Going to a Hostel? Quick Guide on what you'll need

Life these days is a series of pit stops & travel. Through our education & professional lives, we sometimes have to re-locate to another city and stay in a hostel. Packing can be a big issue, so I thought I would put together a quick guide on what to take along with you.

First of all, do not try to carry every possible item with you. Unless you are re-locating forever, this is not necessary. You may be attached to your blushes, but the lighter you travel, the less likely the probability of losing things

Quick list of things you must carry  (skin care)

1. Face wash (if you would like to multi-task pick a face wash with exfoliating beads - takes care of both cleansing & exfoliation)
2. Body wash or soap
3. Deodorant or body splash (leave your fancy perfumes in glass bottles at home - they make break on the way, or worse used by your roomies :-D)
4. Hand Sanitizer & other feminine sanitary needs
6. Veet Emergency Wax strips (great for on-the-go)
7. Towels
8. Lip balm with SPF
9. Moisturizer (if it has SPF built in, you can skip the sunscreen)
10 LactoCalamine Lotion (helps dry out pimples, skin infections, serves as a good substitute for foundation and also has some sunscreen properties. Plus it is cheap & easily available)
11. Talcum Powder (optional)
12. Acne Medication (optional)
13. Sunscreen (not optional - unless you are carrying moisturizer with sunscreen)
14. Rosewater (optional - I sometimes feel that plain ole' water chilled with a few drops of lemon juice does the job just as well of toning, cooling the skin and closing the pores)
15. Shampoo
16. Conditioner & Hair Serum
17. Combs / Brushes & Hair dryer
18. Dental needs
19 Parachute Oil - A multi purpose prdt, this serves well for hair, to remove make up as well as a moisturizer in emergencies.Plus it is easily available everywhere.
20 Nail polish remover
21. Nail cutter
22. Tissues - wet or dry is your call.
23. Cotton
24. Vit C tablets (Celin) - these are available at all chemists & I found them to be very useful to bring down inflammation when I got sunburns in Goa. Plus you can pop them when you feel a cold coming on.

Personally I feel that this is all you need in terms of skin care while at an hostel. A good sunscreen and moisturizer will keep protect your skin well.

If you feel the need for a scrub - just mix a spoonful of sugar with lemon juice or coconut oil and apply. In case even that is not available, just apply some moisturizer on your face in a thick layer and rub gently using one of a towel that has been dampened lightly.Wash off after 15 minutes.

Face packs too can be rustled up just as easily by buying multani mitti at your regular store close to the hostel.

Even plain curd or plain honey is a good face pack - it removes dead cells and nourishes skin very well.

Besides brands like Himalaya, Clean & Clear, Jovees, Biotique, Lotus, Aroma Magic are quite easily available in all cities. So you can even pick stuff once you reach the city. 

As far as make up is concerned, I think this varies from person to person. Some girls are comfortable with just an eyeliner and lip balm. While others need the works right from primers. I would advice moderation.

Take along with you:
1. Eyeliners (pencil) - 2 Brown & Black with sharpeners
2. Lipstick - 1
3. Lip gloss - 1
4. Eyeshadow - 1 (neutral brown color)
5. Mascara

In case you need more you can always purchase some from the local beauty stores. Most cities have mall these days and you can easily find Lakme, Streetwear, Elle 18 & Colorbar products - at least.

I hope this list helps those of you who need to keep traveling or are moving to a hostel. In case you have any tips of your own, do share them with other readers.