Spills and Spots
Most women prefer their own personal products even when they travel. Allergies? Perfumes we are used to? Most women also experience spills of liquids and or spots when we pack poorly.
A few items to leave home suggested by The Women’s Travel Group:
Lip gloss: when the plane ascends, air inside the gloss tube changes. When you open the gloss, it oozes out surprisingly fast. On clothes, the mess creates havoc. Lip gloss contains lanolins, palm products, aloe and waxes. Once you plop lip gloss on your clothes, it is erasable with alcohol or a cleaning solvent. How many of us bring alcohol or solvents on trips?
Liquid shampoo: Although we recommend shampoo for a quick clothes wash, if it lingers, shampoo can discolor fabrics. Silk, wool and blends might leave a drab stain. Most hotel shampoos are good enough for occasional use (except for some hair types). There are complaints from African American women that watery hotel shampoos and alcohol based products are incompatible with their hair. So if you bring your own, pack it in 2 layers both securely closed.
Plastic tubes of products expand (moisturizer? suntan lotions?). When a plane is at 30,000 altitude, the pressure inside and outside the tube is different. This imbalance causes a product to ‘explode’ when you open it. Plastic bottles for nail polish remover etc. can act similarly. Again double pack before putting in your bag or just leave it home.
Forget nail polish. That gloppy stuff that seeps from the bottle at altitude ruins anything it touches. The resulting dry polish around the top makes the bottle tough to reopen. Many nail polishes sold in North America are not available overseas; so again if you must, double wrap and prepare for the re-opening struggle.
Finally some pens also leak. This is disconcerting, as women usually carry pens to fill out forms for immigration/customs. A simple ball point like a BIC will not leak; a roller ball pen might.
Tie dyed clothes from spillage are a nuisance. Pack securely or leave home what you do not really need. And remember if printed documents or magazines get wet, they will also stain.
Travel Tips from The Women’s Travel Group
https://thewomenstravelgroup.com/tours/ for last minute travel and Autumn 2019-Winter 2020 including India,Croatia,Egypt and Hong Kong.
phyllisnycity@gmail.com 646 309 5607
