Whether at home or abroad, a self-care kit is essential to stay healthy and happy.
However, many pre-made self-care kits are expensive and full of unnecessary items and toxic ingredients!
Enter: this DIY self-care kit guide.
Keep reading to discover everything you need to add to your custom DIY self-care kit today, inspired by the best ingredients and traditions from around the world!
Travel-Inspired DIY Self-Care Kit Essentials
1. Candles
Our first travel-inspired DIY self-care kit item is inspired by Denmark: candles!
An essential item for feeling the cozy contentedness of Danish hygge is plenty of candles. How else do you think they all stay one of the happiest countries in the world despite their long, dark winter days?
Fun fact! Denmark is the world’s largest consumer of candles.
I can personally say that since living in Denmark, adding candles to my DIY self-care kit has drastically improved my well-being!
So get a bunch of tealight candles, pillar candles, and whatever floats your boat and add them to your DIY self-care kit.
Related: Did this inspire you to take a trip to Denmark? Check out my ultimate local’s guide to Copenhagen to get started with my insider tips from someone who lived there with a local!
2. Face Mask
When I say face mask, no, I don’t mean the kind you’ve been wearing for the past years to prevent catching COVID!
The second travel-inspired essential you should add to your DIY self-care kit essential is some face sheet masks. These sheet masks originally came from Korean beauty lines. Now, they’ve become super popular because they’re so easy to use!
Just unwrap the mask from the package, put it on your face for 10-20 minutes, take it off, and you’re done.
I love these masks so much because they’re so much less messy than cream masks!
To get started, try out this bestselling Korean sheet face mask. Apparently, this brand sells five sheet masks every second.
Users love them for their glow-enhancing abilities and hydrating powers.
You can also add in this 2-for-1 layering sheet mask which has saved the skin (literally!) of more than one gal on an overnight flight.
3. Bubble bath/herbal bath salts
One of my favorite self-care practices is soaking in the tub with some herbal bath salts.
These are essential for your DIY self-care kit! I usually prefer bath salts over bubble baths as most commerically-available bubble baths have a lot of synthetic chemicals and fragrances in them.
For inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine, I love this vanilla patchouli dead sea bath salt soak.
And if you’re looking for a “foamier” bath experience in your DIY self-care kit, I recommend this patchouli and sweet orange aromatherapy foam bath from Aura Cacia.
Feeling even craftier? Make these bath salts yourself.
For a basic salt soak, you’ll need 2 cups of sea salt combined with 10 drops of your favorite essential oil(s). Combine them in a bowl and then put them in your bathtub while you fill it up!
You might also like: Learn 7 brilliant ways to combine your new DIY bath salts with a pampering staycation using my ultimate list of luxury staycation ideas!
4. Exfoliating body scrub
The first step for total body rejuvenation in your DIY self-care kit is an exfoliating body scrub.
The inspiration comes from the Himalayas this time with this pretty pink Himalayan salt scrub for your face and body.
With nourishing ingredients like coconut flakes, shea oil, and kaolin clay, you’ll be on your way to self-care central in no time!
You can also make your own DIY Pink Sugar Body Polish with my favorite recipe from A Beautiful Mess. I made this scrub for my DIY self-care kit and I love it!
Interested in more travel tips I don’t share on the blog? Follow me on Instagram and don’t miss a thing!
5. Eye mask
Next in your DIY self-care kit is an eye mask packed with some serious hydration.
And no, I’m not talking about an eye mask to block out the light (that’s below)! I’m talking about a mask like a face mask, but for your eyes!
Now, the great thing about an eye mask in your DIY self-care kit is that you can make it as prepackaged or DIY as you want!
And many things we can use as eye masks are already right in our fridge – like cucumbers!
You can check out 10 amazing, natural DIY eye masks from Fustany here if you want to DIY it.
Otherwise, there are also fabulous options you can purchase. Get inspired by Japanese traditions with this green tea matcha undereye firming sheet mask or this fun moisturizing eye sheet mask to depuff and brighten!
6. Foot scrub
Did you know I ran a (short-lived) organic body care products business in high school? 🙈
(Yes, my passion for all-natural and toxin-free body care started when I was just a strange little 12-year-old. My company was called Jaz Organics. Comment below if you want me to bring it back! 😅)
So, though a walk on the beach is something you can enjoy in many countries, I’m going to call this DIY self-care essential an all-American classic. That’s because I created this DIY Walk on the Beach foot scrub myself!
To make it, you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup sand (you can substitute white sugar for this if you don’t have access to sand – and don’t take sand from where you’re not supposed to!)
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 tbs. coconut oil
- 9 drops vanilla absolute essential oil (you can also use whatever your favorite essential oils are)
Start by putting the coconut oil on low heat until it’s just melted (I recommend doing this in a double boiler to prevent burning the oil).
Then, take the oil off the heat and blend the oil with the sugar and sand using a small whisk, breaking any lumps of sugar. Finally, add the essential oil(s) drop by drop, blending after each addition.
If you’d rather create a “reviving” foot scrub, you can combine:
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 3 drops each of lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils
Using the same process!
Want to forego the DIY foot scrub altogether? For a little Indian-inspired foot scrubbing goodness, check out this fabulous all-natural Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub. I also love this invigorating collagen-infused Himalayan salt scrub designed to eliminate cellulite, dead skin, wrinkles, and scars.
7. Nail conditioning oil
Next in your DIY self-care kit is a conditioning nail oil to moisturize those hard-working nails and cuticles!
I love making my own Australian-inspired nourishing nail oil by combining:
- 1 tbs. almond oil
- 1 tbs. jojoba oil
- 10 drops pure Vitamin E oil
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- 4 drops lavender essential oil
- 4 drops Australian sandalwood essential oil
- 5 drops benzoin absolute resin
- 1 drop frankincense essential oil
- 1 drop ylang-ylang essential oil
After combining the ingredients, I put it into a pretty glass dropper bottle for easy application.
Some great natural nail oils you can also buy on Amazon include this nail and cuticle oil and this conditioning cuticle oil with milk and honey!
8. Deluxe nail clipper & buffer
Now that your nails are all moisturized, it’s time to add a deluxe nail clipper and buffer to your DIY self-care kit.
This will help you feel like you’re getting the real spa treatment and taking good care of your body at the same time!
My faves are this nail clipper set perfect for fingernails and toenails and this 4-in-1 buffer file.
Interested in more travel tips I don’t share on the blog? Follow me on Instagram and don’t miss a thing!
9. Moisturizing lip balm or mask
I always have my Burt’s Bees lip balm on hand to moisturize my lips.
But for this DIY self-care essential, you can go one step further with a DIY lip moisturizing mask!
My favorite DIY lip mask is combining a little bit of coconut oil with a little bit of honey, spreading it on my lips, and keeping it there for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, I either rub it in more or wipe it off.
Inspired by Mexico with its jojoba oil infusion, you can also purchase this peach paint-on lip mask with plenty of other goodies packed inside, like peach extract, coconut oil, and shea butter!
Read more: Did you know that solo travel can be its own kind of self-care? Read my complete guide to traveling alone for the first time to get started!
10. Moisturizing lotion
Nothing says “self-care” quite like a luxurious moisturizing lotion.
Add this organic coconut lotion inspired by the tropics or this Manuka honey super moisturizer cream inspired by the manuka bush of New Zealand and Australia to your DIY self-care kit.
Both are equally luxurious options!
11. Blackout sleep mask
In order to practice the best self-care, you need to get some quality sleep!
Add this 3D-contoured blackout sleep mask to your DIY self-care kit and you’ll be on your way to some shut-eye no matter where you are in the world.
This sleep mask is also one of my top travel essentials because of how well the little eye pockets work to block out light! I sleep with mine every night, whether I’m on the road or at home.
12. Humidifier
Finally, if the air is dry where you are (like it can be especially in the winter), you need to make sure that a quality humidifier is a part of your DIY self-care kit.
(And your everyday life, for that matter!)
Humidifiers not only help your skin to stay fresh and moisturized during the winter months but have also been shown in scientific studies to improve your immunity(!)
I personally have this minimalistic 1.7L quiet humidifier at home and it works wonders! I can definitely notice the difference in my skin and health when I have the humidifier on.
Interested in more travel tips I don’t share on the blog? Follow me on Instagram and don’t miss a thing!
Bring it all together
I know some of these items (like the humidifier!) won’t fit into a box.
But finally, once you’ve gathered all of your DIY self-care kit essentials, get the prettiest box you can find. Then arrange all of your items inside.
Put it in a safe spot that you can grab any time you want some much-needed self-care and pampering!
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