I’ve been traveling full-time since 2022, and I’m no stranger to the struggles of finding the right products for my hair and the anxiety of running out of product in a place with not many options. Imagine running out of hair product on a tiny island in Greece, entering every mini market looking for gel to slick this hair into an emergency bun.
Figuring out how to manage your hair while traveling is something that I feel holds a lot of us back from a nomadic lifestyle. We want to live out of our suitcases, but we don’t want to look like we live out of our suitcases, you know? Now, you could calculate how much you would need and pack it, but that’s going to take up our whole weight limit, there’s gotta be better ways. Here’s some of my suggestions of what you could do to put you at ease on your journey.
Prioritize Black countries and cities
The nomadic lifestyle is a difficult one to adjust to. Pretty much nothing is stable- where you live, how long you stay, who you hang out with, how you adjust to the new language/customs/system/foods- it’s all variable and changes as you move on your journey.
If haircare is the last thing you want to worry about, consider prioritizing Black countries or cities with large Black populations. Out of all the changes you’ll be adjusting to as a nomad, at least you’ll know there’s beauty supply shops, braiders, etc that are available to you.
If you want to branch out to other countries, consider mixing in some Black cities along the way so you can re-up on hair care.
Start using global products
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a country that didn’t have Eco Styler gel. I also use Brazilian products like Skala that I find in Brazilian shops globally. African shops also have their staples as you know. Point being, if you have a strict regime that uses specialized products, this is going to be harder. Try to have a basic routine that you can lean on when you’re in a place without many options.
Create a travel route around product availability
“You’re really suggesting traveling around access to hair care?”
Yes, I am. It’s that serious. This goes along with my first suggestion of prioritizing Black spaces. If you have a strict product lineup that you absolutely can’t be without, search the company’s website to see where they sell these products, or at least where they ship to. Send them an email if you have to. Pin all these locations on your google maps so you can get a neat visual, then plan your travels around that.
Utilize Social Media
You should utilize Facebook groups to find expats in the target country and ask around. There’s Facebook groups for everything!
