You have your natural haircare routine down in your day-to-day life, but how well will that hair routine travel? How many products, tools, and how much time does it take? Your priorities shift during a trip, and so should your hair care routine!

Whether traveling for business or going on that dream vacation, the last thing that you want to do is spend hours out of your day on your hair. You’re there to do business! To relax! To take in the local culture! To eat all of the things because you’re on vacation!

Minimize your morning prep time and stress with these tips that will help you prepare to, and successfully travel with, your beautiful, natural hair.

Pack Smart

Though it may be tempting to bring every single product that you use (just in case!), try to pare it down to the essentials. Remember that TSA rules only allow containers that are 3.4 oz or smaller and fit into a one-quart size resealable bag in your carry on. Containers larger than 3.4 oz (even if there’s only a little bit left in them) must go in your checked luggage.

Instead of shelling out for the cute, travel-sized versions of your favorite products, buy empty travel-sized containers that you can fill with what you already have. They’re often only a dollar or two, and this is especially great if your go-tos don’t come in travel size.

Whether bought or filled yourself, make sure that your containers are sealed and put into a resealable bag (or two, to be safe). Nothing is worse than arriving at your destination and finding that your conditioner has spilled its way onto all of your clothing.

Travel Comfortably

The number one goal of traveling by air is to be comfortable, perhaps because airplanes don’t seem to be designed to be that way. A low maintenance hairstyle is just as important as your comfy I-can-sit-in-this-for-hours outfit.

A simple, twisted hairstyle is ideal, covered with a hat or your favorite headscarf. Now you can sit back and read that novel you’ve had your eye on or finally binge-watch the latest show.

Indulge Your DIY Side

If you’re lucky enough to be headed out of the country, look up what natural hair ingredients are native to your destination. You can often find products locally that are much less expensive than buying them at home.

Shea butter is native to West Africa, aloe vera and coconuts (and thus coconut oil) grow in tropical climates, and henna comes from northern Africa, the Middle East, and India, just to name a few

Leave Your Hot Tools at Home

You should do this not only because you’re going natural and trying to minimize the time spent getting ready in the morning, but also because overseas electricity can be a little confusing.

If you’d rather not have to mess with converters and adapters that are necessary in Europe, just don’t bring your blow dryer or flat iron. Besides, less bulky tools means more room in your suitcase for that bottle of exotic wine.

Plan Ahead With Protective Styles

Protective styles are ideal for your trip. Choose from any of the gorgeous twists, braids, and faux locs styles out there for minimum fuss during your travels. Less time spent on your hair adds up and could lead to any number of adventures on your journey!

Going out of town for longer than 8 weeks? Lucky, lucky you! On the downside, protective styles should only be left in for 8 weeks. After that, they’re not really, well, protective, so they might not be for you if you’re going on a long vacation.

Be Prepared

Generally, if you plan for your hair completely misbehaving, it won’t, and if you don’t plan on it, it definitely will.

Keep a stash of bobby pins and hair ties handy for on-the-go emergency fixes. They’re cheap, effective, and take up practically no space.

Travel Beautiful

Save time, precious luggage space, and a few dollars with these tips! Your hair should be the least of your worries, and your focus should be on your destination. Be courageous, be bold, and travel well!