Modern traveler knows a very peculiar and precisely-defined form of anxiety. It does not play on the scene of a stormy flight or on the chaotic train station, but in the labyrinthine, well-lit line to check security at the airport. It is the fear of the see through plastic bag. we lift this little, clear tank to the light, a kind of an aquarium of our most personal daily practices, and we are assailed with a catechism of questions. Is this bottle so too big? Is this cream gel or paste? Is this zipper on the point of breaking? Will the security agent assume that my tiny-bottle collection does pose some sort of threat to the average person, and will I be forced against my will into abandoning a cherished, not-cheap face serum into a bin of collectibles confiscated to the security agent? This tiny bag with its own rules, which are not always logical, has become one of the greatest packing problems of all times. It requires what we are allowed to bring, how much we can bring and how we need to bring it. To most people, it is a limitation, a disappointing constraint to the need of keeping our own personal care habits on our heels. but to interpret it thus is to miss a very serious opportunity. Their carry-on toiletry kit is not a burden but it is a call to get creative, a call to get more organized, and a call to see a world of new, clever, efficient, and almost always better packaged products, which can change not just what you pack, but how you travel.
The only way to handle such a challenge is by having a mastery of the game rules. These regulations which regulate the liquids carried in the carry-on luggage were introduced in the mid 2000s as an anti-security force and has come to be a quasi-universal standard across the world when travelling by air. The main points are similar, though there are small differences and the most responsible is the name of the American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) which called it the 3-1-1 rule. This is only a simple rule of thumb when handling security. The first 3 indicates the allowable capacity of each bottle which has to be 3.4 ounces or 100 millilitres. It is important to mention here that this does not mean the amount of liquid contained in a bottle but the size of the bottle itself; a half-empty 200ml bottle will not be allowed. The initial 1 is the single clear, zip-top, bag in which all these little containers must go. This bag has to be of about one quart or one liter size. The last 1 is the restriction of each passenger to one such bag.
There is also an important necessity to understand exactly what according to airport security is regarded as a liquid. The definition is too broad and stretches way beyond those which can be poured. It incorporates any gel, cream, paste or aerosol. It means that your toothpaste, your face cream, your hair gel, your mascara, your lip gloss and your spray deodorant are all warranted under this regulation and will have to be placed in your singular transparent bag. It is because of this broad definition that the one-quart bag can be filled so fast alarmingly. To most passengers, this seems to be an impossible task and they have to carry a bag containing only toiletries or even forego their much valued routines to make it easier or they forget to bring their toiletries. This is a not a correct choice. Mastering the carry-on toiletry bag cannot survive on the quest to ever smaller bottles, but on dropping the liquids bag as a whole.
The solution to this emancipation consists in a simple but great concept the solid revolution. Over the past few years, there has been a tsunami of innovation in the world of cosmetics, resulting in the invention of the high quality solid forms of practically every product in our bathroom cabinet. The one-step solution to the carry-on traveler is the adoptive use of solid toiletries. It alters it (the game) fundamentally. The solid items do not have to be packed in your liquids bag where they will take up the most necessary space in lieu of the things that you really must not miss. They also have zero chances of spilling and leaking your luggage or clothes being saved by the desperate explosion of shampoo in a middle flight. They also tend to be more concentrated and long-lasting as compared to their liquid alternative as well as they are usually friendlier to the environment, with much less plastic wrapping. The idea of moving on to solids is the idea of transitioning out of the mentality of scarcity and limitation to the mentality of abundance and freedom.
It is the world of the solids that the initiation into it starts at the issue of hair care. As a product of stacked hand soaps and lotions, the solid shampoo and conditioner bar has become an eco-store oddity now recognized as a high-performance basic. These solid bits of cleansing and conditioning are sprinkled in concentrated pucks activated with water to produce a generous lather just as their liquid versions. You only add water to your hair, slather the bar against your scalp a bit, and then lather. A bar can be used dozens of times, sometimes even longer than two or three standard sizes of bottle liquid shampoo. They have a tremendous variety of formulations to suit oily and fine hair, dry and color-treated hair and many more. When stored in a lightweight, simple travel storage tin, they will make a failproof, leak-proof system that can cut the space and weight of your kit by a vast margin.
The simplicity of the original solid toiletry is of course, it involves a bar of soap. To travel, you can make this inexpensive item a bit more fancy by opting either to get a quality, multi-purpose bar. Most of the soap bars in the market today are produced to be mild both on the face and the body. Some even are made into all in one bars that can be used on body, face, hair and even to shave giving a thick lather that gives a smooth shave using a razor. This one universal bar can become three or four or more different liquid products, and that makes it a dream come true to a minimalist. It comes together with its basic soap holder, or ventilated travel case, making it an effective and trustworthy base of your hygienic regime.
The solid revolution has also achieved something unbelievable in the scene of skincare, definitely our most cherished and un-negotiable liquids. Today there are high-performing solid face wash bars or cleansing sticks that are able to remove dirt and makeup without drying out the skin. It is also innovative in its treatments. Of solid serums, likening them to tiny deodorants sticks, are dense with active ingredients and easily glide on the skin. Creamy moisturizers, usually in a stick format (balm or a push-up) and commonly much more nourishing, these also contain no liquid cream. And then there is one thing that may be of the greatest importance to any traveler, that is, solid sunscreen sticks are now a common thing. They contain SPF, broad-spectrum sun protection in an easy to use, non-messy application format ideal to be used at any time of the day.
The innovation is extended to the dental care. This toothpaste is a paste and as such it needs to be in your liquids bag. Nevertheless, toothpaste tablets are a genius alternative. The formula consists of the dry power form of toothpaste in small chewable tablets. You just put one in your mouth and chew it into a paste then just brush as you usually do using a wet toothbrush. They are unbelievably small, they hardly occupy any space, and they totally exclude the necessity about a tube of toothpaste. This can be combined with good mouthwash tabs, you run under some water, a refreshing mouth wash. Such products are very convenient when traveling by air and can also be used during camping, hiking, or in any other case where a liquid carrying person will find this task difficult. Fragrances and deodorants are now supplied in solid form too. Still to retail in small tins, solid perfume or cologne balms, are subtle and long-lasting smell. The natural deodorant can be widely found in a form of an effective stick or a bar. Through this organized way of swapping liquid products, with their solid equivalents, you can check your liquids bag and with a feeling of victory, you can see that the bag is almost empty.
There will always be some necessary liquids, of course, that lack a replacement that could be solid. This could be your special facial serum, your favorite face oil or that contact lens cleaner. In such non-negotiables, art of decanting turns out as your most valuable art. This involves the process of removing small amounts of your products out of their large original containers into smaller travel sized containers. The trick behind an effective decanting is to purchase quality travel bottles which can be re-used. Avoid the bargain sets, dull and flimsy made of low quality plastic, that tend to leak and to crack when you put pressure on them. Bottles designed to be durable, squeezed made of squeezable silicone e.g. by the well known brands, are recommended e.g. GoToob+. These usually come with a wider mouth that can be filled and scrubbed easily and the no drip valve that will avoid the mess.
The fact that different types of containers should be used in the case of different products is also wise. Although a squeeze tube is ideal with a face cream or lotion, a small spray bottle is ideal when you have a face mist or you want a leave-in conditioner in your hair. The small amount of a rich eye cream should be stored in a small pot or a jar. Make sure that you label when you decant. This would be most efficiently done using a permanent marker or a label maker, since adhesive paper labels are likely to come off in a humid washbag. A further outstanding idea is taking it upon yourself to amass sample-sized objects of your favorite products. Beauty counters will usually give away small samples, and there are a lot of brands with the so-called trial or traveling set of products. They are professionally sealed and the right size to fit a trip, so one has no guesswork at all. When bringing any liquids, keep in mind a principle of multi-purpose articles. An end to end use of a bottle of Dr. Bronner castile soap can be utilized as a body wash, face wash, shampoo and also can be utilized as laundry soap. A facial oil in a small bottle with good quality is able to become a moisturizer, a wiping cream, and a hair frizz-tamer. One of the main principles of minimalist packing is the selection of items that complete several tasks.
Having now a good understanding of the solid revolution, as well as the art of decanting, you are now enabled to form your entire toilet set, and by categories. In hair care this would be your bars of solid shampoo and conditioner and a small packable brush or comb. To care about your face, you can bring a solid face wash bar, your decanted essential serum, a solid moisturizer stick, a solid high-SPF sunscreen stick to use on your face, and a great lip balm which also comes with SPF. In body care, your all-purpose, multi-purpose bar soap and decanted body lotion (if required) will do the trick. Your dental care kit will be simplified so that it only includes your travel toothbrush, your toothpaste tablets, and a small tube of floss. To shave you can carry the handle of your safety razor on your carry-on, but the blade shall go into checked bags. Honestly, it is better to carry the handle only and when in your destination, just purchase a small pack of blades in a drug store. One can combine this with a quality shave bar or even your all-purpose soap.
Makeup must be kept to minimum. Look out on multi-use products. Tinted SPF moisturizer will serve both purposes to be used as a foundation and an SPF moisturizer. Your cheeks, eyelids and lips can all be done with a cream blush stick to have a glowing natural look. Most occasions require that you are ready with a simple brow gel and a tube of waterproof mascara. Your mini-pharmacy must be complete and tiny in size serving the health needs of yours. This is all basic pain killers, the simple antihistamines, tummy settlers and there is a nice choice of blister treatments. You may also pack things such as insect repellant wipes which are not liquid and a tube of hydrocortisone cream in case it bites or rash.
The container that you will bring these goods is also an essential equipment. Although it would suffice to have a plain pouch, the most practical option when it comes to travel would be a hanging toiletry bag or dopp kit. It is usually styled with an in-built hook that enables you to hang the bag on a towel rack, a doorknob or even on a tree branch. This becomes a very helpful option, because many hotel bathrooms are literally small, especially those one finds in Europe and Asia, where people have nothing of a counter (or barely anything). With a hanging kit, everything is clear and visible off the damp surfaces and stored away. I would recommend you to find a bag, which is easy to see and to reach in a mix of zippered cassettes and clear pockets with a hard, water-resistant material. And the smart solution is to store all your solid and non liquid stuff in your main dopp kit and then store your few very necessary liquids in your separate clear 3-1-1 bag. This will enable you to just take out the bag of the liquids to be security screened and not to go digging through your entire kit.
There is another, all-important subset of your toiletry kit which should be an in-flight one. This is a tiny pouch and it goes in your personal item and you can reach out to it easily in your seat. It aims at assisting you in fighting the unbearably dehydrating and germ-infested setting of an aircraft cab, so that you can get to your destination keeping in mind that you are a human being. The materials in this kit should be well selected. A packaging in the form of a small spray bottle is quickly refreshing on a hydrating facial mist. One should use a nourishing lip balm that should contain a lot of lipids to avoid chapped lip cases. One can remove such dryness and redness brought in due to the recycled cabin air with the help of a small bottle of hydrating eye drops. A hand sanitizer is essential, and it would be the size to carry as a traveler. Toothbrush and some tablets of toothpaste will enable you to brush your teeth anytime before landing, which is just a simple thing that can make you feel like a new person. One facial wipe or a stick of the cleanser balm is a possibility to refresh your face, a small sachet or poured into a saucepan part of something you usually use and adore can fix your skin barrier. It is your oasis 30,000 ft up with this small and edited kit.
Ultimately, the process of packing a carry-on toiletry bag can be seen as a metaphor of the whole philosophy behind smart traveling in general. It makes you have to be deliberate, have to be creative, and how to tell what it is that you really do need and what you think you want or need. The regulations in the liquids rule are not a prison, but a creative restriction which makes you unveil a world of better, more effective and greener products. It takes a lifetime to finally be able to manage this tiny sliver of your baggage and develop a deep feeling of competence and readiness. It is more of a self-care that stretches all the way through your journey, and you have that assurance that you have all that you need just to feel clean, comfortable and put-together, regardless of where in the world you are. This is the assurance that allows your mind to be relieved of its minor concerns of making the logistics work and attending to personal needs and enables you to give your full and undivided attention to the sights and sounds and experiences you travelled so far to discover. It is the inner, groundwork that allows one to have a very present and happy journey.
