Athena Hewett is the founder of Monastery, a skincare line inspired by her Greek grandmother, who used pressed oil from their own grove along with sage, chamomile, and rosemary to heal her skin. After over a decade of studying medical-grade beauty products, Athena opened her first skincare therapy studio in San Francisco–and the rest is history. Though her brand is sought after across the globe, Athena still proudly makes all of the Monastery products by hand, without alcohol, salt, or fillers. Besides being a skincare boss, Athena is a mother and wife who is excited for “big changes coming in early 2019.” Below, she shares the beauty essentials she always keeps close when traveling. 
How often do you travel? Are these trips mostly domestic or international?
These days they are pretty much domestic. I’d say I get on a plane every few months.
What type/brand of bag do you use as your carry-on? What do you pack inside of it?
I use the Joshu and Vela unisex baja backpack as a carry-on. With a kid running around I have to use a backpack so that I can grab him quickly if I need to. Even without my son around I prefer having a backpack – I like having a bag physically attached to my body because I can be absent-minded.
What goes inside:

  1. Attar Repair Concentrate. I slather this beauty balm all over my face. It traps in moisture so that I arrive looking refreshed. I also use it on my lips.
  2. Rose Cleansing oil. I don’t go anywhere without my go-to cleanser. You never know when you might need to wash your face. Typically I like to right after I exit the plane.
  3. Esthetic cotton wipes. I use these to remove cleansing oil or makeup off of my face. They are also great to have on you at all times for just about anything, they don’t pill or tear and are super soft.
  4. A comb and Oribe mystifying restyling spray. They have a cute travel size of this one. My hair always looks a little worn after a flight and this helps me to bring it back to life.
  5. Legal paper pad and pen. I like being able to actually write things down and I have found it easiest to use one of these big ugly paper pads, rather than a cute notebook. I keep trying to use something pretty to write in but it never lasts. I guess I feel like I just need something bigger.
  6. Gold Healing Serum. I always have this product on me. I reapply it throughout the day. It feels and smells so good and instantly makes my skin look better.
  7. A Turkish towel. It’s less bulky than a blanket but still has the ability to give you a little warmth on a cold plane. Plus you can roll it up and use it like a pillow if you have to.
  8. A magazine. This is a guilty pleasure. I always splurge on one of my favorite magazines right before a flight. On the last flight I took a Kinfolk and Mother Muse.
  9. RMS uncover up. This is pretty much the makeup that I use when I do use makeup. Just in case I need something after the flight, I’ll make sure that I have this on me. Usually, I don’t wear any makeup though.
  10. SHADE tinted sunscreen. It’s my new favorite SPF.  It’s all-natural and has a really nice tint to it plus it doesn’t make me break out.
  11. Glossier boy brow. It’s the only Glossier product I use. I don’t think it has huge staying power but I do love the way it looks when I first apply it. Brows have the ability to make a person look younger and refreshed when they are nice and full.