Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, packing your skincare products correctly is essential for hassle-free airline travel. Packing your skincare the right way can save you time and stress when it comes to going through airport security screening and helps ensure that all of your products comply with TSA regulations. In this essential guide from, Cure Med Spa in Mystic, we’ll show you how to pack your skincare products for airline travel so you can rest assured knowing that everything is in its rightful place.
Understanding TSA Regulations for Liquids
When packing your skincare products for air travel, it is important to understand the regulations regarding liquids and gels set by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the 3-1-1 rule. It means that any liquids and gels that you are bringing on an airplane must be in containers that are 3.4 ounces or smaller, all containers should fit into one 1-quart clear plastic bag, and one bag is allowed per person.
When your skincare routine contains a lot of liquids and gels, it can be difficult to pack everything into a TSA-approved 3-1-1 bag. Don’t worry, we have figured out how to pack a carry-on bag without sacrificing coveted vitamin C essence, chemical scrubs, or hyaluronic acid.
Bring Only Essential Liquids and Gels
Since you are limited on what you can bring, pick your “must-have” skincare items to be put in travel-sized containers. Often you can find travel-sized versions at the store, but for more specialty items, you can purchase a travel-sized container to put some of your product in.
Substitute Non-Liquid Items When Possible
There are some liquid products that have comparable alternatives that you could use instead, at least for the length of your travels. For example, makeup wipes remove makeup just as easily as a liquid makeup remover, but they aren’t included in the 3-1-1 rule due to being a wipe instead of a liquid or gel. Bringing the wipes would leave more room for liquid skincare items that can’t be substituted.
Some other easy substitutions could include:
- Makeup remover wipes instead of cleansers
- Salicylic acid pads instead of liquid acne treatment products
- Individually packaged cotton facial masks instead of jars or tubes
- Face powder that contains SPF instead of liquid facial makeup like concealer
Buy Products at Your Destination
For commonly found facial products, like makeup, acne washes, or lotions, consider just buying some to use when you get to your destination. If the product is fairly inexpensive and not hard to find, leaving it out can save you room to bring your more expensive/specialty skincare products.
When choosing a product to stay at home or to buy at your destination, please consider:
- Are you picky about specific brands?
- Are you open to alternative brands/products if your usual is unavailable?
- Will the product be much more expensive at your destination?
Specialty skincare can be expensive, so that should be taken into consideration when choosing items to leave behind. There is no point in buying a $50 serum at your destination to make room for the $2 travel-size dry shampoo in your 3-1-1 bag.
