Solid toiletries are not liquids, gels, aerosols or pastes, so the hand luggage liquid rules do not apply to them. A bar of soap, a solid shampoo bar, a deodorant stick, a solid toothpaste tablet and a bar of wax all travel in your cabin bag without going in the clear pouch and without a size limit. Anything that pours, squeezes or sprays does have a limit.
That single distinction is what makes hand luggage only travel practical. This guide covers what counts as what, how to build a wash bag with no liquids at all, and why you should still check your specific airports before you fly.
- 1. What counts as a liquid, and what does not
- 2. Check your airports before you fly
- 3. How to build a wash bag with no liquids
- 4. Why hand luggage only is worth the effort
- 5. Five things that catch people out
- 6. Summary
- 7. Frequently asked questions
What counts as a liquid, and what does not
Security rules are written around liquids, gels, aerosols and pastes. If your product is genuinely solid, it sits outside that category. Where people get caught out is the in-between items.
| Item | Treated as | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Bar soap | Solid | No limit, no pouch |
| Solid shampoo bar | Solid | No limit, no pouch |
| Solid conditioner bar | Solid | No limit, no pouch |
| Deodorant stick | Solid | No limit, no pouch |
| Deodorant spray | Aerosol | Limited, in the pouch |
| Toothpaste | Paste | Limited, in the pouch |
| Toothpaste tablets | Solid | No limit |
| Surf wax | Solid | No limit |
| Lip balm in a stick | Solid | No limit |
| Lip balm in a pot | Often treated as a gel | Safer in the pouch |
| Sun cream | Liquid or cream | Limited, in the pouch |
| Solid perfume | Solid | No limit |
| Mascara and liquid make-up | Liquid | Limited, in the pouch |
| Powder cosmetics | Solid | No limit |
The grey areas are anything soft, semi-solid or in a pot. A stick is unambiguous. A tub of balm you scoop with a finger is the kind of thing an officer may decide either way, and the cost of being wrong is losing it, so put those in the pouch.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Check your airports before you fly
This is the important caveat and we are putting it high up rather than burying it. The rules on liquid volumes have changed several times in recent years as new scanning equipment has been rolled out, and the position has not been uniform across airports or countries.
What has stayed constant throughout is the solid versus liquid distinction, which is why a bar is the reliable choice regardless of what the current volume limit happens to be. What can change is how much liquid you are allowed and whether it has to come out of your bag.
- Check your departure airport's own website. Airport operators publish their current rules and they are the ones enforcing them.
- Check your return airport separately. This is the leg that catches people out, because the rules there may differ from where you started.
- Do not rely on what was true last time you flew. Including from the same airport.
- When in doubt, go solid. No version of these rules has ever restricted a bar of soap.
How to build a wash bag with no liquids
It is genuinely possible to carry nothing that counts as a liquid, which means you never open your bag at security.
| Instead of | Carry | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo, shower gel and face wash bottles | One solid 3-in-1 bar | Three items become one, nothing to leak |
| Liquid conditioner | Conditioner bar | Same category, same rules |
| Toothpaste tube | Toothpaste tablets | Solid, and they weigh almost nothing |
| Deodorant spray or roll-on | Deodorant stick | Sticks are solid, sprays are not |
| Liquid sun cream | Buy it on arrival | Bulky, heavy and limited |
| Liquid soap for hands | The same bar | One product covers it |
| Shaving foam | Shaving soap or a bar | Solid equivalent exists |
| Micellar water | Cleansing balm stick or a cloth | Avoids the pouch |
The one to think hardest about is sun cream. It is bulky, it is definitely a liquid, and on a beach or surf trip you need a lot of it. Buying it at your destination is almost always the better call than trying to fly with enough.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
Why hand luggage only is worth the effort
Beyond the fee, which varies by airline, the practical wins are time and risk. No checked bag means no bag drop queue, no waiting at the carousel and no possibility of your bag going somewhere you are not.
For anyone travelling with sports kit, there is a second version of this: you may be checking a board bag or similar regardless, in which case the goal shifts to keeping weight down inside it. Liquids are the easiest place to save, because a bottle of shampoo is mostly water and you are paying an airline to fly that water. The surf trip packing list goes through the weight maths.
Five things that catch people out
- A half-used tube that is over 100ml. The limit is the container size, not how much is in it. A mostly empty 200ml tube is not allowed.
- Forgetting the return leg. Rules can differ at the other end, and anything you bought on holiday has to comply too.
- Pots and balms. Semi-solid items in tubs are judged case by case. Sticks are not.
- Aerosol deodorant. People think of it as solid because it is dry. It is an aerosol.
- Packing a wet bar in a sealed bag. Not a security issue, but you will arrive with a soft mess. Let it dry, or use a ventilated case. See how to store a soap bar.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Summary
Solid is the whole trick. Soap bars, shampoo bars, deodorant sticks, toothpaste tablets and wax are not liquids and are not covered by the liquid rules, so a wash bag built around solids passes security without a pouch. Anything that pours, squeezes or sprays is limited by container size, not by how full it is. Check both your departure and your return airport before flying, because the liquid rules themselves keep moving, and the solid ones do not.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take a bar of soap in hand luggage?
Yes. Solid soap is not a liquid, gel, aerosol or paste, so the hand luggage liquid rules do not apply. There is no size limit on it and it does not need to go in the clear plastic pouch.
Can you take a solid shampoo bar in hand luggage?
Yes, on the same basis as a bar of soap. It is a solid, so it sits outside the liquid rules entirely. This is the main practical reason people switch to bars for travel.
Does toothpaste count as a liquid?
Yes, it is treated as a paste and is limited to a 100ml container in the clear pouch. Toothpaste tablets are solid and are not restricted, which is the easy way around it.
Is deodorant allowed in hand luggage?
A solid stick is fine and unrestricted. A spray is an aerosol and a roll-on is a liquid, so both are limited to 100ml and have to go in the pouch.
Has the 100ml liquid rule changed?
The rules on liquid volumes have changed more than once in recent years as new scanners have been rolled out, and the position has not been consistent across airports. Check your specific departure and return airports before flying. The solid versus liquid distinction has not changed.
What is the easiest way to travel with hand luggage only?
Replace every liquid with a solid equivalent. One 3-in-1 bar covers shampoo, body wash and face wash, toothpaste tablets replace the tube, a deodorant stick replaces the spray, and you buy sun cream on arrival.
Nothing to declare at security
Shampoo, body and face wash in one 80g bar. Solid, so it skips the liquid rules entirely. 30 to 60 washes per bar and nothing to leak.
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Alexandre
Founder @Rinsed™
Hey, I’m Alexandre! I started Rinsed™ for people like myself: sporty, hardworking and always on the go. Check out our bars!