One of the best ways to travel is with hand luggage only! Not only does it save you a ton of time at the airport checking in and collecting bags at the carousel after your plane lands, but it also saves you a ton of money on checked baggage fees! On short trips we aim to do carry on only travel, it would be better if we could even do it on long-term travel but our camera gear makes that a bit tricky.
Since we have done a lot of carry on only travel in our days of travel we put together this guide for hand luggage toiletries you may not have known about that are not only space savers but save you the headache of dealing with the small liquid allowance allowed for carry on travel toiletries!
Check out our guide for 20+ awesome hand luggage toiletries you need for your next trip!
Another trick to packing carry on only is to pack strategically using packing cubes, check out our guide on the best travel packing cubes to help you stay organized and pack with perfection!
Toothpaste Tablets
This tablet form toothpaste it a life saver and an awesome addition to your hand luggage toiletries because it’s solid, not liquid! No more worrying about putting your toothpaste in a plastic bag or it opening and ruining your stuff inside your bag with these bad boys. These toothpaste tabs are super easy to use, we tried them out for the first time recently and I loved them, Scott prefers his traditional toothpaste. You simply put the tab in your mouth, chew (don’t swallow), wet your toothbrush and brush until your chompers are clean.
Another perk about the toothpaste tabs besides being a super friendly carry on travel toiletry is you get to use 100% of the product you buy. We can never get the last bit of toothpaste out of the traditional tube and when it gets towards the end its always a frustrating experience having to squeeze with both hands. Anyways, we love it!
Solid Lotion
Another great product to throw in your hand luggage toiletries bag is a solid lotion formula. I have one of these currently and love it because it’s small, compact, and does the job and since it’s solid you don’t have to worry about eating into your small carry on travel toiletries liquid allowance.
Each solid lotion bar comes in a wonderful tin can storage canister, I was nervous with mine because the first day I had it I left it in the window and left the house. I thought I’d come back and it would have melted like a chapstick left in the sun, to my surprise it didn’t! It keeps its solid form even in warm temperatures which was a relief.
This fun pack comes with a set of 5 small lotion bars which is perfect for carry on travel!
Solid Facial Cleanser
I am a HUGE fan of solid facial cleansers! These handy facial cleansers come in what is like a giant chap stick applicator and last forever! I don’t know why every beauty brand doesn’t offer this honestly because it’s awesome for travelers regardless if you do carry on travel or checked luggage. This is one item I recommend for all travelers and have added to my guide for travel gifts for her!
Again, you can’t beat the solid formulas for your hand luggage toiletries since you don’t have to worry about liquid allowances or leaks in your luggage. I have been using solid formula facial cleanser the past two years now and each stick lasts me about 4-6 months. Try it out yourself!
Makeup Remover Wipes
Makeup Remover wipes are the ultimate hand luggage toiletries perfect for those carry-on-only travelers. We all have our lazy days where we don’t feel like wetting our face to remove the filth and makeup off of our face before going to bed. I always like to bring at least one pack of facial cleanser wipes in my carry on toiletries and bag to freshen up on long flights and to have for those “lazy days.”
Sheet Masks
Traveling, especially long flights are rough on your skin and skincare routine. Since I don’t take my entire skincare regime with me on the go I like to pack these facials in a sheet with me for some extra TLC for my skin during my travels. These sheet masks are the perfect hand luggage toiletries because they have such little liquid amounts in them you can pack a whole facial easily.
I don’t even add these to my plastic baggy of liquids and haven’t had an issue yet. This set is one of my favorite Korean beauty brands from our time living in Seoul. With quality ingredients and more affordable prices than you’d find in US beauty stores you can’t go wrong with this pack. Be sure to add this to your carry on toiletries bag today for moisturized, healthier skin on the go.
Solid Perfume
For the longest time, I was traveling without perfume because I didn’t want to worry about carrying a bottle of expensive liquid and worrying about it spilling or breaking in my baggage or taking up too much liquid space as hand luggage toiletries. I am now obsessed with solid perfume to add to my carry on travel toiletries bag.
Solid Body Soap & Travel Container
Another great item to add to your hand luggage toiletries bag is this all natural body soap with a tin container. This product is compact in size and perfect for traveling with a carry on bag only since its small and solid to not take up any more of that limiting liquid allowance.
What’s nice is you can reuse the tins after use as well as containers to carry random objects like hair ties, jewelry, headphones, and other small accessories.
Muscle Balm
There’s nothing more tiring or taxing on your body than long travel days or sitting in an uncomfortable airplane for hours. We always need to use muscle balm to relax and calm our muscles after long flights. Our favorite brand is a liquid form so it’s not an idea hand luggage travel toiletry.
We love a thicker muscle balm as they are more friendly for carry on travel toiletries because it’s a solid formula and you don’t have to worry about using your liquid allowance. We love how long these solid formulas last too!
Solid Shampoo
Don’t bother buying hand luggage toiletries that are liquid when it comes to shampoo when there’s an awesome solid formula option. J.R. Liggett’s solid shampoo bar is not only perfect to throw in your carry on travel toiletries bag but its also 100% vegan and 100% biodegradable.
Did you know that some shampoos are toxic to the environment with harsh chemicals? Now you can do yourself, your toiletry bag, and the environment a favor by using this natural product detergent free with raving reviews. Just grab a soap container and you’re good to go. Shop on Amazon here.
Solid Conditioner
Follow up your solid shampoo travel routine with a solid conditioner in your hand luggage toiletry bag. This keratin bar is paraben free and has great moisturizing properties to leave hair lush and shiny on your travels.
What we love about this solid formula is that it’s a carry on friendly toiletry and you don’t waste space on liquids or have to worry about spills or leaks from the cabin pressure in the plane. We also love these products because they reduce the amount of plastic and are more eco-friendly than getting bottled products.
Better yet, this product has great reviews and people love how long the solid formula lasts for. Shop on Amazon here.
Small Storage Containers
These small, adorable macaron storage containers are perfect for minimizing the amount of liquids you take for your hand luggage toiletries. I use these tiny containers to put small amounts of liquids like eye cream in for my travels.
These cute containers also double as great organizers whether its earrings, necklaces, pills, ear buds, ear plugs, or any tiny things you carry in your carry on these are great, and cute! Shop on Amazon here.
Clinique Travel Set
This hand luggage toiletries set is AWESOME from Clinique. Not only does it come with a handy carrying case but it includes travel friendly sizes in all its great products including two facial moisturizers one for day and one for the night, lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, and even blush and not even coming close to taking in all your carry on toiletries liquid allowance.
Mini Mascara
This next hand luggage toiletries suggestion doesn’t seem like a big liquid space stealer but why not save space where you can? I like traveling with mini mascaras because they last awhile and they save a little bit of space. I take saving space anywhere I can so I have room for other things. Shop on Amazon here.
Makeup Brush Solid Cleanser
One thing I hate about traveling with my cosmetics is that it becomes really hard to keep up with sanitizing and cleaning my makeup brushes. This solid cosmetic brush cleanser is perfect to throw in your carry on toiletries bag because it’s a solid formula and compact!
There are several reasons why cleaning your makeup brushes are important, it helps fight acne breakouts, it can ruin your expensive brushes, irriate your skin, and even cause a viral infection, gross. Make sure you keep up on maintaining your cosmetic products while traveling. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this piece by Bustle on why you need to clean your makeup brushes.
Mini Soaps and Tin
These mini soaps are not only CUTE but they are also a perfect addition to your hand luggage toiletries bag! There are various different characters or this simple design with thin slices of solid soaps you can buy from these single-use gummy bears to thin single-use sheets in the shapes of unicorns. These are awesome for washing your hands on the go or using in the shower. This company focuses on making their products with all natural ingredients too!
Since these single use soaps are solid you also don’t waste any of your limited carry on travel toiletry liquid space either!
Travel Razors
Save space where you can in your hand luggage toiletry bag! This one seems like a “small” space saver but if you’re traveling with carry on luggage only you can’t really go wrong with everything that is travel size, even your razor!
Venus razors are hands down my favorite razor brand, they don’t cut me like other razors and I get a close shave. I love this smaller, compact, travel-friendly version of my favorite razor.
Solid Sunscreen
Something that is really easy to forget to pack is sunscreen! However, sunscreen no longer has to take up any space in your carry on travel toiletries bag and no worrying about spills or leaks with this awesome solid stick formula.
Carry your solid sunscreen anywhere and on the go with this handy, compact packaging. This brand also has raving reviews because it’s not only hand luggage toiletry friendly but its a reef safe, vegan formula that doesn’t harm the environment like most sunscreens for sale on the market. Not to mention, 5% of all sales go to preserving oceans and the outdoors.
Mini Moroccan Oil
There’s no reason to sacrifice bringing your favorite hair products in order to make everything fit in your hand luggage toiletry bag. This one sadly doesn’t come in a solid formula, but it does come in a mini, travel-friendly version! I LOVE my Moroccan Oil for my hair.
Traveling puts so much stress on my hair and it seems I get dry, brittle hair and split ends 10x faster when we are traveling alot. I love using this oil on my hair because it nourishes my ends and makes my hair silky soft and shiny and helps protect it from damage.
These small Moroccan Oil comes in a set of two bottles at .34 oz each. This will barely take up any space in your carry on travel toiletries liquid allowance, especially with all the other solid formula products listed on this post!
Shout it Out Wipes
This is one of our favorite things to just carry wherever we go and also a must have in your hand luggage toiletry bag! You never know when you’re going to have a spill or accident on your clothes so it’s always nice to have these handy little wipes to remove the stains before they set!
We love how small these are and they honestly work really well. My only regret is that I never seem to pack enough!
Bonus Hand Luggage Toiletries Accessories
Hand Mirror with Lights
Your hand luggage toiletry bag doesn’t only have to have soaps and makeup but also little handy items that you need for your beauty routine. I love having a good hand mirror in my bag where ever I go whether it’s for applying lipstick on the run or to grab when I randomly get something in my eye.
I have this hand mirror myself and LOVE it! It comes with little lights so even in ill lit areas or dark spaces you can use the mirror because it lights up with the flick of a little switch!
Toiletry Bag
In case you don’t have a good carry on travel toiletry bag we got you covered! We found this awesome one on Amazon and love it. This bag comes in over a dozen different fun colors and prints and it also unfolds and can hang up with different compartments to help organize all your goodies! There’s also a handle for easy carrying and fits nicely into most carry on bags!
Mini Lint Roller
This retractable lint roller is another great addition to your hand luggage toiletry bag! We love the mini version to the classic lint roller in this retractable design. This is the perfect travel and on the go lint roller to get all those little particles that get on your clothes to make sure you always look fresh and clean!
Get your refill sheets on Amazon here.
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