How to Pack Toiletries for Travel Like a Pro? a Complete Guide

Your toiletry bag is one item you know you cannot leave behind when you start packing for your trip. Toiletry packing is an art form. Despite your desire to only bring the necessities, you don’t want to overpack and cause your suitcase to become too heavy. Here’s some advice on how to reduce your load and pack toiletries like a pro.

How to Pack Toiletries for Travel?

To decide what you will and won’t need to bring, as well as how to downsize items, follow the step-by-step packing approach below.

Step 1: Planning and Preparation

Start by setting out all the grooming and beauty products you regularly use. Which of these can you bring on your trip and which must you leave behind? Select everything you believe you might require.

Then, place each item into one of these categories:

• Need
• Want
• Not required
• Not applicable

You might consider certain things non-negotiable, such as your preferred brand of shampoo or high-end face moisturizer. By cutting back on toiletries and getting rid of some items entirely, you can save a lot of room and weight in your luggage.

Would you be willing to use the hotel’s provided shampoo and body moisturizer for a few days? If not for a few weeks, don’t worry. The advice in the next section will help.

Step 2: Eliminate

Create two piles: one for items you don’t need to take and one for items you must take, after going through the entire list of every beauty product you own.

Travel Beauty Tip: Check to see if your lodging has items like shampoo, shower gel, a hair dryer, etc. Some hotels also offer freebies like toothpaste and razors at the front desk. Just ask.

Picking items or products with multiple uses is one of the best ways to reduce the number of toiletries you need. See if you already have any items that can serve two purposes. Choose between two items that fulfill the same need.

Step 3: Downsize

Consider how much of each product you actually use day to day. Someone who washes their hair every other day, for instance, can often make a 3 oz. travel-size bottle of shampoo last a full week.

How far are you traveling? Note how much product you’d typically use over that stretch. It’s time to estimate how much of each item you actually need to pack now that you’re aware of the items that are essential.

It is especially important to get this right for necessities like shampoo, toothpaste, and moisturizers. Remember to think through your bath, skincare, and makeup routine too. Make a note of it so you can refer to it later when you’re ready to make the final decision.

Once you have a better idea of what you actually need, consider other ways to downsize, such as:

• Can you take a few individual wipes instead of a full bottle of nail polish remover?
• Is a full bottle of foundation necessary, or can you decant just what you need into a small container?
• If you hate having your nails chipped, mini nail polish bottles are a good option.

A cleanser, a treatment (for wrinkles or acne), and a moisturizer should be all you bring for skincare, since routines tend to be fairly individualized. Try to reduce the number of products in a skincare routine, if you use one, to just three.

Step 4: Travel Containers

Pick out the proper travel containers. Buy a variety of sizes and bring only what you need. 3 oz bottles are frequently too big for a one or two-week trip.

Instead of immediately buying “travel-size” containers in 3oz or 100ml bottles, consider a range of sizes, including 1oz and 2oz bottles and small jars too.

To reduce weight and prevent breakage, swap out glass containers for plastic ones.

Do a trial run with your toiletry bag to make sure everything actually fits. If it doesn’t, think about using multi-use products, like a shampoo/conditioner combo, a conditioner as shaving cream, or baby shampoo for both body and hair.

Essential Toiletries Packing List

These are the necessities for your travel toiletries. The majority of this will be included on everyone’s list for their toiletry bag. If there are any items on this list that you don’t use at home, they probably aren’t for you while traveling either. Some of these products, like hand cream or cotton buds, are purely a matter of preference.

• Shampoo – For a carry-on-only trip under two weeks, a small refillable travel bottle works well.
• Conditioner – Packed as above
• Hairbrush/comb
• Soap/body wash
• Toothpaste – Get a travel-sized toothpaste if you’re traveling with a carry-on only
• Toothbrush – A folding toothbrush is great for travel
• Dental floss – Pick a small travel size one
• Deodorant – Make sure it’s under 3oz if you’re traveling carry-on only
• Facial wipes/cleanser – Wipes are easy and less messy than a liquid cleanser
• Facial moisturizer – Whatever you use at home is fine; just look for a small, travel-friendly size
• Body moisturizer – You can leave this out if you’re staying in hotels but bring it if you’re using Airbnb, cruising, or prefer a specific brand
• Hand cream – Great for the flight
• Lip balm – Great for the flight, sun, or skiing
• Multi-use oil or balm – A small bottle of an oil like coconut oil can double as a moisturizer, after-sun treatment, shaving gel, and hair treatment, useful if you want to cut down on how many separate products you’re carrying.
• Razor
• Shaving gel/oil – Shaving oil is more space efficient
• Tweezers
• Small mirror – A small magnifying mirror with suction cups can attach to a hotel window or bathroom mirror
• Nail file
• Nail clippers
• Cotton buds/cotton pads
• Medication
• Vitamins

Nice-to-Have / Trip-Specific Toiletries for Vacation

These either depend on the kind of trip you’re taking or are merely nice-to-haves. Here are some of the extra toiletries to take on vacation:

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent spray
• After sun lotion/aloe vera – Toiletry bag essentials if you’re at the beach for preventing sunburn or moisturizing skin after sun exposure
• Anti-chafe balm/powder – Worth having if you plan to do a lot of activity, walk a lot, or are traveling to a humid area
• Foot powder – Worth packing if you plan to do a lot of walking around cities or hiking; anti-chafe balm can double for this too
• Tiger balm / Deep heat – Handy for an active vacation, like a ski trip
• Hand sanitizer
• Menstrual cups / Tampons / Sanitary pads – depending on the time of the month you’re traveling, a necessary addition to any female toiletries list
• Condoms
• Personal lubricant
• Aftershave/beard oil
• Contact lenses and solution
• Essential oils – If you need them, pack them in small travel bottles

Hair & Beauty Toiletries for Women

A large portion of these are feminine hygiene and beauty products. Men can largely skip this section, since men’s travel toiletries tend to be a bit simpler. Most of these are toiletries to bring on vacation, whether you’re taking a cruise, visiting a nice resort, or going on a weekend city break. This kind of toiletry is probably not necessary if you’re backpacking.

• Hair ties – Wrap them around the handle of a hairbrush, then tuck bobby pins on top, to keep both together and easy to find
• Bobby pins
• Travel flat iron – Worth bringing if your hair is difficult to manage without one
• Travel hair dryer – If you’re staying in an Airbnb or friend’s home rather than a hotel, it’s worth bringing your own
• Dry shampoo – Get a travel-size spray
• Hair styling products – Travel size versions of hairspray and styling gel are easy to find, or decant your usual product into a small refillable bottle
• Shower cap – Not necessary at most hotels, but useful in an Airbnb or at a friend’s place
• Makeup
• Makeup brushes
• Makeup remover
• Eye cream – Decant a small amount into a little travel pot
• Solid perfume – A great space-saving option for travel

What Toiletries Can I Take on a Plane?

The ability to pack appropriately is one of the most crucial things to understand before you begin making travel arrangements. Whether you are checking your luggage or not will affect the toiletries you can bring on a flight.

• For cabin or carry-on toiletries: airlines require that liquid products are no more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and all bottles must fit in a clear quart-size ziplock bag when traveling with a carry-on. Liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes must all be contained inside a quart-sized ziplock bag. This is called the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule. Read about How To Pack A Carry-on?
• For checked toiletries: items that are in containers larger than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters (regardless of amount) should be in checked baggage. To learn precisely what can be placed in a checked bag, visit the TSA page.

These regulations apply to airlines with US bases. These, however, are frequently the standards for all airlines. Always check the airline’s website for specific information or get in touch with them and ask them. Read More: Are Packing Cubes Worth It?

How Do You Keep Your Liquids from Leaking?

Here’s a tip to help prevent liquids from leaking in luggage: remove the cap from the bottle, place a small square of plastic wrap over the opening, and replace the cap.

On a flight, changes in air pressure can cause bottles to leak or bulge. As the plane climbs, the pressure change can push contents toward the cap. The plastic wrap acts as an extra seal to stop leaks.

This is also why travel-size toiletry bottles bought in stores rarely come completely full. Leaving a little extra headroom in the bottle keeps liquids from being forced out by pressure changes. (This same pressure change is also why ears can feel plugged up during a flight.)

The solution: don’t fill your bottles all the way to the top. Instead, fill them only 2/3 or 75% of the way.

Tips for Packing Toiletries

Packing toiletries doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few top recommendations for packing toiletries while traveling to prevent spills and overpacking.

• Packing toiletries for flight – Even with the lid screwed shut, cabin air pressure can cause bottles to squeeze and push contents out, so it’s worth packing anything that could leak into its own Ziploc bag before placing it inside the toiletry bag, as an extra layer of spill protection. Refillable leak-resistant travel bottles for shampoo and conditioner help too, though it’s still worth handling any liquids with a bit of caution.
• Packing toiletries for international travel – You can typically buy the majority of necessary travel toiletries while abroad unless heading somewhere extremely remote or off the beaten path. If you’re picky about brands, bring your favorites with you, since you might not be able to find them locally.
• Packing toiletries for carry-on luggage – Follow the rules for items under 3oz or 100ml when packing toiletries for air travel. Most men’s and women’s toiletries are available in travel sizes. Decanting larger shampoo and conditioner bottles into small refillable containers is another option. A solid shampoo bar works for some people too, though not everyone likes them, and some varieties call for a vinegar rinse afterward.
• Pick the right toiletry bag – To prevent leaks, choose a toiletry bag with a high-quality waterproof or spill-resistant fabric. A hanging hook is also genuinely useful when there isn’t much counter space.