When you're trying to enjoy your vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is your hair. While black hair is powerful and beautiful, our waves, curls, kinks, and curls do need a little extra love and attention; some of us use 10 or more products every day to care for our crowns. Once you've decided on a style, you'll also need to choose the products and tools to pack to ensure that your hair not only looks the way you want it to, but that it won't be damaged by your destination's local climate, or exposure to chlorine and salt water.
To get the inside scoop on the best vacation hairstyles for Black women when traveling, I spoke with seven travel influencers who have traveled the world and have their on-the-go hair care routines down to a science. The consensus is that protecting your hair is paramount, but there are alternatives to braids, and game-changing tips that your hair will love—no matter where you travel in the world.
Here are their go-to looks, genius tips, and must-have TSA-friendly products.
Kellee Edwards: Change her long hair into a pixie cut
Kellee Edwards, host of Travel + Leisure 's "Let's Go" podcast and the Travel Channel series "Mysterious Islands," said that because of her active and active career as a scuba diver, pilot and explorer Adventurous lifestyle, "Short hair has proven to be very manageable for me while still having cute style in the elements and on the road."
Edwards has been traveling for over 10 years and hadn't found any comprehensive TSA-approved kit that would cover dark hair while traveling. So she created the Onyx Hair Kit ($85; onyxhairkit.com), a customizable, travel-size maintenance kit that lets you pack your own products in a bottle to get through airport security. It also includes a satin pillowcase, portable hair dryer cover that attaches to any hotel dryer, comb and mini iron.
For inexperienced travelers, Edwards' top tip is to drink plenty of water—your hair will thank you. "It's your scalp's best friend," she says. "Also, never use hotel shampoo and conditioner. It's not best for black hair. If you have longer hair that's been in water, put it into a braid, let it air dry, and then Washing and combing tangled wet hair is never fun.”
Gabby Beckford: Carry a scarf with you
As an award-winning travel influencer and opportunity expert behind the Packs Light blog, Gabby Beckford has always loved changing up her hairstyle every day, and traveling is no exception. "On the plane, I might wear a puffy bun so I don't get neck pain," she says. "If it's cold and dry, I like to put my hair up to stay warm. If it's hot, humid, or dusty, I'll tie my hair back or wear a hair mask for protection. I really do it all."
In addition to investing in a big hat for the evening, Beckford shared another tip: "Always wear a scarf." They're a quick fashion savior when you're out and about, she adds. "Accessories are your friend," she says. “On a day when curly hair is at its most hopeless, frizzy, and uncooperative, adding a few bobby pins, braiding the front, letting the back go wild, throwing on a pretty scarf, or wrapping it all up will make the curly hair traveler From feeling overwhelmed and stressed about being prepared for any adventure.”
Tyler Patrick: Always pack what you need
Content creator, small business owner, advocate and flight attendant Taylor Patrick says never forget to pack your essentials. “Put it into travel-friendly packaging,” she says. "The hotel shampoo and blow dryers don't work for our hair, so this way I always have what I need." Patrick learned long ago that braids are great for vacation travel: "Trying to stay natural or keep fresh stitches while on vacation is [ Busy]. If your friends ask you to do this for a girls trip, make new friends," she said.
Patrick always packed her hat, too. "I carry two extra in my suitcase because without one you won't catch me slipping and sleeping on the trip!" she said. "If my hair is natural, straightened, or I have seams or installments, I'll wrap my hair with that long, heatless [curling wand] thing and sleep on it so I It won’t put too much heat on the hair.”
Annette Richmond: Have fun
Even if you're flying, you can take advantage of the versatility of natural hair. "I consider myself a naturist," says content creator and founder of Fat Girls Traveling Annette Richmond. "I've learned to braid my own hair over the years, so box braids and personal braids are my go-to when traveling." She also makes sure to keep a few wigs on deck. “As a content creator, I love providing viewing,” she said. "When I take my braids out, I switch between twists and afros. Wearing one of my favorite wigs widens my options."
Most importantly, Richmond said to have fun with it. "As black women, our hair is political whether we like it or not," she said. "Many of us feel locked into beauty standards that don't reflect our heritage. Unfortunately, it's still legal to discriminate against us because our hair grows naturally from our heads, so wear fun Colorful braids or bold, bright wigs are an act of rebellion, she says, and you can wear your hair whenever you feel comfortable, especially when traveling. Don’t have the courage to wear colorful clothes? Try some beads, gems, or shells. "I also like to add fun accessories to my braids—it adds to the vibe," she says.
Martinique Lewis: Protective methods are a must
Digital creator, travel show host and creator of ABC Travel Green Book Martinique Lewis always opts for protective style. Why? “It can withstand rain, pools, paint, dust,” she said. "Wigs or braids are for winning." Lewis has three travel-friendly hair-grabbing styles. First: olive oil. "When your hair is dry and you don't have any products, olive oil can save you," she says.
She also recommends the Onyx Hair Kit specifically for black women who travel. "All bottles are TSA standard sizes, perfect for carrying your favorite hair care products," she said. "Our hair is versatile and so are the products we use. It sucks when we have to do an entire trip without them because we don't have any travel bottles."
In 2020, Lewis created the ABC Travel Green Book so travelers can connect with the African diaspora on six of the seven continents. "I'll tell you where to get your hair braided in Puerto Rico (Racies), where to get your hair braided in Israel (KRasta), and where to find beauty supplies in Vienna (Maya's)," she said. The book is now an app, so you can easily get new Greenbook - you can leave reviews for other users and add merchants you've used on your travels. This is a valuable resource that is a game changer for black hair care abroad. "We are better together, Black people are everywhere. As travelers, we should know how to connect with them," Lewis said.
Christina Jane: Choose braids, twists and leave-in conditioner
Travel writer Christina Jane's go-to look for travel is almost always braids or twists because they're low-maintenance. According to her schedule, she often gets up at 4 a.m. and doesn't come back until midnight. "The last thing I want to worry about is what to do with my hair or having to set aside an extra hour or two to style it into its natural shape or manipulate the wig," she says. "With braids and twists, the biggest thing I have to consider is whether I want to wear my hair up or down."
Jane usually only carries one carry-on, which limits the number of products she can carry. She recommends purchasing TSA-compliant three-ounce liquid bottles from major retailers like Walmart's travel section and filling them with gels and oils you already have at home. “I recently went on a four-day trip to Curacao and took with me a compact version of the Tru EDGE controller that doesn’t take up any space,” she says.
One hair obsession she encountered while traveling was that her strands became very dry after removing her braids or braids. "When I travel, I now use leave-in conditioner and cream to lock in moisture," says Jane.
Tomiko Harvey: Bring a silk pillowcase and lots of conditioner
While Beyoncé-style "lemonade braids" are a favorite of luxury content creator and founder of Passports & Grub Tomiko Harvey's, she also suggests another travel hair tip: Leave the shampoo at home. "Co-washing is a healthier option and also makes your luggage lighter because you only have to carry conditioner," she says.
Harvey's go-to product on-the-go comes from actor Taraji P. Henson's TPH By Taraji collection. "Ultra Chill Scalp Treatment is made with aloe vera, biotin and tea tree oil to help calm an irritated scalp, especially after a day of holiday travel," she says. She says keeping your hair moisturized is key, but bringing a satin pillowcase will help keep it fresh.
