Essential Travel-Size Toiletries for Carry-On Only Packing - Dressed for My Day (2025)

With summer fast approaching I know many of my readers have vacations and other travel on the horizon. In fact, I imagine that, like me, many of my readers travel frequently throughout the year. Don’t you just love off-season vacations??? Since many of us travel by plane and want to minimize our luggage, today I’m sharing my essential travel-size toiletries for carry-on only packing. But even if you check your baggage, these travel essentials will help you to conserve space and pack smart.

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While I have several secrets for packing carry-on only, one of the most important is to keep your toiletries contained. But instead of forsaking the products I love and use on a daily basis, I opt for travel-size toiletries that pack easily into TSA approved size toiletry bags. That way I don’t have to leave behind any of my essentials and I can look my best and feel confident while traveling.

Above I’m showing you my favorite TSA Approved clear toiletry bags. But those photos are from a couple of years ago, and the bags are not packed for air travel. When I fly and pack carry-on only, like I did recently when I went to New York City, I put all of the liquids into just one of those TSA Approved clear toiletry bag and I situate all of my other toiletries and tools in the other containers. When I arrive at my destination or at least the air travel portion of my trip is over, I move things around so that they are in containers that work ideally for my skincare, makeup and personal hygiene routines.

The photo above is from my week-long trip to London, England, for which I did pack carry-on only. I put most of my toiletries in my carry-on suitcase in the zipper side. But I did put my TSA Approved clear toiletry bag filled with my liquids in the Everywhere bag for easy access. Toiletries and tools such as my hairbrush, my flat iron and a first aid kit are packed wherever they fit, making use of nooks and crannies in my luggage.

When packing carry-on only don’t forget essential travel-size toiletries that will make your life easier and your journey more enjoyable. If you pack wisely you absolutely can carry all of the “little things” you need. I’m providing you with a shoppable boutique below with all of the essential travel-size toiletries I like to pack. But first let me walk you through a few of my choices.

Body & Skincare Travel-Size Toiletries

I like to pack travel-size containers of my usual skincare products if at all possible. I purchase these throughout the year when they run specials so that I have them handy when I’m ready to pack for my next adventure.

I’m currently using Elemis skincare and I can get everything I use in a handy travel-size. But I’ve also linked you to Colleen Rothschild products above, as well as favorite body care products from various brands. You don’t always need to carry your own lotions and soaps, of course. But if you’re staying in a VRBO or Airbnb, you might need to take these with you.

Cosmetics

Again, I don’t delete makeup from my routine when I travel; I just mini-mize the products. That way they weigh less and take up minimal space in my bags. I can’t imagine doing without my favorite mascara and lash primer. My usual makeup foundation comes in a container that is a little heavy, so I can opt for another foundation I love and have used in the past in its handy travel size. My concealer also comes in a nice travel size. And I carry and use this lightweight, small eyeshadow pallet. Here are the other cosmetics I pack.

Beauty Tools

Packing your beauty tools can also be a challenge when packing carry-on only. Do you take them or leave them? If my accommodations will provide any kind of hairdryer at all I usually opt to leave my heavy Dyson hairdryer at home. But I do carry along my hairbrush and flat iron. Here are some other beauty “tools” you don’t want to forget.

Grooming & Clothing Care Products

I’ve created a kind of catch-all category here for additional grooming products as clothing care tools and products. These are essentials that I sometimes forget, so I’ve become more mindful of these products. Many of the smaller ones can be purchased in multiples to share with your family or keep in different travel bags that you use frequently. For instance, I keep a shower cap in all of my suitcases so I’m never without. Same with the mini lint rollers.

Take note of a few essentials in that shopping widget above. Don’t leave home without a dermaplaning razor and tweezers. Whenever I’m in new lighting I find stray hairs in new places! I also don’t travel without my Tide stain remover pen and a pack or two of Tide travel sink packets, perfect for washing out a few things on the go. The Nori press is new to me and I’m loving it. I don’t always pack an iron or steamer, but if I think I may need one and that it won’t be provided, the Nori is my pick since it only weighs just over a pound.

Health and Safety Essentials for Travel

Honestly I don’t pack a lot of health and safety essentials when I travel. Of course, I take my prescription medications. I use a dispenser like this and take along the prescription containers, too. Otherwise, I don’t generally pack a lot of medications that I can probably easily access on my travels. However, if I know I’ll be using them regularly, I do pack items such as botanical insect repellent wipes and blister patches. And a small first aid kit can be a good idea. I look for one that has plenty of the things you might actually need in a sudden emergency, such as bandages, safety pins and disposable gloves, not one that contains a lot of medications I can purchase as needed.

So those are my essential travel-size toiletries for carry-on only packing. Honestly, I may have left something out. So if you pack other essentials when you travel, be sure to share those in the comments. I’ll add them to my list if I can, and other readers will surely benefit from your input.

Of course we all travel uniquely. And my list may be different depending on the destination and the journey. But hopefully these essential travel-size toiletries are good to start your packing list. I’ve created a shopping boutique below with all of my items. Just click on the photo to get more information and to shop.

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xoxo, Kay