Downsizing Toiletries for Travel

Sure, the infamous 3-1-1 TSA bag can technically hold several bottles of the 3-ounce size. However, do you really need 3 ounces of shampoo for your long weekend trip? Probably not. Same holds for the 1-ounce bottle of foundation and the full-size cream blush. But realistically, how can we shrink those toiletries and still have all of the products we need when we travel?

• Contact lens cases – The two sides of a contact lens case can easily hold several days’ worth of cream products. I prefer to use one case for morning (face primer and tinted moisturizer) and one case for evening (night serum and night cream).
• Eye dropper bottles – Depending on how much of the product you will realistically use in the time you are on your trip, these little bottles can be terrific space-savers. A 15-milliliter bottle is approximately 0.5 ounces which is a decent amount of product for most people.
• Button bags – Many garments come with a tiny button bag attached. I save all of the buttons in one place, and that leaves those tiny plastic bags ready for travel! Instead of taking large vitamin bottles, I count out just enough pills for my trip and separate them into those tiny bags.
  If you are looking for a way to extreme your downsizing, here are two brilliant ideas that I may actually try some day:
  1. The guide by Snarky Nomad walks you through the process of downsizing your deodorant into an empty lip balm tube. Make sure to label it clearly so that you don’t deodorize your lips!
  2. Another step-by-step guide can be found at Lady Light Travel about how to make your own toothpaste dots. Just remember to toss them in baking powder so they don’t all stick together.