Can You Bring Nail Polish on a Plane?

Can you bring nail polish on a plane?

Yes, nail polish is allowed in both carry-on and checked bags. As a liquid, it follows the TSA liquids rule in the cabin, meaning each bottle must be 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less and fit in your quart-size bag. Here is the easy part: standard nail polish bottles hold only about 0.5 ounce, far under the limit, so a handful of polishes take up almost no room in your quart bag. You can bring several colors with no issue. In checked luggage there is no size limit at all. So nail polish is one of the simplest liquids to travel with, as long as you remember it does technically count toward your quart bag.

How much nail polish can you bring in your carry-on?

As many bottles as fit the 3-1-1 rule, which is a lot given how small they are. Each bottle must be 3.4 ounces or less, and all your liquids together have to fit in one quart-size bag. Since a typical polish bottle is only half an ounce, you could bring a dozen and still have room, though they share the bag with your other liquids. Gel polish bottles are similarly small and follow the same rule. The container size is what matters, so even a large salon-size bottle would need to be under 3.4 ounces to qualify. For nearly everyone, packing a few favorite colors in the quart bag is effortless.

Can you bring nail polish remover?

Yes, but handle it with a little care. Nail polish remover is a liquid, so in your carry-on it must be 3.4 ounces or less in your quart bag. The wrinkle is that acetone-based remover is flammable, so while a small travel-size bottle is fine in your carry-on under the liquids rule, you should not pack large quantities, and non-acetone remover or remover wipes are a lower-fuss choice. Remover wipes are especially handy because, being pre-moistened pads rather than a pourable liquid, they are treated more like a solid and are easy to bring. For checked bags, keep remover in a sealed bag, since a leak of acetone can damage other belongings.

How do you pack nail polish to prevent spills?

Cabin pressure and rough handling are the enemies of a polish bottle. Make sure every cap is screwed on tight, then seal your polishes and remover together in a zip-top bag so any leak stays contained. For checked luggage, wrap the bottles in a small pouch or roll them in socks and place them in the center of your bag, cushioned by clothes, since a cracked polish bottle is a mess. Storing bottles upright helps. Some travelers put a strip of tape over the cap for extra security. With tight caps and a sealed bag, your polish and remover will arrive intact and your clothes will stay polish-free.