How To Avoid Airport Liquid Issues

Why security keeps taking your shampoo, and the simple switch that means it never happens again.

You only have to watch airport security bin one full bottle of shampoo to never guess again.

Avoiding airport liquid issues isn't hard, but it does take a little thought before you leave home.

Most of the trouble starts in the bathroom, when you pack what you normally use instead of what security actually allows. Get one thing right and the checkpoint becomes a quick wave-through, not an expensive bin for your toiletries.

Why airport liquid issues happen

Here's the part that catches everyone out. Most people think about the product, but security thinks about the container.

They don't care how much is left in the bottle. They look at the size printed on the side.

A 200ml shampoo bottle with barely a drop left is still a 200ml bottle, and it still gets thrown away.

And it's not just shampoo. Conditioner, shower gel, sunscreen, toothpaste and moisturiser all count as liquids too.

But shampoo is the one that gets people. A full-size bottle is always too big, and a tiny travel bottle only holds a few washes.

Either way, the liquid bottle is the problem.

How to avoid it before you pack

You've really got three options for travelling with shampoo. Here's how they stack up.

Decant into travel bottles

• Uses the products you already own
• It's still a liquid, so it can still be pulled and questioned
• Little bottles leak all through your bag
• You repack it from scratch every single trip

Buy travel minis

• Small and cabin-friendly out of the box
• Only last about 5 washes, so they run out fast
• You end up rebuying at tourist prices while away
• Still a liquid, still stuck under the limit

Best for travel

Solid shampoo bars

• Not a liquid, so the limit doesn't apply and security can't take it
• Lasts up to 80 washes, enough for your whole trip
• Comes in a watertight tin, so nothing leaks
• One bar covers trip after trip, no repacking or rebuying

Why shampoo bars are perfect for travel

Once you switch, the whole liquid problem just disappears. Here's why they work so well.

• Security can't take it. Because it's solid there's no liquid limit, so it goes straight in your carry-on.
• It lasts the whole trip. One bar gives you up to 80 washes, which is 2 to 3 months for most people, so a single bar covers multiple trips.
• It works out cheap. That comes to about 20 cents a wash, far less than buying minis over and over.
• No leaks or spills. It lives in a watertight tin, so it can't leak through your bag mid-flight.