I doubt I have ever used everything I packed or didn’t wish I’d packed X, Y or Z. Here are three small, lightweight items that I never used to pack but which have now become part of my permanent travel toiletry bag.
Ear plugs
Having tried at least five other types and brands, these brightly coloured Quies (no, I don’t know how to correctly pronounce Quies) foam earplugs are by far the most comfortable, effective and least likely to fall out. I use them on planes to stand a chance of sleeping on an overnight flight, in hotels where the likelihood of sleep disruption is high and I’ve become so used to wearing them and increasing my chances of an uninterrupted night’s sleep that I now wear them at home too (blocking out snoring, cat yowling and city noises when the window’s open)
Silver plasters
I have only fairly recently discovered the healing magic of silver (silver gel and silver spray too) and these plasters not only stick and stay on for up to a few days, any wounds they cover definitely heal better and faster.
Lavender oil
I sometimes have a bath in my hotel room and fancy a restorative soak. A few drops of lavender oil acts as a nice aroma, especially if the water smells differently to what you’re used to. Lavender oil is also one of the few essential oils you can apply to your skin without diluting. I have used it mixed with my bottled drinking water to clean my hands on an overnight train with no basin water (naturally antibacterial), a few drops around my pillow to attempt to make me feel sleepy and directly on blisters that haven’t burst as it dries them out far quicker than waiting for them to burst or subside.