Turning 40 Taught Me to Actually Take Care of Myself on Vacation (My Little Self-Care Kit)
Updated: Oct 3
I grew up in the 90s, which means my entire relationship with sunscreen was one bottle of SPF 4 that mostly existed to make the tanning oil smell nicer. We laid out. We used baby oil. We thought a base tan was “protecting” us.
I turned 40 this past year, and somewhere along the way I finally made peace with the fact that taking care of my skin isn’t vanity, it’s maintenance — and a vacation is exactly the wrong time to let it slide, even though it’s exactly when I most want to.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about turning 40 and going on vacation: the heat does not care that you’re “resting.”
I run warm anyway, and give me a resort, ten thousand steps a day, and zero air conditioning between the pool and the room, and by day three I am sunburned, chafed, and my lips are cracked like I’ve been in the Sahara. Not the glow-up I was going for.
I say this to my clients constantly: it’s the tiny rituals that make a trip actually restorative instead of just a change of scenery with better lighting. Two minutes on your face before bed. A swipe of lip balm before you even think about it.
A bag where you’re not digging through your suitcase at 6am hunting for your toner while everyone else is already at breakfast. That’s genuinely the difference between coming home depleted and coming home rested.
So here’s my whole kit, laid out honestly. It’s small, it fits in a Ziploc, and it asks almost nothing of me — which is exactly why it’s the one routine that survives contact with an actual vacation.
Free Printable: Get the Free Printable Checklist
Skin & Sun
At home I do the whole routine — moisturizer, toner, vitamin C, retinol, the works. On vacation I don’t have room (or honestly, the willpower) for six steps, so it gets whittled down to the two that actually matter. The
overnight collagen face mask is the one non-negotiable: I sleep in it after a day in the sun and wake up looking like I didn’t just spend eight hours getting slow-roasted poolside.
And the SPF lip balm lives in whatever pocket I’m wearing that day, because I have absolutely learned the hard way that cracked, sunburned lips are a very specific kind of miserable that ruins a good vacation photo.
Comfort in the Heat
Nobody puts “chafing” in the vacation brochure, but here we are. Between the heat, the walking, and just existing in a swimsuit all day, the anti-chafe balm earns its spot in my bag every single trip — a thirty-
second swipe in the morning and I genuinely don’t think about it again. And the Working Hands hand cream might be the least glamorous thing in this kit, but it’s the one I’ve bought the most times in my life. I keep a tube at home, a tube at work, and a travel-size one goes in every single bag I own.
It’s the only hand cream that’s ever actually fixed dry, cracked hands without feeling greasy, and after a day of sunscreen, pool chlorine, and hand sanitizer, my hands need it more on vacation than they do at home.
Keeping It Together
This is the one that changed everything, honestly. I used to dump my entire skincare bag onto the bathroom counter every morning and dig through it half-awake, which is a great way to knock a bottle of toner into the sink at 6am.
The hanging toiletry bag hooks straight onto the back of the bathroom door, unzips flat, and everything has its own spot. It sounds like a small thing. It is not a small thing when you’re sharing one bathroom with other people and trying to get ready before breakfast closes.
Forty was supposed to feel like a big deal, and honestly the biggest thing it taught me is embarrassingly simple: you’re allowed to take up a little room in your own suitcase. Pack the mask. Pack the lip balm. Pack the version of you that comes home actually rested instead of the one who’s still recovering three days later.
Below is the full packing list, broken down by category so you can work through it section by section, or just skim for whatever you're missing.
Wherever I've got a product I actually use and recommend, the item is clickable and will take you straight to my pick on Amazon — I'm still adding links as I go, so not everything is linked yet.
One thing I want to say up front: you do not need to pack every single item on this list. Nobody does. Think of this as a helpful starting point, not a mandate.
Pull from it based on the kind of trip you're actually taking. A cabin weekend and a city break need very different things — if you're not leaving the lake house, skip the heels and the statement jewellery.
If nobody's driving, ignore the car stuff. And if this is a group where everyone over-packs "just in case," it's worth a quick group chat about what you can share instead of each bringing your own. One hair straightener between four people is plenty.
Two items on here aren't really things, and they're the two I'd actually push you not to skip: the downloaded group playlist and a plan for splitting costs. Both take five minutes before you leave and save a lot of low-grade friction once you're there.
And if you'd rather have this whole thing as a printable to check off by hand, grab your free copy below before you dive in.
Want this whole list in one place?
Grab the free printable version — one page, ready to check off by hand, perfect for taping inside your suitcase lid or sticking on the fridge while you pack.
Footwear
♡ Sandals/Flip-Flops
♡ Sneakers/Walking Shoes
Clothing
♡ Swimsuits
♡ Cover-Ups
♡ Underwear
♡ Socks
♡ Bras/Undershirts
♡ T-Shirts
♡ Casual Shirts
♡ Shorts
♡ Pants/Jeans
♡ Dresses/Skirts
♡ Belt
♡ Workout Clothes
♡ Tank Tops
♡ Rompers
♡ Shawl/Pashmina
♡ 2-3 Going-Out Outfits
♡ Statement Jewelry/Accessories
Toiletries & Personal Care
♡ Toothbrush
♡ Toothpaste
♡ Floss
♡ Body Wash/Soap
♡ Shampoo
♡ Conditioner
♡ Deodorant
♡ Face Wash/Cleanser
♡ Moisturizer
♡ Razor
♡ Shaving Cream
♡ Hair Accessories
♡ Make-Up
♡ Perfume
♡ Contact Lenses
♡ Period Care
♡ Q-Tips/Cotton Pads
Health, Safety & First Aid
♡ Personal/Prescription Medications
♡ Talk to Pharmacist: Dukoral/Twinrix
Hydration, Snacks & Wellness
Beach & Swim Gear
Tech, Charging & Entertainment
♡ Tablet/Charger
♡ Multi Charger
♡ Group Playlist: Downloaded Ahead
Sleep, Comfort, Packing & Laundry
Documents/Money & Pre-Trip Prep
♡ Passports
♡ Driver's License
♡ Boarding Passes
♡ Health/Insurance Cards
♡ Itinerary
♡ Hotel Reservations
♡ Rental Car Confirmation
♡ Dinner Reservations/Excursions
♡ Emergency Contacts List
♡ Cash/Credit/Debit Cards
♡ Travel Insurance Documents
♡ Currency Exchanged Before You Go
♡ Toll/Parking Cash
♡ Pet/Plant/House Sitter Info
♡ Copies of Important Documents
♡ Mail Hold/Stop Delivery
♡ Home Lighting Schedule (Break-In Deterrent)
♡ A Way to Split Costs (Venmo/e-Transfer)
♡ Country Arrival/Departure Paperwork (if applicable)
♡ Customs App Downloaded and Filled in (if applicable)
♡ Final Home Check - Doors Locked
Made it through the whole list?
Grab the printable version so you're not scrolling back through this post every time you pack. One page, free, ready to check off by hand.
That's the whole list. Again — take what's useful, leave the rest.
Before you go...
Don't forget your free printable copy of this checklist — perfect for taping inside your suitcase lid so you've always got it on hand.
If there's one thing you'll learn about me, it's that I love finding things that make life feel a little easier. I'm grateful you're here and I hope you found something helpful. Wishing you comfort, calm, and a little less overwhelm wherever life takes you. Ashley
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