I have become highly allergic to my neutrogena facial wipes. I’m so sad, as they are so easy to pack! At home, I’m back to Pond’s cold cream for my eyemakeup. Blah.
What do you take for that? We do carryon, and there’s just no room in my quart bag. Thanks.
I use the facial wipes from Costco. They’re packaged similar to neutrogena wipes and have been easy to pack. They may have similar ingredients to neutrogena, though, I’m not sure about that!
Fill up both cups of a contact lens case and see how long it lasts at home.
Then label the bottom of the case with Ponds X weeks.
there’s just no room in my quart bag
If there is specific brand you really need like the Ponds, put it in a smaller container in your quart bag. Take something out of the bag that you can buy in Europe when you arrive.
I guess it's ridiculous to suggest you skip the makeup?
Does your husband have room in his quart bag?
If you don't have room in your quart bag for a small container of Ponds, you're taking too many liquids. Or liquids in volumes too large.
We are going to Paris. I know they have popular stores for skin care. I like the idea of filling up a contact case, to get me thru a couple days, then I’ll try to find out the equivalent there.
Not sure where you're going, but I'm pretty sure they sell both makeup remover and cold cream in most places in Europe. Bring a little to use until you can buy some there.
I take makeup eraser cloths. They work great, and you just get them wet and then clean your face. They last for a very long time. I have the small travel size.
I tried Olay Daily Facials Water Activated Dry Cloths for travel after reading about them from someone’s post. I bought the “sensitive” ones because I am sensitive to scents etc. so that might be good for you if you have developed an allergy to some products. They worked great and I am going to pack them again for an upcoming trip. You can cut them smaller to whatever size you need for eye makeup removal and just put them in a small zip lock bag. They are dry and you just wet them with water. They take up minimal space and work great!
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm or Neutrogena Makeup Remover Melting Balm. Works well on non-waterproof eye make up and doesn't irritate my highly sensitive skin. Also, they are solids so I just put some into a contact lens case. A little goes a long way.
Hi Lulu,
I use the Oil of Olay sensitive dry cloths to remove makeup. They changed the cloth texture in the last year and don’t work quite as well but will still be okay for your trip. Since you’re sensitive to certain chemicals, be sure you don’t use these:
At home I just use baby lotion to take makeup off, including eye makeup.
When I travel I use Olay cloths that start dry and activate in water.
Maybe the ingredients might be different for you with those.
If you know Ponds works, I would not risk switching to something else, that only invites trouble.
Basically, you need to "triage" your bag. Maybe do not risk that Ponds will be available in Europe, or at least where you will be. Look at other items. Toothpaste, Shampoo, and a host of other things can be easily had there, consider removing one or more of those items and pick up there.
Also, verify what you have in the bag, needs to be in the bag. Solid deodorant, not in the bag, other semi-solids, no issue out of the bag, sanitizer liquids. Some medical items may also have exemption.
Soap and water works too. Something like Dove that doesn't dry out your skin. And the bar doesn't have to go in the 3-1-1 bag.
Other solid alternatives are bar shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, solid hand lotion, toothpaste tablets. But if you have sensitivities I'd make sure to try them out at home first.
Also think about how you load that quart bag. Put the larger items in first, then it is easier to fit the smaller items in and around.
if you know Ponds works, I would not risk switching to something else, that only invites trouble.
I agree with Paul, especially since what has sent you on this quest is the fact that
I have become highly allergic to my neutrogena facial wipes.
Why in the world would you go try something new and untested while on vacation ? That's just asking for another allergic reaction. And that is no fun on your few days' vacation.
Find a way to take a smaller amount of the Pond's.
Lulu,
I'm with Khansen. Contact lens cases are great. I use 1 for my daily moisturizer, another case has a dab of concealer and a dab of highlighter in 1 well and and some cream blush in the other. Plenty for 2 weeks.
Take a good look at what's in your quart bag. Decant as much as possible. Trial it at home to see how many days it lasts. You'll be surprised. Look for Trial/travel size of your favorite mascara/brow gel or whatever. Don't put anything in your quart bag that is not considered a liquid.
I can get all my liquids in a sandwich size bag including a tube of hair conditioner.
After 7 weeks of getting my face under control, I’m pretty much done with trying anything new. I will stick to Ponds like Paul says and not take the chance. Find other things in France.
I need it mostly for my mascara. Yes, soap and water works, but you have smudges under your eyes and it’s good to not rub that skin.
I do appreciate learning about the special wash cloths you take and baby oil. Thanks for chiming in.
Posted by jeanm Chicago 04/26/25 04:51 PM 160 posts Lulu,
I'm with Khansen. Contact lens cases are great. I use 1 for my daily
moisturizer, another case has a dab of concealer and a dab of
highlighter in 1 well and and some cream blush in the other. Plenty
for 2 weeks.Take a good look at what's in your quart bag. Decant as much as
possible. Trial it at home to see how many days it lasts. You'll be
surprised.
I was absolutely a skeptic on how much product a contact lens case could hold until I tried it at home. Face cream, not lotion, lasted 6 weeks! I wasn't skimping, but also not over-applying. Try it at home. Same with shampoo, conditioner, liquid body soap, hair products, , , , .
And don't forget solid alternatives. Again, totally a skeptic on crystal deodorant. Saw a travel size stick at Earth Fare and decided to give it a try. Total odor control. Secret Outlast was good, but the crystal is so much better.
And it lasts a long, long, long time. After trying the travel size for a few weeks, I bought the regular size and save the travel size for travel. A year later, I still have most of the original regular size stick. Shelf life is 4 years I think. So yes I think I'll still have this stick for another 3 years if not more.
Many years ago I received a sample-size Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover and have continued to refill the tiny bottle when I travel. They also sell a sample size of Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. This product easily removes my Cover Girl Outlast Colorstay lipstick and mascara. I buy it at Ulta.
I have combination skin and no allergies. My two favorites are, believe it or not, Aldi’s Lacura and Trader Joe’s Micellar towelettes. I also use the Aldi Lacura facial cream.
That said, for an upcoming trip I bought travel size Simple towelettes at CVS. Yes, costs more, but for a trip, it takes up less space.
Good luck and good travels!
I will stick to Ponds like Paul says and not take the chance. Find
other things in France.
As a person with epically sensitive skin, I'd suggest not trying to find other things in France. I ran out of sunscreen in Italy and got hives from the purported "sensitive" formula I bought there. No better way to ruin a trip than having your eyes swell shut.
I don't wear makeup, but a quick search pointed to Ponds brand wipes - have you tried those? There appear to be several types, here's one: https://a.co/d/bunL9Tf
I like the reusable micro fiber cloths. They just use hot water and work well for me even for mascara. Amazon sells many varieties.
Vaseline is a great eye make up remover. For travel, I scoop a small amount into a baggie and it easily packs in my cosmetics bag. Also, a little goes a long way so you don't need much!
I use this cleansing balm from elf cosmetics to wash off the tinted mineral sunscreen. While technically a “liquid” from a TSA perspective, the mini size is tiny and doesn’t take up much space in my liquids ziplock bag.
It's a shame that Pond's travel size cold cream is just outside the allowance at 3.5 ounces. They should look into that! I hope your trip works out well, with no smudges and no allergic reactions.
Posted by Lulu348
I have become highly allergic to my neutrogena facial wipes.
Back to the original problem.
I wonder if your allergies changed or their formula changed.
Might be worth an email to them to ask. That way you know what to look out for in other products without the time, expense and discomfort of allergy testing.
Glad to know Ponds has a makeup wipe. Hope it works for you.
I just tried the Ponds wipes. The jury is out, so will see how it is over a few days. I like that there is no stinging which I sometimes get with Neutrogena. I guess I expected it to take the makeup off with one fell swoop, but that's on me. The wipes are gentle though. I do wish these came in smaller packs, travel size.
I do wish these came in smaller packs, travel size.
You can find re-fill-able baby wipe containers on Amazon, just not sure if you could find make-up wipe size.
But if it is a zip-loc type plastic bag you may be able to fold it down or use a heat sealer like a food-saver to reduce the size.
Just a thought.
Or just put enough in a ziploc bag.
I also use Ponds cream in a contact lense case. I just use it to remove mascara and eye makeup, and one side of the contact lense case lasts for weeks. For cleansing, I use the new Olay Cleansing Melts. They’re tiny, and I even cut them in half. I store them in a tiny plastic container like this.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/109080493?sid=c35b3527-7810-4a62-b6c7-12c3b697a5f8
Not a helpful reply, but this memory just popped into my head.
The first time I went to England, it was 1984 and I was 20. I wore a lot of makeup back then. I packed a full-size jar of Pond's. Didn't think to put it in a plastic baggie, or put plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar. In flight, it opened up and some of it got on my clothes. Luckily my pen-pal helped me out by putting the clothes through her washing machine.
Live and learn!
I got a sample of Clinique makeup from Ulta and they put it in something very like this. https://a.co/d/2rq6wS7
I now use these for my moisturizer, liquid makeup and night cream. I put some in my overnight traveling bag too! They would be great for Ponds, and I agree…it is amazing how long they last! Try it out at home.
Would you be able to psychologically or physically tolerate just not packing or using any makeup or cosmetics? Does mineral sunscreen (the kind with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide that doesn't get absorbed into your skin) cause you a problem? Wrinkles are caused by sun damage, not age.
I agree with Mike. I can leave many toiletries out but always pack the 1.7 ounce sunscreen tube and my husband does as well. Trader Joe's affordable daily facial sunscreen at 9.00 doesn't have a strong smell like Neutrogena does. Recently, we were hiking at 13,000 to 15,000 feet (yikes) and I was concerned that even with sunscreen I would get too much sun. It worked--no sunburn. This sunscreen is exactly the same as Super Goop Unseen Sunscreen which is 32.00 for the same amount. https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/daily-facial-sunscreen-spf-40-073568
Does mineral sunscreen (the kind with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide that doesn't get absorbed into your skin) cause you a problem?
As someone who is allergic to chemical sunscreen and has been using mineral sunscreen for decades, I can tell you that mineral sunscreen is a pain to remove. It’s worse than makeup and difficult to wash off as it’s thicker and doesn’t get absorbed into the skin. Also, if you have darker skin tone, you will look weird walking around with a white paste on your face. I know from experience...
Would you rather have a cancer on your face or difficult to remove white zinc-oxide filled paste?
Mike…heck no! You’d have to pry the makeup out of my hands.
