Choose from the seven-piece pill case to organize daily vitamins and medications or the capsules bundle that’s customizable to fill with anything from toothpaste and skin cream to supplements. If you’re more about accessories, go for the jewelry set or keep it casual with the Situationship Set.
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Planeket
Living in Anchorage, Chinese American Jin Chen came up with Planeket to serve multiple purposes during air travel. At its core, it’s a cozy blanket, sure to add comfort to any plane ride. But it also doubles as a wearable shawl (there’s an S-shaped clip on the back to keep it in place around your shoulders), a pillow when folded up, and a storage pouch with a hidden pocket and a phone holder. Plus, it straps onto rolling luggage or clips onto a bag for easy transport. The four shades of the original Planeket—Alaska Flag, Glacier Mint, Silt Gray, and Alpenglow—all pay homage to Chen’s home state.
Chen has since expanded her brand to include even more travel-friendly products, including a foldable sleeping eye mask and six-piece compression packing system designed to give you 33 percent more space.
Clothing essentials
Forme
Aches and pains have long plagued my travels, so when I first learned about Forme, which makes posture-correcting bras, I had to give it a try. Admittedly, it took some getting used to, but soon I realized how much lighter my shoulders were and how I was focusing on my actual adventures instead of fighting a fatigued neck and shoulders.
It wasn’t until later that I learned Taylor Swift was a fan of the Forme’s Power Bra, with FDA-registered correction technology—and even later than I learned the company was founded by a Taiwanese orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stephen Liu to help his mom with her posture and compressed lungs from cancer.
Now the brand’s Sculpt+ Legging is among my favorites to run and travel in. Also great to alleviate natural pain on long travel days: the Arch Booster Sock and Core Tee.
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Beauty and skincare
Tower 28
As a longtime beauty executive, Chinese American Amy Liu wasn’t able to enjoy the perks of playing around with all the products around her—eczema left her dependent on high-priced or clinical alternatives. So she launched Tower 28, a brand suitable for all skin types, with every ingredient complying with the National Eczema Association’s guidelines. The line includes the popular SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray to freshen up stressed skin and BeachPlease cream blush for cheeks and lips in six shades. Build your own set of five must-have travel staples, including tinted moisturizer and mascara, with the Tower 28 Essentials Set.
Oliver Flynn
When Brooklyn-based Taiwanese sisters Kathy Yen and Erine Yen both became new moms, they started to think ahead to an eco-friendlier world for their kids, Oliver “Ollie” and Flynn. So they launched Oliver Flynn, dedicated to plastic-free personal care products with safe ingredients.
I stumbled upon their booth at Manhattan’s Passport to Taiwan Festival two years ago, and as a bug magnet, the Don’t Bug Me! natural bug repellent balm has become a staple in my travel bag. Other great sustainable options include a honey and citrus shampoo bar with a travel tin and natural lip balm, available in lavender, vanilla, peppermint, and natural.
Tay Skincare
Growing up eating organic fruits from her family’s garden, Sarah Tay was stumped when she moved out and saw the drastic difference in her first store-bought orange. That contrast sent her on a decade-long mission to better understand how to develop high-end botanical skincare products. The result is Tay, a line made in small batches every few months without any harsh ingredients, all of which are packaged in natural bamboo containers made of recyclable PET. Among the highlights are the Youthful Eye Treatment with apricot kernel oil, Lavender Body Crème with chamomile, and the long-lasting Essential Oils Bar Soap.
Tatcha
During a trip to Kyoto, Vicky Tsai—the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants—was inspired by the Japanese approach to skincare that less is more; she founded Tatcha with that idea in mind. With products like the Silken Pore Perfecting SPF and Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, the brand is built on green tea, algae, and rice—the three ingredients that make up Japanese geishas’ beauty rituals. Travelers can even curate their own Custom Travel Set (prices vary). Plus, with every purchase, the company helps fund girls’ education through Room to Read.
Skylar
When Taiwanese American Cat Chen—who has openly shared her experience as an immigrant in an Instagram video—started looking for a fragrance that was “fresh and sophisticated,” but didn’t contain any harmful chemicals or allergens, she couldn’t find any that checked all the boxes. So she started her own line of natural perfumes called Skylar. Among the travel-sized rollerball scents are the driftwood-infused Salt Air and the popular ocean Isle Escape. Also in travel-friendly sizes: a body and hair mist duo and a range of mini fragrances, like Rainforest Mist or Lavendar Dunes.
