As you may have seen from my previous adventures, I have an unwavering love for the Mediterranean. Queues on the other hand are not my thing; therefore, I’ve taken to using hand luggage where I can if I am not shooting content for fashion or beauty brands.
Here’s a round-up of my favourite wellness essentials when travelling (I tested each of these in Ibiza recently), that will take you from home to holiday, but will also factor stylishly into everyday life.
Hero One: La Pochette
The clear La Pochette bag was the perfect addition to my hand luggage, carrying my essential skincare bottles teamed with the Kitbag. I love the idea behind La Pochette and a few things led to the creation of the label.
“Looking like pack horse on our way to work with outrageously sized bags, 300 flights in a year with 300 utterly useless plastic liquids bags, burst shampoo bottle erupting from said bags, leaving unexplained stains”
So, you can see where I fell for La Pochette’s Charms! The La Pochette Anywhere Everywhere small clear pouch ensures everything is kept in its place. From in-bag daily essentials, and post-workout beauty products, to a carry-on toiletry bag. Their signature fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, machine washable at low temperatures, and a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bags.
As for the kit bag, I like to pack clothing separately in my hand luggage when travelling light and this was ample room for swimwear and a spare pair of shorts and a t-shirt. A minimalist design allows a generous central pouch for the kit whilst a separate front pocket offers additional storage for other essentials (this is also the perfect post-workout bag when you are not travelling).
So, what went in the bags…
Hero Two: Lorna Jane
The absolute best sweats to travel in! I was kindly gifted the Reset Trackpant by Lorna Jane. Featuring a relaxed fit and elevated branding, this French Terry pant has a wide-leg silhouette with side splits, pockets and a drawcord waist, they are perfect for travelling as they have a more luxe feel to them than your standard joggers and the neutral colouring works well with a white vest and a knit on your shoulders.
With a focus on sustainability and environmental health, they stand by their brand message of “buy better, not more”. As a company, they continue to take measures to preserve the resources of our planet and reduce our impact on landfills and our carbon footprint.
Hero Three: The Avantguard Sunglasses
Avantgarde Sunglasses was founded by Philanthropist Faiza Seth. Faiza created the collection after she was diagnosed with the beginnings of a cataract. Her vision is to create a beautiful, sustainable, fashionable yet accessible eyewear brand that does good for the planet.
The Avantguard Chelsea and St Moritz sunglasses joined me on my trip to Ibiza, there are 5 styles in total with 5 different colourways. They were perfect styles for the White Isle, the Chelsea is a 60s-inspired oversized round kind while the St Moritz has a more sports luxe feel to them. Sidenote, they are biodegradable plant-based acetate… how cool is that?
Hero Four: SBTRCT Travel
SBTRCT has to be one of my favourite beauty brands right now, because as well as being vegan, their concentrated solid skincare is for people who want to reduce their environmental impact, without compromising on great skin. They pioneered a new solid format of plastic-free, vegan skincare to bring first-to-market formulations using proven ingredients such as squalene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Retinoids that deliver the vest best skincare results.
I was gifted one of the world’s first solid Vitamin C serums, which delivers ground-breaking high performance with a complex of Rosehip Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil and a Vitamin C derivative that works to deliver advanced antioxidant support. Skin will feel instantly smoother and more hydrated, it is also supplied in the most beautiful reusable packaging.
Hero Five: Bimuno
This is the award-winning prebiotic supplement supporting gut health and it’s super easy to pop in your hand luggage via the sachets. A result of 20 years of scientific research to feed the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut. Each Bimuno sachet contains 3.65g of our high-in-fibre, taste-free soluble powder for you to stir into any food or drink. Your new gut health supplement fits seamlessly into your daily routine. The balance of your gut bacteria can be compromised by many factors including diet, infection, stress, travel, sleep, age and antibiotic use.
It’s therefore important to optimise the levels of good gut bacteria, to minimise the impact these factors have on overall health and wellbeing.
Hero Six: Gaia SPF 50
Gaia Skincare is inspired by Gaia, the ancient Greek goddess known as mother nature, GAIA Skincare products are handmade in Britain using traditional production methods. Introducing GAIA’s first SPF moisturiser, formulated with Vitamin E and B5, which both naturally hydrate the skin and help protect the skin cells from damage. This is also the perfect product if you are travelling and need products that can multitask.
SPF 50+ Daily is dermatologically tested and- suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, as well as being certified vegan. The formula is ‘broad spectrum’ which means it will shield the skin against both UVA and UVB rays, offering a higher level of protection, and at 50 ml, there’s no drama at security.
Hero Seven: Sensai SPF 30
The same goes for Sensai, I was sent their factor 30. When I am away suncream is a non-negotiable item in my case, especially when I only ever use cruelty-free, I like to know exactly what I am using. This is a water‑resistant multi‑protection sunscreen protecting against various damage and oxidation from UV rays while addressing signs of sun‑ageing.
Sensai’s ingredients also include Perilla leaf extract found in Silk. They take into consideration the environment in which one of the core raw materials is made. Their ingredients are derived from aromatic herbs grown in sustainable, recycling‑oriented farms that do not use agricultural chemicals or chemical fertilizers.
Hero Eight: Legology
Lastly, it’s more than a hand luggage essential, it’s an oil I use constantly now and it’s the amazing Legology. With an emphasis on lifestyle and the lymph, Legology enhances the body’s own cleansing process to improve leg contours and care. I used it to prep for the holiday, but it’s now part of my routine.
With a citrus base, made with oils of lemon and grapefruit, the scent has hints of eucalyptus, fir and juniper berry with undertones of rosemary. It’s intoxicating, stimulating and energising – indeed everything a deeply detoxifying oil should be.
As you can see, I love travel; but I love to travel light even more, there’s more info on the products via their links above, or take a look at my previous Hand Luggage Heroes editorial here.
