For a short time in 2006, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) instituted a complete ban on all liquids in carry-on baggage. This led to a lot of confusion and frustration for people who just wanted to bring toothpaste, after shave, perfume, or other common toiletries, skincare, and hair care products with them on a flight. Shortly after instituting the ban, the TSA walked back the rule and allowed liquids in carry-on bags once again — with a few important caveats. Today, these rules are still in place, and while they are designed to make travel safer for everyone, they can also make the packing process a little more complicated.
Fortunately, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about TSA-approved sizes for skincare products and similar liquids. If you’ve got a flight coming up soon, you probably have a ton of questions about what kind of skincare products you can bring with you. For instance, what are the specific rules about liquid bottle sizes on planes? What qualifies as a liquid according to the TSA? How many bottles can you take in one carry-on bag? Lastly, where can you find quality travel size skincare products?
In today’s guide, we will answer all of these questions and more, so let’s get started!
What Are The TSA Liquid Limits For Carry-On Luggage?
To try to keep things as simple as possible, the TSA has instituted the 3-1-1 liquids rule. However, you really need to dig into the details of this rule to understand exactly how much you can put in your carry-on. According to the TSA’s official statements on the matter, you can’t bring any bottles that contain more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) of liquid. To put this in perspective, it would take the liquid from about five 3.4-ounce bottles to fill a standard water bottle. This means you can’t bring any jumbo-size skincare products with you!
Since many passengers want to bring more than one product with them on a flight, the TSA does allow you to bring multiple bottles, as long as each bottle is 3.4 ounces or smaller. This is where the 3-1-1 rule comes into play. The “3” refers to the 3.4-ounce maximum per bottle. The first “1” refers to the size of the bag you can put the bottles in; the bottles of liquid must be able to fit in a 1-quart bag. Finally, the last “1” refers to the number of 1-quart liquid bags you can bring with you on the plane. That is to say, you can only have 1 bag of liquids in your carry-on bag.
If this all sounds a bit confusing, here’s a simple breakdown to make it a bit easier. Before you pack your bags, make sure that all of your liquids meet the following requirements:
- The liquids are all in 3.4-ounce bottles (or smaller)
- The bottles can fit in a quart-size bag
- There is just one quart-size liquid bag per passenger
What Counts As A Liquid?
Many people start going through security, only to discover that one of their skincare products technically qualifies as a “liquid” under the TSA’s rules. In general, any type of liquid, gel, cream, aerosol, or paste is considered a liquid. This means you’ll need to follow the 3-1-1 rule for a wide range of products, including but not limited to:
- Deodorant
- Chapstick
- Lotion
- Shampoo
- Liquid soap
- Hand sanitizer
- Hair gel
- Beard wax
- Beard oil
- Toothpaste
- Sunscreen
- Hairspray
Once again, this isn’t a comprehensive list of items that qualify as liquids under TSA rules, but it does cover some of the most common ones. Some passengers are surprised to find out that more “solid” products like chapstick, deodorant, or beard wax qualify as liquids. But with is information, you can pack with more confidence and not run the risk of having your items thrown in the garbage when you go through security.
How Many Individual Bottles Can You Take?
The TSA doesn’t specifically state how many bottles you can take with you on the plane. Unfortunately, this leaves passengers feeling a bit uneasy, especially if they have a lot of different skin or hair care products that they’d like to have within reach during a long flight. Fortunately, you can do some relatively simple math to figure out the maximum number of bottles you can bring with you.
Each bottle cannot hold more than 3.4 ounces of liquid, and all liquid bottles must be able to fit into a single 1-quart bag. There are 32 fluid ounces in a quart, which means that (ignoring the bottles themselves), you could fit somewhere between 9 and 10 bottles in a single bag (32 divided by 3.4 equals 9.41, to be precise). However, the bag has to be able to close, and since the bottles themselves will take up space, you’ll need to subtract 1 or 2 bottles from the total. This means that you could feasibly carry between 7 and 9 bottles that can fit 3.4 ounces of liquid.
Keep in mind that 3.4 ounces is the maximum size, so if you opt for smaller bottles, you could bring even more with you. For example, if you use 2-ounce bottles, you might be able to bring as many as 16 individual bottles (32 divided by 2 is 16). Just remember that all of these bottles have to fit in a closed, 1-quart bag!
Men's Skincare Travel Kit
If you’ve developed a tried-and-true skincare regimen, then you won’t want to give that up just because you’re traveling. This is especially true for long flights. If you struggle with acne breakouts or dry skin, having quality skincare products nearby is really important. Plus, you’ll want to know that you have your favorite products available at your destination, even if your checked bags get lost somewhere along the way!
Fortunately, if you use Anthony’s Basics Travel Size Set, you can rest easy knowing that you have quality products with you that also adhere to the TSA’s 3-1-1 rules. Our Basics Travel Size Set comes with three essential skincare products for men:
- Glycolic Facial Cleanser - Anthony’s 3.4-ounce Glycolic Facial Cleanser is one of our top sellers for good reason. Our signature formula gently cleanses and exfoliates your face, leaving your skin feeling soft and refreshed. This is great before a shave or to help the skin absorb other products, like moisturizers.
- Invigorating Rush Hair + Body Wash - Anthony’s 3.4-ounce Invigorating Rush Hair + Body Wash is the perfect all-in-one shower solution when you’re on the go. You can bring this with you to keep your hair and body feeling, looking, and smelling fresh throughout the day.
- Mini Exfoliating + Cleansing Bar - Finally, Anthony’s Mini Exfoliating + Cleansing Bar provides a full body and face experience, whether you’re taking a full-body shower or just rinsing your face before bed. Either way, you can rest easy knowing that your face and body will be fully cleansed and free of dirt, grime, and excess oils.
As an added bonus, our Basics Travel Set comes with a TSA-friendly travel bag, ensuring that you’ll be ready to go for your next flight. So, bon voyage and safe travels!
Want to learn even more about travel size skincare products? If so, be sure to check out the great products and solutions available at Anthony today!
