7 Best Toiletry Packing Tips for Overpackers

As a travel editor, I’m always eagerly trying to plan my next trip so I can test new gear and debunk viral hacks. The biggest packing lesson I’ve learned in my decade of travel? Never underestimate your toiletry bag. This became abundantly clear on my last trip to London, when my poorly packed toiletry bag single-handedly ruined my experience abroad. I’d foolishly stuffed and stashed as many toiletries, skincare jarsand makeup products as I could into my small bag, which subsequently ripped mid-way through the trip from the constant tugging, squishing, and pushing it endured with every use.

In addition to leaky toiletries and hogging precious luggage space, the overstuffed toiletry bag also got me flagged on my return flight to New York. Since it exceeded England’s liquid carry-on limit, I had to exit the security line and toss $200 worth of beloved products from Charlotte Tilbury, Armani Beauty, and other pricey brands, resulting in a mad dash through the security line and the airport to make it to my gate. Now, you won’t catch me holding up TSA or wrestling with a toiletry bag that’s bursting at the seams, and it’s all thanks to these genius packing tips. Keep scrolling to find out which products you need to hack your toiletry bag.

Best Toiletry Bag Travel Essentials

Hack: Upgrade your toiletry bag

These tips are useless if you don’t have the proper toiletry bag. When I went abroad, I was toting around a bulky pouch with no pockets or organizational features that quickly took up room in my carry-on. Now, I travel with the Wicked dopp kitwhich includes a space-doubling zippered compartment and plenty of thoughtful slip pockets to keep everything organized and compactly stored.

Over at Amazon, travelers have a great deal of toiletry bags and Dopp kits to choose from. If you’re prone to overpacking, I recommend starting with the Eachy toiletry bagwhile the Bagsmart dip kit is great for weekend trips and long vacations that require shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries. Recently, I learned that compression packing cubes also make suitable toiletry bags. Try the smallest compression cube from Bagail’s top-rated set; you can suck the air out of it to free up extra space in your personal item or carry-on.

Hack: Put everything in a travel bottle

Even if your go-to toiletry or skincare product comes in a tiny package, you still want to transfer it to a travel bottle. This way, you’re only bringing what you need and definitely staying within the carry-on liquid requirements. Plus, they’re made for travel, so you don’t have to worry about anything leaking, breaking, or awkwardly fitting in your toiletry bag.

Over at Amazon, you can score all-in-one value sets, like the MrsDry eight-pack set and Morfone 16-piece set that comes with travel-sized jars for lotion, moisturizer, and hair creams, or the 18-piece Tocelffe set that includes tiny jars for liquid foundation, concealer, and more if you’re tight on space. Whenever I go on a weekend trip, I use my Depoza travel bottle setwhich I love for the travel-sized sprayer that fits my Rôz Air Thickening Leave-in Spray and other hair care essentials inside its compact clear bag.

Hack: Stock up on travel-sized products

When transferring your toiletries and beauty products into travel bottles isn’t an option, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got them ready to go in TSA-approved, travel-sized containers. Luckily, almost every product comes in a travel-friendly mini version (which is great if you’ve been wanting to try a product but don’t want to pay full price).

At the top of my travel-sized must-haves is the Ilia Base Face Milkwhich adds extra hydration to your skin when you’re on the go (whether you’re doing your nighttime routine after a long day in the sun or need to get rid of dryness before putting on your makeup). Speaking of hydration, the Epicuren Papaya Pineapple After Bath Body Lotion is another toiletry non-negotiable that happens to be a celeb-loved product (Kim Kardashian is a longtime fan); it hardly takes up any space in your toiletry bag, and it performs way better than the hotel-provided hand and body lotion.

Don’t forget about the makeup minis: I always keep a tiny bottle of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter in my toiletry bag because, when it’s on, I don’t need foundation (thus simplifying my packing list). Another pro tip: palettes are your best friends, especially when they come in travel sizes. The Natasha Denona Mini Bronze + Glow palette is like packing three makeup products in one; it covers bronzer, highlight, and eyeshadow if you put a little bit of both products on your eyes.

Hack: Utilize your pill organizer

Nothing fills up a toiletry bag faster than pill bottles. I usually travel with probiotics, melatonin gummies, and my daily medications—plus Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Dramamine, Pepcid, and other important “just in case” medications depending on where I’m traveling. Instead of jamming multiple bottles and jars into my toiletry bag, I opt for the Holli pill organizer for small trips and the Bexeen pill organizer for longer ones (it has eight compartments that are perfect for everything I’d need).

Those with routines to follow will want to check out the slim, weekly pill organizer from Vaydeerand the Fyy Daily Pill Organizer is also great for organizing multiple medicine shapes, sizes, and quantities without taking up too much space. Pro tip: Use the unused compartments in your pill organizer for tiny things like jewelry, Q-tips, cotton rounds, nail clippers, and more, so you don’t need another travel case for them.

Hack: Downsize your tools

Your skincare routine isn’t the only part of your packing list that should be downsized. For extra space, I’ve learned that traveling with mini versions of my go-to tools can help free clutter from my toiletry bag. For example, I always had the tendency to bring my full-sized brush with me on every trip. Now, I bring the mini Emi Jay Boar Bristle Hair Brush (it’s compact enough to fit in a toiletry bag or in your carry-on’s unsuspecting pockets if you don’t have the toiletry bag space).

The same goes for my toothbrush; instead of being weighed down by my bulky electric toothbrush and its charging base, I bring the Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush that runs on batteries and comes with a small travel case. You can also save space by bringing a mini hair straightener instead of a full-size version.

Hack: Simplify your routine

The most effective way I’ve found to stop overpacking my toiletry bag is to simplify my getting-ready routine. This is not easy, especially if you’re someone who likes to have a specific product for everything. To ensure that there are no holes in your travel routine, opt for products that multitask. For example, the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream covers your sunscreen and foundation, so you don’t need to pack a separate SPF and coverup.

Similarly, you can reduce the products in your hair care routine by packing the R+Co Cool Wind Air Dry Hair Creamwhich doubles as a leave-in conditioner and a styling product (you don’t even need a hair dryer!). I also like to travel with skincare products that cater to multiple skin concerns, like the Glow Deep Serum from K-beauty-favorite brand Beauty of Joseon (snag the mini size in this $20 travel-sized set) that hydrates and brightens.

When I really don’t have space, I reach for my celebrity facialist-approved Elemis Resurfacing Pads and Loops MicroCellular Moisturizing Padswhich are more travel-friendly than their liquid cleanser and moisturizer counterparts.

Hack: Pack dual-sided makeup brushes

You know what was actually hogging up the most space in my toiletry bag? Makeup brushes. I had a brush for every part of my face, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized that I could save room by switching to dual-sided makeup brushes, like this dual-ended liquid makeup brush from E.l.f. Cosmetics that is only $9.

For foundation, I’ve found that the Kevin Aucoin Duet Foundation Brush works best, while the Makeup by Mario E6 Dual-ended Eyeshadow Brush is perfect for eyeshadow. If you’re packing powder blushes, highlights, and setting powder, then you’ll want Dibs Beauty’s dual-ended Duo Brush Face for Cream + Powder (it also comes in handy for créme products, too).

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