Toiletries Packing Checklist

The best way to prepare for upcoming travel is a checklist! From your wardrobe to your carryon, it’s essential to get organized, pack light, and with intention. Often overlooked and thrown in last-minute are the toiletries – which, in all honesty, are super important, especially if you’re traveling abroad, and with unfamiliar amenities. To save you time and energy I’ve created a toiletries packing checklist to reference before your next trip!

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“I get ideas about what’s essential when packing my suitcase.”
Diane von Furstenberg.

Oral Hygiene

For travel, I recommend a foldable toothbrush because they’re compact, lightweight, and easy to keep clean. If you have extra space, another option is a battery-operated toothbrush like BURST, which will last up to 4 weeks without needing a charge. You’ll also want to pack travel-sized mouthwash, toothpaste, and dental floss. If you wear a retainer or mouthguard at night – don’t forget to include!

Even if you’re a minimalist traveler, it’s important to stay healthy while on the road and take proper care of your oral hygiene!

Hair Care

You can effortlessly maintain your hair anywhere in the world if you pack the essentials: shampoo and conditioner, dry shampoo, hairbrush, and maybe a few accessories (hair ties, bobby pins, scarf, headband, etc.). Personally I also travel with a lightweight straightener and blow-dry brush.

For an eco-friendly and leak-proof alternative to traditional liquid products, Lush has “unpackaged” haircare in the form of solid shampoos, conditioner, and treatment bars. They last for about 80 washes – the equivalent of three 8-ounce bottles of liquid shampoo!

Face & Body

Skincare should definitely be a priority when traveling, especially in a diverse climate. Weather, humidity, and varying conditions can alter your skin pH, so being mindful on what you pack is imperative.

I personally pack travel-sized body wash or solid bar soap, face cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, makeup remover wipes, and body lotion.

If you use an anti-aging product, have specific skincare needs, or a prescription, make sure to add these to your list, as well. I take Spironolactone daily for hormonal acne and I cannot miss a day so I always pack it!

Eye Care

First and foremost, if you wear contacts or have prescription glasses or sunglasses, these are non-negotiable for obvious reasons. Along with a mini bottle of contact solution, if needed. I also recommend packing lubricating or allergy eye drops if your eyes tend to get irritated, as mine do. I use the antihistamine eye drops, Alaway, year-round.

Regardless just make sure your eye care materials are safely secured within your carry-on bag or suitcase – they’re an important item on the list!

Makeup

This is entirely your preference, whether you’re planning a simplistic spa getaway or glitter and glam holiday, in this scenario – you do you, girl.

Personally I pack foundation, translucent powder, bronzer, one eyeshadow palette, setting spray, mascara, eyebrow pigment, and a few makeup brushes. I keep it light, easy, and very specific.

Feminine Hygiene

Be prepared. Pack the feminine hygiene products you use. Just in case, every time you travel. I cannot express this enough. If you’re going someplace new it’s hard to anticipate the available amenities so it’s wise to be prepared and include them in your toiletries items.

Extras

Here’s your reminder to pack the miscellaneous toiletry items like hand sanitizer which is obviously one of the most necessary items within this checklist, especially now. You can actually bring one 12oz bottle of hand sanitizer, per person, in your carry-on for air travel. I also pack anti-bacterial wipes in my carry-on, as well, to wipe down surfaces, credit cards, food trays, etc.

Additionally, you’ll want to consider packing items such as cotton pads, band-aids, sunscreen, lip balm, perfume, deodorant, and q-tips in your toiletry kit as each of these materials probably already serve a purpose in your day-to-day life and will, therefore, provide you with extra comfort throughout the duration of your traveling experience.

How to Pack Travel Size Toiletries

Purchase Reusable Travel-Sized Bottles

If you’re a frequent traveler, I recommend reusable travel-sized bottles to pack your liquid toiletries. They’re budget and environmentally friendly compared to their single-use counterparts.

Pack Within Your Budgeting Allowance

Remember, less is more when traveling! Pack only what you need, and use 10ml, 25ml, or 100ml containers for efficient packing and to save space in your toiletry bag.

Another one of my favorite bag packing tips is to use packing cubes to sort your toiletries, clothes, shoes, etc.

Follow the 3-1-1 Rule

The 3-1-1 Rule is a guideline administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) explaining the limitations that come with any type of liquid found in your carry-on. On their website, it states:

“You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.”

Being very mindful when packing liquids. I have accidentally packed products that exceeded the limit and had to remove and trash them at security. Learn from my mistakes – this is not a flexible rule – it’s a hard stop. It’s a good idea to pack your liquids in a quart-sized ziplock bag to pass through security with ease.