My favorite items to buy in Taiwan

Useful period underwear

I’m not talking about the ones you can order the US that soak up period blood. Personally, I don’t find that hygienic. But I wear these period underwear only at night on my heaviest days, just in case. Along with super long pads, I’ve minimized any accidents on the sheets for the last 10 years. The entire backside of the underwear has a layer of fabric that easily washes off blood. These were designed specifically for nighttime wear! One good quality pair costs about $15-20 USD, though they can be as cheap as under $10. Make sure to size up for comfort! I typically wear medium in regular US underwear, but bought large in these.

Pimple stickers

I buy boxes and boxes of these to bring back home to last me until my next trip to Taiwan. These pimple stickers from Mentholatum are the best because they’re extremely thin and stick well to your skin. They also come in big and small sizes, and they work almost immediately. I’ve tried Bioré before where the stickers were too thick and the supposed non-adhesive side sometimes stuck to your finger as you were applying it on. Those don’t work as well.

To use properly, make sure your pimple is ripe and you see a white head. Carefully pop the pimple and squeeze out all the pus. I like to use a needle to poke a very tiny rip. Next, cleanse your skin and make sure it’s dry. Then center the sticker over the pimple, BEFORE you apply skincare, and leave overnight. It’s SO satisfying to see the pus get sucked onto the sticker. Keep reapplying new stickers until there is no more pus to suck out, or when your pimple is no longer a bump.

These vary in price but won’t be over $10 a box. Definitely way cheaper and more effective than American brands like Hero Mighty Patch. You can find these at most cosmetic/pharmacy stores but I got them from Poya.

Travel storage containers

There are tons of general store-type of shops (my uncle owns this one!) where you can purchase single travel storage containers. No need to buy a whole pack when you only need a very specific size or type. You can just mix and match! Each individual container ranges around $15 TWD give or take, which is about $0.50. Depending on the price, these are high quality containers. Not the flimsy cheap plastic kind you get at Target.

My uncle’s shop has pill containers, spray bottles, salves/balm containers, beakers, glass cork bottles, rollerballls, droppers – you name it! Always super fun to visit and prices start at 50 cents.

Boba straps

Why limit the use of one hand to carry your boba when you can slip it in a useful and convenient boba strap? I initially bought one as a gift for a coworker a few years ago and didn’t get one for myself. Then my dear friend Claire purchased a whole variety and gave away as gifts, myself included! They’re SO handy and lightweight, and only $1-5 USD. Anything more than that and you’re being ripped off. You can find these all over the place, mainly at cute night market stores, even department stores that sell accessories.

Breezy Japanese eye drops

Rhoto Japanese eye drops are incredibly refreshing and can burn your eyes a bit, but they really do relieve dry eyes. There are different levels of intensity and I’ve always used the highest at level 8. The many brands also differentiate between drops that can be used on contacts. Each dropper comes out to about $7 USD, and they can be found in pharmacies or cosmetics stores.

Cute socks

I got some cute animal socks as a gift from a former coworker who asked me what I wanted from Taiwan. I told her SOCKS as there are vendors everywhere, and the ones she brought back for me were above ankle and the animals had ears peeping out on top! They’re high quality and so cute. I usually wear no-show socks but I’ve been using these a lot when I wear my high top hiking boots. You can find a huge variety of socks of all qualities in Taiwan, including ankle length and more! Home goods stores have them, as well as Poya.

Pineapple cakes

It’s hard to bring back boba from Taiwan but pineapple cakes keep decently well and are TSA friendly! There are many brands to choose from and are all great.

Other items

I also buy oil blotting sheets from Muji for $1 each, mesh laundry bags to protect iintimates and also keep socks together, and closet air fresheners!

If you’ve been to Taiwan before, what are things you love to get? What am I missing out on?!

xx Sam