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Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:24 pm  |
I fly. A lot. And I use wonderful skincare products. And lots of them. So...the 1 quart ziplock rules for carryon baggage are a major pain in the neck for me. (I know, you can put anything you like in checked baggage. But honestly, baggage issues--long waits, theft, damage--make it a hassle to check if I don't absolutely have to. So I almost never do.)
I thought I'd pass on a few tips for others that are in the same boat. Keep in mind that the rules say, 3 ounce or 100 ml containers. So anything larger--even if filled with less than 3 ounces of product--is a no-no. Of course, some of my favorite products offer sample sizes, so I save those for traveling. And some of my also-ran products also offer sample sizes, so as long as I know the ingredients and that they won't irritate me, I haul those along too. If you have a packet sample that contains more than one use's worth of product in it, rather than tear it open and have it get messy or dried up, just put a pinhole in the packet and squeeze out what you need--the rest stays fresh.
Hang onto any small containers you get with sampling--I must have a dozen or more mini-jars that came with mineral makeup samples. (Ah, but that's another story...) Wash them out and you now have tiny little containers for creams, gels, and anything thicker than a serum. (They might work for serums, too, but I'm too chicken to find out.) If they have the original labels on them, keep them on. Although the TSA rules supposedly allow any plastic containers--labelled or not--to be included in the 1 quart baggie, I've now twice run into over-zealous and under-informed public servants that insisted that only original packaged products qualify. (They're wrong, of course, but what can you do when you're in the screening line and your plane is going to take off?) The thing is,as long as the item *looks* like it's in original packaging, they don't care. And I have yet to meet a TSA screener that knows that Alima W-1 shouldn't be a white cream in a jar!!
Do make sure that, if you plan to decant your creams and so forth that they aren't sensitive to oxygen--if so, this trick won't work. Also, if they're light sensitive, keep your ziplock in your luggage while you're in your hotel room to minimize light degradation. (Probably a bit over the top, but anyone using the number of face products and cosmetics that I use is probably a bit over the top anyway...)
Hotel sized toiletry bottles can be refilled with nicer liquid goodies, though you should assume that traces of whatever was in there first--shampoo, conditioner, or whatever--are still likely present, so keep that in mind. The best "score" in that regard are mouthwash bottles, which wash out much more easily than soapy or oilier products. And, believe it or not, I've never had a TSA screener bat an eyelash at my pink creamy lotion in a mouthwash mini-bottle!! |
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