether you’re packing for the holiday of a lifetime with your girlfriends, a weekend away with your family or a corporate work trip, you don’t want to be choosing between an extra outfit or a hair product, so make sure that every product works hard to deserve its spot in your suitcase. Which is exactly why the Pantene Waterless collection comes into its own: it fits into your handbag, and allows you to style, care for and refresh your hair anytime, anywhere. Reset without the rewet, no water needed. 

Flying, especially long-haul, can leave you feeling absolutely exhausted, but it’s not only your body that feels the effects of jet lag. The damaging effects of aircon at 30,000 feet mean that even the glossiest strands become dry, thirsty for hydration and craving moisture deep within. But not with Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist in your hand luggage. With a quick spritz, even the most parched hair feels soothed and smooth once more. Get instantly nourished and hydrated hair – in between washes. This moisturizing, weightless, leave-in conditioner softens, detangles and battles those inevitable flyaways with a combination of Pro-V complex, Omega-9, aloe vera and jojoba oil, leaving your hair healthy and nourished for a full 24-hours.

Boats and road trips are heaven to the eyes but can tangle long, fine and damaged hair into a bird’s nest before you can say “Cheese!,” so before setting out style your hair in a braid or up-do, spritz with conditioner and use Pantene Never Stray No Crunch HairSpray as a finishing touch to keep hair under control. With zero alcohol and a nourishing Pro-V complex, silk and bamboo extract, it locks in your look with a light-as-air, crunch-free finish. 

Now, with your travel hair care set, all that you need to do is decide where in the world takes your fancy, get out your passport and go.

Keep on top of greasy roots with our guide on greasy root prevention – solutions for at home or on the road! 

*does not contain ethanol