Packing beauty products for a flight can feel like a game of Tetris. But with a little strategy, it's possible to make it to your destination with your favorite makeup, skincare, and hair products in tow and intact! This post breaks down how I keep my beauty bag compact, organized, and TSA-approved.
I've spent 10 years traveling with only a carry-on bag (and personal item), so I've done the trial-and-error work for you. Here's how to pack beauty products in your carry-on without sacrificing your routine or your sanity.
And if you enjoy this article, you'll love my tips for traveling around the world with just a carry-on bag!
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Why pack makeup in your carry-on?
Your carry-on is the safest place for your cosmetics. Checked luggage can get lost, delayed, or tossed around, and arriving at your vacation to find shattered powder or a missing serum is just not cute.
For solo women travelers, especially, keeping beauty products in your carry-on adds peace of mind. You won't be scrambling to replace expensive skincare or find a foundation shade match that's not available locally.
And travel-size products are lower stakes. Trust me, I've been forced to toss a full-size bottle of my favorite body cream to get through security before, and it sucks!
Pro Travel Tip
Always pack a mini beauty kit in your personal item (think lip balm, face mist, and hand cream) so you can freshen up without digging through the overhead compartment.
TSA Makeup Rules You Need to Know
Here's the quick and dirty: TSA considers liquid makeup, creams, gels, pastes, and aerosols (sprays) under their 3-1-1 rule. This means that each container must be 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less, all liquids must fit into one quart-sized clear bag, and you get one bag per passenger.
If you're asking yourself what makeup counts as liquid on a plane: foundation, concealer, liquid highlighters and pigments, mascara, lip gloss and liquid lipstick, and any cream products will count. Powders, pencils, and solid lipsticks/balms don't.
Here's a quick video that breaks it down:
I'll say that standards have relaxed over the years, and in my experience, the bag size and quantity portion of the rule hasn't been enforced during any of my travels, whether I was going through general security, using TSA Precheck, Global Entry, or Clear.
But I have been caught off guard a time or two when traveling through airports abroad that are much stricter!
Pro Travel Tip
Consider products that come in different formats to save space in your luggage and keep you under the weight limit.
For example, dry shampoo means you'll have one less liquid item, a three-in-one pigment can replace lippie, blush, and eyeshadow, makeup wipes are easier to pack than remover and cotton pads, and a fragrance balm weighs less than a glass perfume bottle.
International vs Domestic Travel
- Domestic Trips: TSA policy rules are all you need to consider. Shorter flights mean you can pack lighter--think multitasking products like lip/cheek pigments and a minimal version of your skincare lineup.
- International Flights: Longer-haul flights and layovers call for extra care. I like to have my overnight products like retinol, lip mask, and a pillowy sleep mask in reach so I can stay fresh on the plane.
- Layovers: If you have a long or overnight layover, keep essentials in your personal item or at the top of your suitcase so you don't have to completely unpack in order to freshen up.
Pro Travel Tip
Hydration is your best friend on a plane. Skip dehydrating beverages like alcohol and coffee (yeah, I said it), and drink eight ounces of water per hour in the air. And apply a rich facial moisturizer.
Travel-Sized Beauty Products Worth Packing
I've found that organizing my products into the following categories when I prep at home makes things really easy once I get to my destination.
Makeup & Tools: Foundation, concealer, blush, powder, mascara, gloss, brushes, beauty blenders, etc., are almost always already travel-sized.
Haircare: Buy minis of your favorite shampoo, conditioner, gel, and mousse, or decant them into travel containers, then toss them in with your brush, comb, accessories, and bonnet.
Skincare includes prescription topicals, serums, toner, moisturizer, patches, and masks, which are typically TSA-friendly, but you may need to get a travel-size of your makeup remover, cleanser, and toner.
Toiletries like bodywash and lotion are usually available at hotels and Airbnbs, but they're not always what we need for our skin types, so consider making or buying minis.
- I always pack multiple travel-size bottles of lotion because I refuse to be caught ashy.
- Toothpaste is the one thing I tend to forget over and over, but it's also the easiest to find via room service or a convenience store.
- Deodorant is a solid, but I find that a mini version is more than enough product even for my longest trips, and it takes up less room in my suitcase!
- No matter where you're going, don't forget sunscreen!
- Include things like your toothbrush, perfume, nail products, tweezers, and any other odds and ends in this group.
Think you're forgetting something? Check out the women's travel essentials I don't like to leave home without!
Pro Travel Tip
I like to hold onto the mini versions of my favorite full-size products from gift sets or gift-with-purchase samples to use when I'm traveling. And they're always on clearance after major holidays!
Packing Hacks for Beauty Products
Not every product you love comes in a travel size. And that's where refillable containers come in. These travel container pumps can hold enough lotion, body wash, curly hair cream, etc., to last me a week in just about any destination!
If you want a variety of containers, this travel beauty kit packages everything together nicely in a clear, TSA-approved makeup bag for you.
Contact lens cases are great, leak-proof travel-sized container ideas for things you need tiny amounts of, like eye cream or spot treatments.
Things like toners, micellar water, and hair oils tend to do well in mini spray bottles.
Last but not least, keep an extra quart-size Ziploc bag in your hand luggage in case your bag gets damaged or leaks.
Pro Travel Tip
ULTA, Sephora, and Target have excellent mini beauty product sections that are ripe with travel-size women's products to fill out your mini travel makeup kit, including TSA-approved travel-size toiletry sets. CVS is an affordable option for basics like travel-size toothpaste, face wash, and drugstore cosmetics.
Sample Carry-On Beauty Packing List
A well-packed beauty bag = one less thing to stress about on vacation! Here's an example of what I've used for weeklong trips:
Skincare
- Cleanser decanted into a Reis pump
- Vitamin C serum
- Moisturizer mini
- Melanin-friendly mineral SPF
- Mini makeup removing balm
- Mini face mist
- Chapstick
- Lip mask
Makeup
- Concealer
- Mascara mini
- Eyebrow pencil with spooly brush
- Blush
- Translucent powder
- Lipgloss
- Travel-size setting spray
Haircare
- Hair oil decanted into a spray bottle
- Curl cream decanted into a Reis pump (if I'm wearing my natural hair out)
- Edge control mini
- Mini mousse or braid spray
- Elastics and accessories
- Combs + brushes
- Silk scarf
- Bonnet
Toiletries
- Toothbrush + tongue scraper
- Travel-size toothpaste
- Body wash decanted into a Ries pump
- Body lotion decanted into (2) Reis pumps
- Hand cream
- Mini deodorant
- Mini perfume rollerball
- Tweezers
- Cuticle oil
- Mini nail kit
Need hairstyle inspiration for your trip? Scroll through these vacation braids ideas!
What Not to Pack
Some products are better left at home. Leave your full-size liquids over 3.4 oz. You might be able to sneak one or two through here and there, but at some point, they will get tossed.
Skip any fragile beauty packaging like glass jars that could break when the cabin pressure changes mid-flight.
Unless you pack an outlet converter, avoid bringing electric hair tools that don't fit the voltage in European and Asian countries.
Don't bother packing products you can buy cheaply and easily at your destination or find at the hotel. Speaking of, if you like the bath and beauty products at your hotel or resort, take them home with you for your next trip!
If you're going to the beach, read my beach bag packing list next!
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Now that you know how to pack cosmetics for air travel, I hope you'll enjoy your trips with ease and confidence. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this post for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
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