Yes, almost every toiletry is fine in a carry-on. The bottle is what gets you. TSA does not ban shampoo, deodorant or toothpaste, but it does sort each one as a liquid or a solid, and that sorting decides what toiletries are allowed in a carry on.
Liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes answer to the 3-1-1 rule. Solids skip it entirely, however wet they feel in your hand. This page is the sorting list for a full kit of toiletries.
Which toiletries count as liquids
Anything that pours, sprays, spreads or squeezes counts as a liquid for screening purposes. That single rule decides most of what toiletries are allowed in a carry on.
It also covers lotion, sunscreen lotion, toothpaste, and a rinse for your mouth. Liquid foundation, mascara, liquid lipstick, gel deodorant and most sanitizer for your hands round out the list.
Full detail on container size, the quart bag and the exceptions for medical liquids and duty free purchases lives on our guide to the 3-1-1 rule. Read it once for the exact limits, then use this page to sort what toiletries are allowed in a carry on before you pack.
Which toiletries count as solids
Solid stick deodorant is exempt at any size, no bag required. Bar soap, a solid perfume, stick sunscreen, a twist up lipstick and pressed powder makeup all count as solids too.
Toothpaste tablets skip the liquids rule entirely, since there is nothing to measure in milliliters. So does a solid shampoo bar.
Wipes for removing makeup are also solids. A damp cloth is not a pourable liquid, whatever it smells like.
The toiletries people get wrong
- A lip balm stick is fine. A liquid gloss or oil is not.
- Deodorant splits down the middle. Solid and stick formats are exempt, gel, spray, cream and roll on formats are liquids.
- A nearly empty toothpaste tube still gets pulled if the tube reads 6 oz. TSA screens the container size, not what is left inside.
| Toiletry | Carry-on | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| Stick deodorant, bar soap, solid makeup | Any amount, no bag | Any amount |
| Shampoo, lotion, liquid makeup, gel deodorant | 3.4 oz or less, in the quart bag | Any amount |
| Aerosol toiletries (spray deodorant, dry shampoo) | 3.4 oz or less | Limited, check for flammability |
Checked bag rule
A checked bag full of toiletries has almost no size limit. Full size shampoo, lotion and liquid makeup can all travel in the hold.
The 3-1-1 rule only applies at the carry-on checkpoint. Once bags go under the plane, ounces stop mattering for most of what is in the kit.
Aerosol toiletries are the exception. A can with a flammable propellant has its own checked bag limit, which our aerosol page covers in full. Our liquids in checked baggage guide covers the rest of the bag.
What actually happens at the checkpoint
Travelers on trip planning forums describe the same two mistakes on repeat. The first is a full size toothpaste or lotion left in a shaving kit and forgotten until the bin comes back for a second look.
The second is deodorant confusion. A gel or roll on stick riding loose outside the quart bag gets pulled often, while a stick deodorant packed right next to it sails through unbagged.
Officers seem consistent on solids like bar soap and pressed powder, waving them through without comment. Liquid foundation and mascara draw more scrutiny, since both are easy to miss packing in a hurry.
International and duty free differences
Most countries outside the US run a version of the same 100 ml liquids rule. A kit packed right for a US flight generally clears European and Asian security too.
Duty free toiletries bought after the checkpoint are exempt from the 3.4 oz cap. That only holds while the sealed bag and receipt stay intact and the connection is short enough.
Packing toiletries without the hassle
Decanting is the simplest fix. Leakproof 3 oz silicone travel bottles or squeezable 3.4 oz travel bottles let you bring your normal shampoo and lotion instead of buying minis every trip.
A dedicated bag survives more trips than a sandwich bag. A clear TSA 3-1-1 quart toiletry bag holds up to the folding and zipping a checkpoint routine puts it through.
Swapping liquid formats for solid ones frees up room too. A solid shampoo bar and stick sunscreen leave more space for the liquids you cannot replace.
Our liquids packer tool checks a full list against the 3-1-1 limit before you leave for the airport. For the rest of the kit, see our liquids packer tool.
Whatever the printed rule says, the officer at the bin has the final call on any item that looks ambiguous.
The container rule every toiletry answers to is on the TSA liquids rule page.
The bottom line
Solid toiletries travel free of the liquids rule in either bag. Liquid, gel, cream, paste and aerosol toiletries follow the 3-1-1 rule in a carry-on and have no size cap in a checked bag, aerosols aside. That is the whole answer to what toiletries are allowed in a carry on.
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