Tips to Pack Toiletries for Carry-On Travel

Straight to the Point…Toiletries can be difficult to pare down and the 3-1-1 rule remains the number one reason that people choose to check their bags. This, of course, is expertly deduced from my very unscientific survey of friends, family members, and fellow travelers. Read on for tips. 

Now, on to the info you need…

What is the 3-1-1-Rule? The 3-1-1 rule is the Transportation Security Administration’s rule for packing liquids in a carry-on bag. There are no restrictions for packing liquids in a checked bag. For a more in-depth discussion of TSA rules, please click on this article, What are TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry? or click here for the official TSA website.  Most countries across the globe have similar rules for air travel, so this article will apply to all air travel currently. In the future, these rules will be changing as technology advances and new scanners are installed in airports around the world. I’ll cover the highlights here before we move on to how to achieve this Tetris of packing skills. 

The 3-1-1 rule is simple. All liquids, aerosols, creams, gels, and pastes must be in a container no larger than 100 ml or 3.4 US ounces. The total of all these 100 ml containers must fit inside a one US quart (or one liter in Europe) zip top bag that must zip completely closed. Only one zip top bag is allowed per passenger. So, 3 oz, in a 1quart bag, and 1bag per person, is the 3-1-1 rule.  For now, that is the basics. Individual TSA agents may vary in their enforcement of these rules, and exactly which products constitute a liquid or cream may vary, but simply follow the basic rules and you will be in compliance.

How Do I Reduce My Liquids?   

• Scrutinize your daily routine to see what you can live without. If you use two cleansers and a special eye cream, can you get by with one cleanser and use your regular moisturizer for your eye area for the length of your trip? You don’t have to change your routine forever. Try it at home for the length of your planned trip and see how you do with a more simplified beauty routine.
• Decant your liquids into smaller containers. This includes liquid foundation, facial serums, moisturizers, toners, cleansers, shampoo, conditioner, etc. Any liquid product you use and want to take with you on a trip will need to be decanted into a smaller container to fit into the quart bag. We really don’t need as much product as we tend to think. I have found the best way to assess my liquid needs is to decant the products I use into smaller containers and use out of those containers at home to see how long they last. There are a variety of small containers available at Target in the travel section and on Amazon. I’m a fan of the 10 ml/15 ml/20 ml lip gloss tubes and the 20 ml pots from Amazon. A quick search will yield too many to count. I also like to use contact lens cases for my creams such as triple antibiotic ointment, acne cream, and cortisone cream. Try these out and see what you think.
• Swap your liquids for solids. Lots of products now come in a solid form such as shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizers. They are widely available in cosmetic stores and on Amazon and they do a great job. I like the Ethique brand of shampoo bar. Toothpaste comes in tablet form and lots of people swear by it. Some people make their own toothpaste tablets by putting a dot of toothpaste on wax paper and letting it dry out, then packing it into a small zip lock bag for storage. It seems extreme, but every liquid you can swap out will help.
• Swap your liquids for wipes. Makeup remover and cleanser wipes are very popular for traveling.
• Squirt your liquid cleanser, moisturizer, or toner on a sponge or a cotton round and let it dry. Pack into a zip lock bag for storage. When ready to use, dampen the sponge and your product is ready to go. Try this at home to see how it works. Even if you pack them up while still damp, they will not be considered a liquid as long as they are not dripping wet.
• Purchase travel sizes of your favorite brands.  This is a less sustainable option, but can work in a pinch. I prefer the smaller containers I have purchased over the years as they are refillable and some travel size products cannot be refilled.
• Use samples from your favorite cosmetic store. Watch for sales at your beauty counter where you can often find free gifts of a smaller size product with purchase.
• Use the products available at your accommodations. I have no problem with hotel and cruise ship soap and shampoo. I do prefer my own leave-in conditioner, and I pack that in a 10 ml lip gloss tube. Just a tiny amount goes a very long way. If you are staying at an Air B&B or VRBO, double check with the host about which products will be available.
• Buy products at your destination. As I mentioned above, people all over the world use the same kinds of products we here in the US use, just a different brand. Lots of women actually prefer buying makeup and cosmetics in Europe because they like the quality better. Many products we can buy at Target in the US are sold at a chemist or pharmacy in Europe, and I have found the pharmacists are more than happy to answer any questions, help me translate labels, and make recommendations when I have needed cold medicine and other things. They are happy to have the sale, so don’t disappoint them! We both got really sick in Germany one time and had to buy a second bottle of Nyquil after running through the first one in three days. It was the green kind and not very tasty, but the pharmacist was helpful and we slept like babies so we could finally enjoy all those beautiful Christmas markets in Cologne!
• If you have a travel partner, share your partner’s quart bag. My husband needs fewer liquid products than I do, so I slip a couple things in his quart bag when I can. This can also work if you are traveling with children. The rule is one quart bag per person, so load those kids’ bags up with your facial cleanser and shampoo if needed.

 I sure hope these tips are helpful. It has taken me several trips to learn all of this, and I am still learning. I get better with each trip, and you will too! Here is the packing list from my most recent trip, which was three weeks in Italy including a 10 day ocean cruise. I used my 22” bag and a 17” backpack. Attach packing list here. 

Like what you read? Hate it? Please leave us a comment below, but don’t be bitchy. Happy Travels!