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Worried that all your toiletries, makeup, skincare, hair styling tools, etc etc… won’t fit into your suitcase? Read these tips on how to travel size toiletries to learn how to make the most of limited space without sacrificing your routine!
How to “Travel-Size” Your Favorite Beauty Products
One of the most important aspects of packing is your beauty product collection and trying to figure out how to find the best travel size toiletries to compensate for your personal favorites.
Working for a beauty company myself, I know how hard it is to part with any product used in your perfectly tailored beauty routine. I am here to help slim your packing list for minimalist travel without sacrificing your skincare regimen.
It’s important to bring compact travel size toiletries when traveling for a few reasons.
Most importantly, they fit in your luggage and don’t take up too much space/weight; they are inexpensive so you can restock them when necessary; and they fit within travel guidelines.
Understand the 3-1-1 liquids rule when flying!
Airlines require that liquid products be no more than 3 fl. oz. and all bottles must fit in a clear quart size ziplock bag when traveling with a carry on. If security decides to toss them out, you only lose a small size and it won’t be the end of your trip!
The secret to packing light is to downsize your toiletries and create a travel travel wardrobe which can easily fit into a carryon suitcase with the help of packing cubes!
Download Our Free Toiletry Checklist
Start by downloading our Ultimate Packing Guide for Toiletries. It’s FREE! You can click here or click the image above to open the editable file.
The list features unique categories to help you pack for your trip efficiently. It includes all the items listed in various categories and has spaces where you can fill in your own information.
With this guide, you can:
- Write in an item’s weight (lighter items means less overall baggage weight)
- Note if you need to purchase something or if you already own it
- Organize where you’ll pack each item
Read this post for a printable packing list that includes clothes, shoes, and more!
Here are 5 tips to travel size toiletries:
Too Faced Color Prim | NARS Multiple
Multi-use Items
One of the best ways to cut down on space and bulk when packing travel size toiletries is to find combination items.
You can find two-in-one shampoos and conditioners, body cleanser that can double as shave gel, a foldable brush with a mirror attached on the handle, and multi-use makeup products like Too Faced Color Prim and NARS Multiple.
Here are few of our fave multi-use beauty products!
Travel Size Containers
Worried that you won’t have enough space for your toiletries and beauty products in your carry-on? Purchase empty travel size containers of various shapes and sizes at any drugstore.
The main thing to know is that the best travel containers are not necessarily the 3oz travel-size. Pack only what you need with pots and bottles in various sizes:
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Stackable Pots
This is my ultimate secret for fitting various toiletries into minimal space. Stackable pots will work extremely well for women that use a variety of different beauty products or have an extensive skincare routine.
- How to Use Them: Use one stack for shampoo/conditioner/body wash and another stack for face moisturizer/body moisturizer/sunblock
- When to Use Them: Use this strategy for weekend trips and take just what you need or if you have a longer trip and plan on buying products as you go – use the stacks for products that last a long time such as foundation, eye cream, or face moisturizer.
- At home: Use these travel containers to store jewelry, crafts, or to consolidate half empty products and make more room on the shelves.
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Individual Pots
I love using individual pots for items like my concealer and foundation. I don’t need to use a large quantity and they usually come in a heavy glass bottle so decanting them saves weight too.
I’ve found these to be the best travel containers for small quantities!
- How to Use Them: Use them for makeup and beauty products that you won’t need often and to store individual products that you want to take in your purse. (A stack won’t do so well thrown around in your day bag or purse.)
- When to Use Them: Anytime. These travel containers can store your bath products on short trips or on longer trips for items you won’t use often.
- At home: Have you ever used a concealer container with a pump that gives you more than what you need? Stop wasting product. You can decant the liquid or gel into one of these containers so you only get a dab of what you’ll use.
Airsspu Leakproof Travel Bottles Set
Cylinder Soft Tubes
I prefer pots to tubes but sometimes you need a little more product or a different type of cap. These travel bottles are durable but soft containers and are a fabulous choice.
They tend to be leakproof and long lasting making them the best travel containers in comparison to hard, plastic bottles. GoToob is the most popular brand and has a convenient 2 fl oz size.
- How to Use Them: Have several of each container type so you can play Tetris and make the most of the room in your toiletry bag. Use them for runny, thin liquids or for products you’d prefer not to dip your finger into.
- When to Use Them: On trips of any length based on the products that just aren’t quite right in a pot.
- At home: Using the same principles as the pots, you can maximize limited storage room in your home by decanting any product – even cooking items too!
Usually you can find white sticker labels to put on each bottle to keep them nice and organized as well. If a 3 oz portion of my favorite beauty product doesn’t cut it, I stick it in 2 travel size containers so I always have maximum supply.
Take a look at our top ten toiletry bags!
Premium 19-piece Necessities Travel Kit
Choose Basics
It’s important to downsize your overall beauty routine and just stick to the basics. Travel size shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and few disposable razors are sufficient for bathing needs.
As for skincare, it can be a little more personalized to your preference but try not to bring more than three skincare items: cleanser, treatment (for acne or for aging skin), and moisturizer. If you use a skin care system different to this one, that’s perfectly fine just try to cut it down to three travel size products.
Learn how to care for your skin on the road!
Hello Soap “Travel Quotes” Solid Soap Set
Replace Liquids with Solids
Whenever possible, replace liquid beauty products with solids. Everyone loves Lush solid shampoos that lasts over 50 washes. Read Trish’s LUSH Godiva Bar review here.
A bar of moisturizing soap can replace your body wash or better yet, these cool Travelon Shampoo Sheets. Use solid deodorant, foundation stick, and you solid perfume. Alternatively, for multi-use purposes, a liquid shampoo can act as shampoo, body wash, hand soap, dish washing liquid, and even detergent!
Here’s out round-up of 18 awesome solid toiletries!
Essential Everyday Beauty Gift Set
Gift Sets and Travel Kits
Be sure to look out for sampler gift sets like this one from Nars for makeup and this Burt’s Bees Travel Shower Kit. When shopping, also keep an eye out for regular size items that come with a free travel size product – it’s always a good deal!
Check out these awesome holidays gift sets for women for more of your favorite products in a travel friendly portion.
MORE TOILETRY TIPS
When using your own travel containers, remember these golden rules:
- Only fill 2/3 of the container in order to avoid compression leaks
- Use a piece of saran wrap under the lid for extra leak prevention
- Avoid water-like substances such as toner. The thinner the liquid the more likely it is to seep through.
Three more space saving “better than travel size” toiletry ideas:
- If you’re short on time and are always on the go, Squeeze Pod sells one-time use toiletry sets. Buy a set and you’re good to go! Here are more single-use toiletries!
- These bulk packs are another good idea if you want to make your own one-time use sets.
- And when you don’t have any more room for liquids just use some of these liquid-free wipes!
Get started on your journey to packing a minimalist travel makeup kit with our quick TPSY TV video on the top four double-duty travel beauty products!
Whether you’re flying carry on or are a minimalist traveler, these are just a few tips and tricks to travel size toiletries on your next trip. Share yours and comment! If you found this post helpful, please re-tweet and share.
Author Bio Tara is a native Californian and newbie world traveler, having just backpacked through Europe and continuing on throughout Southeast Asia. Enthusiast of all things organic; she also loves to read, write, and bake in her spare time and currently keeps her own travel blog Traveling Days.
What should I do to transport hairspray safely?
Hi Mary, TFG loves Tresemme travel hair spray: http://bit.ly/1Be4U2p But if you’re traveling carry-on only, a non-aerosol pump spray is recommended: http://amzn.to/1HL9QNh Or if you are worried about packing your hairspray, many of our readers like to purchase toiletry products like hairspray when they reach their destination. I would also highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post your question there about traveling with hairspray: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Hope this helps. ?
I use a Katmandu toiletry bag. It is superlight and small and has 2 mesh zippered compartments and one waterproof compartment which is velcroed on. I use the waterproof compartment for my toiletries. One zippered compartment for my laundry and miscellaneous items and the other zippered compartment for my makeup, jewellery and hair ties.
Hi Sonya, thank you for sharing your great review of your Katmandu toiletry bag with us, sounds brilliant! Happy travels!
Contact cases are great for carrying small amounts. I put foundation on one side and vaseline (used for eye makeup remover) in the other.
Thank you for the great travel tips!
Happy to help!
Would you suggest getting a hair cut before going to save money on a 4 month trip? or just suck it up and get the shampoo when you need it.
I’ve met many travelers that do cut their hair to save money and time. I preferred growing my hair as I found it easier to style than short hair ?
Was in Seoul Korea and became enamoured by the 14-step beauty routine. Have been carrying around too many bottles and no longer can carry on my bag due to so many liquids. Definitely agree and recommend culling down skin care to essentials.
Thanks AJ!
Eye drop bottles! You can actually pop out the tip and put your liquids in it. I had a few bottles of expired prescription eye drop bottles lying around and decided to experiment. I was able to pry off the tip with a very thin flat head screw driver and dump the contents. I cleaned the containers by sloshying them around in a combo of water, dawn, and baking soda. I rinsed them and sloshed some rubbing alcohol around, then let them dry. Pumped my liquid foundation into one, and my liquid Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in another (works great as a blush/brownzer and can be used on the lips!). I pop the tips back in and labeled them. Voila!! Tiny 10 ml sized bottles of my essentials!
Love it! Will have to add your recommendation to this list: https://travelfashiongirl.com/best-travel-containers/
Smart idea!
I didn’t want to fight my hair on my trip to England, Ireland, and Spain, so fortunately my hair stylist (who happens to be my daughter) found my favorite shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, etc., in travel-size containers, so I could still enjoy my salon products while traveling.
Perfect!
Soak cotton pads/balls with your favorite toner/liquid eye makeup remover etc. And create your own make up remover wipes…AND they will not count as liquids (as long as the liquids are completely absorbed).
Solid sunsceen, of course! ?
Perfect!
Great tips – especially on need to downsize! The more organized I am, the better the travel experience. Just tried packsimply.com to assemble my own toiletry kit online. So far, so good!
Wow I’ll have to check that out! Thanks for the recommendation Lynn! And my toiletries used to add up so quickly! Definitely necessary to slim those down as well!
I have used Lush’s solid shampoo and conditioner on several short trips. I really like them. I have the shampoo named “Honey, I washed my hair”. It smells like honey, and seems to be lasting quite well. Another tip I learned from a friend is to use your hair conditioner for shaving your legs. It moisturizers your skin at the same time!
Great tips! I also use conditioner to shave too. Super smooth 😉
Your site has been critical to my careful planning of an upcoming trip to Europe. Thank you! Do you have any suggestions for toiletry bags? I like the idea of a water-resistant pouch, keeping everything together in the showers, as I’m awfully forgetful. Flight 001 clear TSA bag looks good but reviews say the zipper might not be reliable. Any good tips?
Hi Erin, thank you! It makes me feel great to be able to help you with your trip 🙂 Here are some toiletry bag suggestions: https://travelfashiongirl.com/best-toiletry-bags-for-travel-our-top-10-choices-to-help-you-organize/ Hope this helps!
I use a bag from Mary KAY. It’s a hanging bag and has 4 larger clear plastic zipper pouches. They are Velcroed to the hanger and come off easily. It folds up and stays closed. I open it and lay it flat on the top of everything in my suitcase. It holds makeup and toiletries and the pouches don’t leak. It’s hangs up with an attached hanger. I like being able to take one of the pouches off and just use one at a time making it easy to take your makeup to a different room if necessary.
Hi Claudia, thank you for your comment! Thank you so much for sharing your recommendation with me! 🙂