The wonderful thing about having teenagers is that you can start to really enjoy traveling with them. (You know, instead of just parenting in a new location?) For instance, my teenage daughters and I recently enjoyed a birthday beach trip. But fun travel companions aside, I also learned that traveling with teenagers is incredibly convenient because they are up-to-date on all the best skincare products. 

Before we left, I peeked in their luggage—and fine, swiped a few items for myself—to find out exactly what travel-size skincare products they were packing to keep up with their routine while away from home. From items to take off our makeup, like these $3 cotton rounds and Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, to CeraVe tinted sunscreen for all-day sun protection, and E.l.f. moisturizer for hydration, here are the products my teen daughters always pack for vacation (and that I love to use too). 

I may have had some input in ensuring some kind of sun protection made its way into my daughters' luggage, but to their credit, they are very receptive to SPF skin products. My daughter chose the CeraVe tinted sunscreen to achieve both protection and the bronzed glow she craves. "I like the tinted stuff because you can skip a step," my 17-year-old points out. "When I put sunscreen on, I feel very pale, but I know sunscreen is a very important step." 

You can wear this tinted sunscreen with SPF 30 alone or under makeup, and the small 1.7 fl. oz. size means you can toss it in your carry-on. 

Speaking of the importance of sunscreen, I learned the painful way that if you spend a winter holed up in your Midwestern home and travel to Florida in May, you can, in fact, burn even while sitting under an umbrella on the beach all day. So now, I will never travel anywhere remotely sunny without aloe gel again. 

My daughters and I all got sunburned one afternoon by the beach, but we didn't want to spend $20 on a full-sized bottle of gift shop aloe that we wouldn't be able to fly home with. I learned my lesson, specifically being more vigilant about consistently reapplying sunscreen, so next time we’ll be packing a travel bottle of aloe, like this pick, which comes in a 1.5 fl. oz. size.

I am forever praising E.l.f. products, but that's because I find them so affordable and effective. I'm extremely picky about my face moisturizer—my skin dries out so quickly and is sensitive to boot, so I want a moisturizer that soaks into my skin without any negative impact, and that's actually what this moisturizer does. "It's just the best moisturizer ever," my 15-year-old gushes. "It makes your makeup go on smoother; it's like your skin soaks up that instead of the makeup." 

We use this as our daily moisturizer, either solo or under makeup if we're wearing some that day. And what's even better is that the full-size version is 2.53 ounces, so it meets travel restrictions. In other words, we didn't have to change a thing about our skincare routines on vacation—we just tossed our regular moisturizer right in our bags. 

Here's where my 17-year-old daughter and I had a little disagreement—I like to include a few of these wipes in our travel toiletry bags for convenience's sake, but my eldest teen insists that single-use makeup wipes are not ideal due to environmental concerns. However, she conceded allowing me to pack these because they are plant-based and compostable. Plus, she begrudgingly admits that they are really effective in removing all her makeup. Still, we love an environmentally-conscious queen! 

My 15-year-old never leaves home without her Glow Recipe Dew Drops, which she swears are an indulgence worth the rather hefty price tag for a half-ounce bottle. "I like the way it feels on your skin, and I feel like it brings the hydration back to your face," she says. "It also is very summery, smells nice, and makes your skin feel fresh." 

I don't love the gel-like texture of the Glow Recipe Dew Drops, but my daughter gave me one of her empty bottles, which I filled with my own liquid toner to travel with (it's the perfect 2.7-ounce size with a twist-on cap!), so we both were happy. 

I picked up this E.l.f. Skincare set for my daughter as a pre-trip birthday gift, but my girls also gave it their full stamp of approval. They love how the duo included hydrating drops to help refresh their skin post-beach and then add that extra glow before dinner. "The bronzing drops give you that nice little bronze glow if you're feeling pale," my 17-year-old explains. "The hydrating drops add a little sparkle to your face—they make you look sweaty, but in a good way." (Whatever that means.)

I keep these cotton rounds stocked in all our bathrooms, and they're a must-have for me to travel with. I love them for removing makeup and applying toner. You can even use them for nail care, too. Plus, they're much more portable than a large makeup towel. I try to keep them in a separate baggie to avoid them getting dirty or soaked through in the event of spills, however. 

While a 100-count is only $3, you’ll save more than $6 if you purchase the pack of 12. 

My daughters and I love how the full-size bottle of our beloved The Ordinary serum is travel-friendly at one ounce, so it's ready for your next adventure. I use this hydration serum more than my daughters, probably because my skin is maturing while theirs is still fully youthful, but they also enjoy adding it into their skincare routine from time to time.

"It tames my breakouts—it doesn't solve them, but it does help and it lessens the redness," my 17-year-old explains. She also notes that she finds the serum helpful for her "skin prep" routine, although she doesn't elaborate on what that means. 

When I asked my daughter what she liked about the E.l.f. Face cream, she gasped out loud with admiration. That's how much we all love it—and like the daily moisturizer, it's a travel-friendly size at just 1.7 fl. oz. 

"It's literally what it says—holy hydration," she gushed. "It makes my skin feel so smooth and literally ever since I started using it, you compliment how soft my cheeks are. I had very dry skin before, so it really does help, and it feels great after tanning. I  also haven't had as many zits since using it, and I like that it's not too thick." (I agree with her on this point—the not-too-thick consistently is one of my favorite parts about E.l.f. moisturizers—they feel "just right" on my skin.) 

I am not a skincare expert, nor will I ever claim to be, but I absolutely love the refreshing post-scrub clean that the Thayers facial toner provides me after a long day (especially if I've been sweating in the sun). There's something so satisfying about using the toner and seeing if it picked up any last remnants of makeup that I missed. This travel-size version is the same formula as the full-sized option and is made with certified organic witch hazel and aloe vera.

"It's good for your skin, and I like using it as a makeup remover," my 15-year-old said in rare agreement with me. "It makes a nice clean base for your skin and gets all the gunk out." 

Here's when I admit that I first received Cetaphil face wash as a free sample from our dermatologist, but I loved it so much that I bought more for all of us to travel with. The face wash is an ideal travel size for checked bags or weekend trip bags, comes with a twist-on top that won't spill, and doesn't irritate even sun-kissed or sensitive skin. 

My daughters keep these in their travel bags, and while they're not thrilled that Cetaphil isn't a super-fancy and an "aesthetic" brand, they both admit "it's a good brand" for safe and effective skin care, so that's something. 

E.l.f. Dewy Coconut Setting Mist

I also picked up two bottles of this E.l.f. coconut setting spray for my daughters before the trip because it seemed like a nice treat that might also help keep their makeup intact in a warm-weather climate. Plus, the hint of coconut in this mist felt very fitting for a tropical beach vacation. 

My daughters report that E.l.f.'s Mist & Set Spray does a more effective job of locking in a full face of makeup, but the coconut version delivers a refreshing, dewy look that's summer-ready.  "If you want a dewy look, this is perfect for it," my 15-year-old said. "And it smells nice, like coconut conditioner." Because what else could you want while traveling, right?