I enjoy travelling with a carry on bag instead of checked luggage. I can walk off the plane in my final destination and not have to wait for my luggage or worry about it being lost (air lines have lost my luggage six times!!). I find it so easy to get around with a carry on bag, too – whether walking to my accommodation or taking a train, it’s a lot easier to carry or lift a medium and small backpack than a large suitcase.
One of the drawbacks to carry ons is the liquid limit. I’ve spent a lot of time paring down the products I bring but the best change I’ve made is to bring solid or dry versions of products instead of liquid ones.
When you carry on, you have to go through airport security with all your luggage so you only get 100mL liquid limits and they all have to fit in a 1L see-through bag. There are so many liquid toiletries and travel products out there that unless you bring nothing or buy everything you need at your destination, it can be so hard to meet these limits.
Switching some of my travel products to solid or dry versions was one of the best travel hacks I’ve made. In addition to helping you meet the liquid limit, the products are lighter, won’t leak in your luggage, and in lots of cases are low- or zero-waste! Since I started travelling with less liquids a few years ago, I’ve researched and tried products that work amazingly and some that work temporarily (but I still prefer the liquid version when I’m home) and some that don’t work very well at all. So I decided to write this post of the five things I’ve changed to solid products for travel so I can fit everything in a carry on and five things I’ve changed to solid products permanently.
I’ve linked a few of my favourite products that are still available. I’m not compensated for these links and I’ve paid for all the products myself, they are just products I love using and want to recommend.
Five things I’ve changed to solid products for travel so I can fit everything in a carry on
1 Toothpaste
It’s so easy to not only keep your liquids bag to a minimum but also plan exactly how much toothpaste you should bring when you switch to tooth tabs for travel. Just count out trip days X 2 or 3 plus a few extras into a small travel jar or bottle. No getting to the end of the travel tube before your trip ends, or bringing a full sized tube that you hardly use. I don’t find they clean my teeth quite as well as paste, so I haven’t made the switch permanently, but they are a great pack light option for travel! I love Lush’s Miles of Smiles but there are many vegan options out there at different health food stores.
2 Conditioner
My hair is fine but frizzy and thick so it breaks easily and I need a lot of conditioner to make it manageable and keep it from tangling. Sometimes I’ve even needed more than one 100mL bottle of conditioner for trips. I haven’t found a solid conditioner I’ve loved for everyday use, but I’ve made the switch to conditioner bars for travel. They are light, don’t contribute to your liquids limit, and if you use a lot of conditioner the bar still lasts the trip. Right now I’m using The Guardian by Ethique and it’s probably the best one I’ve tried – I find gliding it along my wet hair actually transfers the conditioner to my strands, which some others I’ve tried haven’t.
3 Face wash
When I’m at home I use a solid face wash about 30% of the time – the rest of the time I still use a liquid one. I find it easier if I just need to wash quickly, or if I’m washing after using make-up remover. I’ve tried soaps, solid pastes, and solid balms and I don’t like the way they leave my skin after long-term use, but they’re great for a few times a week. So when I’m travelling it’s easy to bring just my solid cleanser (and a facecloth) and leave my liquid one at home. Right now I’m using this Bamboo Charcoal one from Herbivore and this Jade Roller balm from Lush.
4 Body lotion
I don’t use a lot of body lotion or moisturizer when I’m travelling but I always like to have some. I was researching travel tips somewhere when I came across a tip to use Lush massage bars as a solid body lotion so I tried it on my next trip and it worked amazingly! It softens into a more serum-y consistency when you hold it in your warm hands for a few minutes and you can use them just like a lotion on your knees, elbows, feet, or anywhere else that needs a little moisture during travel. Another one I’ve tried that works great is a shea butter lotion in a tin that I found at Winners – it worked about the same way, I held some in my hands to soften, then used it as a cream.
5 Laundry soap
This article isn’t all toiletries! You can research anything to see if there’s a solid or low-waste version.
When I first started travelling I brought a great multi-purpose liquid soap to wash my clothes in the sink. It worked great, but when I started travelling with carry-ons only, I started researching solid options. Depending on whether I’m planning on washing my my clothes in a machine and a sink or just a sink, I bring either Nellie’s Laundry Nuggets to use in a machine and open one to use some of the detergent in the sink or bring laundry soap leaves similar to these ones for just sink washing.
Five things I’ve changed to solid products permanently
1 Shampoo
Shampoo bars are one of the easiest carry-on-safe and low-waste toiletry switches to make. They are available at most health food stores and online, they are made for a variety of different hair types and issues, and because they often last longer than bottles, they can be cheaper. You just glide them along wet hair until there’s enough soap transferred to make a lather, then wash like you would a liquid. I use a few different Lush ones right now and I don’t recommend cutting them in half to be smaller for travel because they fall apart when cut, but sometimes I save the last third of one I’ve been using just for travel.
2 Mouthwash
I don’t always use mouthwash at home. It depends on what I eat, how I feel, or what I’m doing. So when I was researching solid products to travel with and I discovered solid mouthwash tabs, it just made sense to switch to them permanently. I can carry a couple in my purse if I need to, it doesn’t take up as much room in my medicine cabinet, and they are easy to use. The ones I have from Lush you just chew and take a sip of water, then they dissolve and you swish it around your mouth like regular mouthwash; but some you dissolve in a little cup of water first – either way they are perfect!!
3 Body soap
I used to use body wash because I liked how it lathered and how soft my skin was compared to using soap bars – but then I realized I was just using the wrong soap. I started using soaps with no SLS or artificial fragrance and made with oils and essential oils and they were way more moisturizing and easy to use! I’ve switched permanently to a cloth and soap bar in the shower and it’s been such a great, low-waste switch – no more body wash containers in my recycling. My favourite is Rocky Mountain Soap Co.’s lemongrass bar, but when I can’t easily get that one I also use others.
Before I travel, I use a sharp knife to cut a quarter or third of the bar and only bring that much on the trip.
4 Lip balm
Did you know that hard lip balms and lipsticks are not considered liquids by the TSA? I used to use a liquid glossy style tinted lip balm but I’ve switched to a tinted solid one like this one by Pacifica and this clear moisturizing lip balm from Merry Hempsters. Bonus – they aren’t as sticky so they are easier to wear with long hair!
5 Shave cream
My partner and I used to share the amazing Kiss My Face unscented thick shave cream, but since they went out of business we’ve been searching for reasonable, eco-friendly, and vegan alternatives. He loves the feel of shave creams, so he’s still looking, but I fell in love with the first shave bar I tried and haven’t looked back. Anointment shave soap doesn’t lather nearly as well as a liquid shave cream does but the glide is amazing and it doesn’t take me any longer to shave than with a lotion. It’s easy on my skin, makes my legs feel nice, and lasts forever!
You can find so many versions of every day products in solid format to make travel easier. Comment below with your favourite solid products! And if there’s a product you can’t live without and you want to make the switch, comment below and maybe I or another reader can suggest something for you to try!