Travelling around India is not a peach, especially if you are doing it on a budget. India is alternately hot, dry, dusty or humid (often all of the above together), budget hotels can be less than clean and roadside eateries don’t usually have terribly high standards of hygiene. Whilst all of these add to the adventure that is travelling this country, it can be pretty hard on your skin, hair and general personal hygiene.

There are many lists available on the blogosphere on packing for long term travel, but not many tackle India and even fewer deal with how to take care of yourself on the road. So I thought we could do one.

This article is a list of some of the essential personal care products I use, while traipsing around towns and villages, things that ensue that we are somewhat protected against the vagaries of travel in India.

While there are a lot of cool products available in the market and choices differ, these are a few of my favourite things!

• Creams and lotions – This is a non-negotiable, at least for me, especially when travelling in mountains or dry weather zones. Since I’m fairly prone to several allergies I don’t use any and all creams or lotions, especially on my face and am particular about brands. Also, let’s face it, no matter how hardy one might be, a little product that ensures your skin doesn’t totally rot is good. Plus, I’m not that young and public transport means exposure to a lot of sun, pollution, dust and people! This is where I don’t mind spending a little extra and have recently been using Milk & Co products, especially the face moisturizer, brought down to India by the folks behind Sublime Factory. The lotion is light, doesn’t feel sticky and has a neutral smell. It’s a little pricey, but not something I would compromise on.

• Stuff that cleans while on the go – Hand sanitizer and wet wipes are undoubtedly two of my favourite and most important travel accessories, probably similar to Hoshner carrying his one million wires and charging devices. With the kind of travel we undertake, on our budget, eating in any and all places, hand sanitizer is a must have. We happily accept food from fellow travellers, eat in the homes of newly made friends, shady hotels at the bus stop, and thus the sanitizer is extremely useful. While there are several types available in the market, we use the lemongrass flavoured one from Be. The Solution, a brand that sells most of its stuff online. The reason I like their stuff, apart from smelling really good, is that Be has an interesting social angle to their work and contributes 5% of their net revenue for hygiene awareness and sanitation initiatives for women and girls in rural communities. They also donate Rs 10 on behalf of anyone who wishes to help improve hygienic situations in rural communities. So bonus! My other favourite cleaning product is wet wipes, yes the ones meant for babies. They are light and easy to carry and are extremely useful especially when you’ve spent hours on a bus or dusty auto and it seems like there is no end in sight. The one I like is Pigeon, which is pretty soft with a very light fragrance. The two popular brands in India are apparently Johnson and Johnson and Himalaya, we see either both or at least one in all small towns and cities across the country. I don’t particularly like the Johnson brand, the fragrance is too strong, and prefer Pigeon, which has been around a while, but I’ve only just discovered it.

  

• Sun Screen – This is a must, especially if your travels are planned in warmer weather across India, or you are holidaying in the hills. Most Indians believe they don’t need it, since we have grown up here and are used to the sun, and while this might be true, someone from the plains will definitely need it when in the hills. Sun screen also adds a layer of protection against pollution and dust, and protects the skin to a certain extent. The one we prefer, that is quite easily available across small towns is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock.

• My new favourite recent find – Toilet Seat Sanitizer! I’ve been telling everyone about this and it’s about the best thing I have discovered. When you’re travelling simple and are sometimes forced to stay in cheap hotels or the homestay isn’t quite what you hoped it would be, toilet seat sanitizer will come in very handy. While I am usually ok with the Indian style bathrooms, sometimes there isn’t an option and I do understand that not everyone can do without a toilet to sit on. We now carry the toilet seat sanitizer with us everywhere, also made by the awesome people at Be. The Solution, (remember social angle), and are quite happy with this discovery. You can even use it on an Indian train, where hygiene is sometimes a little suspect.

• Facial Water Spray is another cool product, though maybe not the most essential. The first time I saw someone use one, I did find it hard to believe someone bottled water and sold it as a facial spray, but after using it I do understand why. After long and dusty rides in a shared taxi, or a commuter train, where the day’s journey is still not done, or during a particularly hot day of sightseeing, a facial spray is cool and refreshing, kind of like a nice ice cream. We recommend the facial spray from Anatomicals, which is about one third the price of the other one in the market by Evian.

• Small but indispensable – lip balm and similar lip care products. These I cannot do without and it really helps that they come in tiny packages. Vaseline is great and is available everywhere, though specific lip sticks and other lip care products might not be easy to get in smaller towns, so throw in a few extra in your day pack. It’s no more weight than a couple of ten rupee coins. 

• And of course .. the Usual – soap, shampoo, toothbrush and paste. So obviously these are all key and important, and everyone will have their own preference, though the one major piece of advice we can give you is to carry small bottles. You really don’t need half a litre of shampoo, most of all the brands are available in any small town across the country, as is soap, conditioner and basic face wash. If you’re backpacking, we suggest stocking up on mini bottles that you get in fancy hotels, they are small, easy to pack and are useful. One other product that I use to take care of my hair (other than using a scarf while on public transport) is coconut oil. Now I’m South Indian and I do appreciate that coconut oil might not be for everyone, so pick your favorite type and go with that. It’s super useful especially in places where the water quality isn’t great.

• Last but not the least.. Ask..Do I really need this? – There are a few things I could probably do without but would rather not, even though it means I have to make the hard choice between one more bottle of product or one more piece of clothing. Things things like a tweezer or nail cutter don’t really take up space or add weight but the bigger stuff does. It does add up and it helps to ask if you really need something, if you are going to use it while bussing around Karnataka or living in villages in Nagaland. Perfume is one of those things, a luxury product, where space is concerned, as is probably make up and other fancy personal care products. Bring a small deodorant though, it does help when bathing everyday might not be an option! 🙂