Rightsize Your Travel Toiletries: Best Solutions for 2024

Shampoo and conditioner

Often your accommodation will provide shampoo for you. But if not, purchase travel-sized bottles at a pharmacy, Target, or Walmart, or decant your own into small bottles at home.

Travel-friendly dry shampoos and conditioner bars from Lush are great options. They save space in your 3-1-1 TSA bag, are cost-effective, and last for up to 60 washes. Ethique is another popular brand of solid toiletries. You can cut them down to size for short trips.

Body wash or soap

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap is a liquid that can serve both purposes. As an added bonus, you can use it to wash your clothes as well. If you prefer something solid, then check out Lush Bar Soaps. You don’t even need to take a whole bar. It’s easy to cut these bars down to size or just shave off what you need if you’re only on a short trip. Same with the shampoo and conditioner bars.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, denture cleaner, and other oral care items.

According to a study by Minimus.biz, a toothbrush and toothpaste are among the top items that people forget to pack. (Medication is the #1 most forgotten item for people 55+!)

I love my foldable toothbrush, or you may prefer a travel-size electric toothbrush. Just be sure to check the voltage requirements if you’re taking your electric toothbrush to another country.

You can also pack toothpowder or toothpaste tabs to make more room for liquids in your 3-1-1 bag. Lush mouthwash tabs are fabulous! I love the Crème de Menthe. Pop a couple in your carry-on luggage for easy accessibility to an instant burst of freshness.

Deodorant

Another way to eliminate liquids is to use a solid stick deodorant. We swear by Crystal Mineral Deodorant Stick. Wet it before using it, and it keeps you dry and odor-free all day.

Skincare products

How can you simplify here? In addition to your favorite face wash, pack one product that combines a moisturizer and sunscreen for the day, like Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer, which comes in a travel size, and a product like CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream for the night.

If you’re used to using a Retinol product, try RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Anti-Aging Night Cream. These small tubes don’t take up much space and last a long time. They're my fave for travel.

If you're wedded to one brand, see if you can get samples from your favorite skincare counter.

When it comes to body lotion, pack a small amount to get you through the first couple of days, then purchase a larger bottle at your destination.

Razor, shaving cream, and aftershave

Safety razors without blades are allowed through security. Although we’ve never had a problem getting razors with blades through, according to TSA, removable blades are not allowed onboard and must go in your checked luggage. So best to be safe and check them. They do allow disposable razors, though. C.O. Bigelow Travel Shaving Cream is excellent for both men and women, especially if you like the smell of eucalyptus.

Makeup and beauty items

Many cosmetic lines have makeup palettes perfectly designed for travel, like the Jane Iredale Pure Simple Makeup Kit or the Whoosh Beauty Fold Out Face. You'll love the Boomstick Trio by Cindy Joseph if you have a more minimalist approach. It’s my go-to for travel.

Watch your favorite cosmetics counters around holiday time, as they often have specials that include travel-sized items. And if you find yourself running short while on your trip, stop by a makeup counter and explain your situation. I’ve always found they’re happy to prepare samples for you.

And don’t forget makeup remover! Rather than liquids, you could use makeup wipes, but they’re not very environmentally friendly, and on longer trips, they would add too much weight.

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter is absolutely luxurious. One of the small tins has lasted me for over 12 weeks. It just depends on how much makeup you have to remove. Another option is to bring along a small tub of coconut oil. It's a great way to cleanse your face, moisturize your body, tame frizzy hair, and much more.

A hairbrush or comb and accessories like a shower cap, hair ties, headbands, or bobby pins

Depending on your hair and your style, you may be able to travel with a folding hairbrush. This one has traveled with me for years.

Don’t forget mini hairspray, styling mousse, or gel if you use those. It’s easy to pick these items up in the Trial & Travel Size department at stores, or you can decant your own. I’ll tell you, though, that I’ve never found a spray pump bottle that doesn’t leak. If you know of one, please save a fellow traveler and leave a comment below.

Nail kit

Yes, you can pack polish, cuticle remover, polish remover (try nail polish remover pads to avoid a nasty spill), and all the other things needed for a manicure (remember the 3-1-1 rule), or you can try gel nail strips and leave the liquids at home. And for long trips, why not treat yourself to a manicure on the road? Vacation = pampering!

Personal grooming items

Pack items like tweezers, cotton balls or swabs, nail clippers, a mini spatula, and a small mirror in a small bag and pop them between clothes or in shoes.

Perfume and cologne

Pacifica has lovely-smelling travel-sized perfume, and you can also find a variety of travel-sized samples near the checkout counter at Sephora.

Lush Cosmetics provides plenty of options for solid perfume (I’m a Karma girl), and Bearded has some wonderful choices for men.

Personal hygiene products

I’ll let you decide what this means for you. But if your hygiene products are bulky, see if you can find something reusable that you can wash out or check to see if you can buy what you need at your destination.

Medications

Be sure to plan enough medications and supplements for your trip, plus a few extra days in case your plans are extended.

And think about the activities you have planned for your trip. Are you in an area where there might be malaria or Hepatitis? You’ll need to be vaccinated before you go.

Will you be on the water? You may need to think about something to prevent motion sickness.

If necessary, check the TSA’s website for more information on traveling with disabilities and medical conditions. And whichever medications you take, always pack them in your purse or personal item.

A first-aid kit

REI has several first-aid kits of various sizes. The Outdoor Day Hike First Aid Kit is probably sufficient for most trips. Hopefully, you’ll never need first aid, but just so your kit is always ready, review it once a year to be sure the bandages are still usable and not stuck to the paper and make sure the pain meds haven’t reached their expiration date.

Other items to include in a kit could be Neosporin, cream for bites and stings, anti-diarrheal tabs, antacids, electrolyte powders or rehydration salts, throat lozenges, and a digital thermometer.

Hand sanitizer

COVID’s not over yet! Hand-sanitizing wipes save space in your 3-1-1 bag but aren’t very environmentally friendly. So pick up a small bottle of sanitizer for travel, then buy a larger one when you arrive if you need one. Or better yet, get a refillable hand sanitizer holder for travel.

Insect repellent

Ticks are nasty, and so are sandflies, not to mention mosquitos and other pesky insects. In addition to being annoying, they spread disease. So, research what kind of bugs there are at your destination and what kind of repellent you’ll need. Then, like with hand sanitizer, bring a small amount of repellent, then buy more when you reach your destination.

Glasses and eyeglass cleaner or contact lenses and solution

In addition to cleaner and solution, be sure to bring a copy of your prescription. If you lose your glasses or contacts, you can get a replacement set more quickly. And, in some countries, you can pick up some nice, stylish glasses at about one-third of the price you’d pay in the US.

Laundry soap

You may be happy to just use shampoo and the sink in your accommodation (works for me!). Another option is to use the multi-purpose Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, which also works for shampoo, body wash, and more. Some people like to bring a big plastic bag to swish their clothes around in…kinda like a traveling washing machine.

Widgets and gadgets

Don’t forget things like pill organizers (I pre-pack my vitamins and pills in little plastic bags that are easy to fit around other things), jewelry bags, hair dryer, curling iron and case, makeup brushes and holder, sponges, nail clippers and file, or even a small washcloth (many hotels in other parts of the world don’t provide them). If you did the exercise in Step 1, noting everything you used in a week, you’ll have this all figured out.