Can You Bring Moisturizer on a Plane?
QUICK ANSWER
Yes, you can bring moisturizer on a plane. Because it is a liquid or cream, it follows the 3-1-1 rule in your carry-on: bottles and jars must be 3.4 ounces or less and fit in your quart bag. Full-size moisturizer goes in checked luggage, and solid moisturizer sticks skip the rule.
Moisturizer, whether for your face or body, follows the same liquids rule as the rest of your toiletries. The cabin dries your skin out, so many travelers want it handy, and there are easy ways to bring it. Here is how to pack moisturizer for the flight and the whole trip without a checkpoint snag.
Can you bring moisturizer on a plane?
Yes, moisturizer is allowed in both carry-on and checked bags. Since lotion and cream count as liquids, the TSA liquids rule applies in the cabin: each bottle or jar in your carry-on must be 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less and fit inside your quart-size bag with your other liquids and gels. This covers body lotion, facial moisturizer, hand cream, and similar products. Full-size containers over the limit go in your checked bag, where there is no size restriction. If you want moisturizer in the cabin without spending quart-bag space, a solid moisturizer stick or balm bar is not a liquid, so it can be any size in your carry-on.
How much moisturizer can you bring in your carry-on?
Each container must be 3.4 ounces or less, and all your liquids together, including moisturizer, have to fit in one quart-size bag. You can bring several small bottles if they all fit. Travel-size moisturizers and refillable silicone bottles solve this easily; decant from your full-size bottle before you leave. As with all liquids, officers go by the container's labeled size, so a big bottle with a little left will still be turned away. Because the dry cabin air can leave your skin parched, a small moisturizer in your quart bag is worth the space for the flight, and you can pack the larger bottle separately for the rest of the trip.
Can you pack full-size moisturizer in checked luggage?
Yes, full-size moisturizer belongs in your checked bag, where the liquids rule does not apply and any size is fine. The main risk is leaks and cracked containers, since cabin-pressure changes and rough handling can force product past a cap or lid. Seal each bottle or jar in a zip-top bag, lock or tape down any pump, and place them in the center of your bag cushioned by clothes. Glass jars should be kept away from the edges. This is the spot for your big bottle of body lotion or tub of face cream, while a travel-size version rides in your carry-on for the flight and your first day at the destination.
What about body versus face moisturizer and solid options?
They follow the same rule, with handy alternatives. Body lotion and facial moisturizer are both liquids, so each is limited to 3.4 ounces in your carry-on regardless of what it is for; you can bring a small bottle of each in the same quart bag. Solid options skip the liquids rule entirely: moisturizer sticks, balm bars, and solid body butter are not liquids, so they can be any size in your carry-on, which makes them great for carry-on-only travel. Medically necessary creams, like a prescription moisturizer for a skin condition, can exceed 3.4 ounces if you declare them for separate screening. Between travel sizes, solids, and the medical exemption, your whole moisturizing routine can fly.
Yes, you can bring moisturizer on a plane. As a liquid it follows the 3-1-1 rule, so carry-on bottles must be 3.4 ounces or less in your quart bag; pack full-size moisturizer in checked luggage. Body and face moisturizer follow the same limit, and solid moisturizer sticks skip the liquids rule for carry-on-only trips.
More TSA & What You Can Bring Questions
Mystery Question?
Mystery Question?
Mystery Question?