Are you wondering if you can bring your trusty chapstick, lipstick or lip gloss with you on a plane?
I’ve got you covered! In this post, I’ll be talking about the TSA rules and explaining them in a super easy way.
Just keep in mind that the rules do vary depending on whether you want to take them in your carry-on or checked bag.
But don’t sweat it, I’ll give you the full lowdown on all of that below.
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Here’s a brief overview on if you can take chapsticks, lipsticks and lip glosses on a plane.
You can bring chapstick, lipstick and lip gloss on a plane.
If you’re taking chapstick or lipstick in your carry-on then there are no restrictions as these aren’t considered liquids.
If you’re taking lip gloss in your carry-on, it should contain less than 3.4oz/100 ml and fit inside a quart-sized resealable bag along with your other liquids.
I’ll go into more detail on each rule below to ensure you have all the information you need.
| Item | Carry-On? | Checked Luggage? |
|---|---|---|
| Chapstick | Yes | Yes |
| Other lip blams | Yes (some limits) | Yes |
You can bring chapsticks and other types of lip balms on a plane in both your carry-on and checked luggage.
For any toiletries that you take on a plane, it is important to know whether they are classed as a ‘liquid’ or not under TSA rules.
Chapstick is not considered a liquid under TSA rules as it is a solid lip balm.
This means that there is no restriction on the size or quantity that you can take and you don’t need to place the chapstick in a quart-sized liquids bag when you pass through security.
You can literally just throw it into your bag without any worries. It’s not the same story for all lip balms though (more on that below).
If you’re traveling to a hot country then it’s a good idea to take a chapstick with SPF like this one by Sun Bum.
This will protect your lips from sunburn and they won’t be considered a liquid by TSA.
If you are taking a different type of lip balm such as Carmex, these will be considered liquids under TSA rules.
Solid lip balms like Chapsticks aren’t considered liquids but regular paste-type lip balms are considered to be liquids.
TSA has a liquids rule which limits the amount of liquids you can bring on a plane. This rule applies to carry-on luggage only and not checked luggage.
You need to be aware of this rule if you’re carrying other types of lip balm like Carmex that will be considered a liquid. Chapsticks do not fall under this rule.
You are allowed to take one quart-sized resealable bag of liquids in your carry-on.
You need to place all liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes inside the bag. You can’t take any additional liquids in your carry-on, all of them must fit into this bag.
You will be asked to take this bag out of your carry-on luggage when passing through airport security.
I’d recommend packing this bag beforehand so you don’t get held up at security, you can check the price and availability of quart-sized resealable bags on Amazon.
I’d also suggest packing your liquids into the quart-sized bag before you go to the airport to ensure that all your liquids fit inside.
If you take any extra liquids that don’t fit into the bag then these will be confiscated from you by security staff. (This has happened to me in the past and it’s not fun at all!)
It’s also important to note that each liquid item must be 3.4oz/100 ml or less.
Again, if you try to bring any liquids in your carry-on that are over this limit then they will be taken from you by security staff.
If you have any liquids that are more than 3.4oz/100 ml then place them in your checked bag.
Wondering if mascara counts as a liquid under TSA rules? I explain it all in my guide.
| Item | Carry-On? | Checked Luggage? |
|---|---|---|
| Lipstick | Yes | Yes |
You can bring lipstick on a plane in your carry on luggage without restriction.
Lipstick is not considered a liquid under TSA rules as they class it as solid makeup.
This means that there is no restriction on the size or quantity that you take in your carry on and you don’t have to place the lipstick into your quart-sized liquids bag when you pass through security.
| Item | Carry-On? | Checked Luggage? |
|---|---|---|
| Lip Gloss | Yes (some limits) | Yes |
You can bring lip gloss on a plane but there are some restrictions as it’s considered a liquid.
Under TSA rules, lip gloss is considered a liquid so the TSA liquids rule applies.
This means you need to place all lip glosses into your liquids bag when you pass through security. You can’t just leave them loose in your bag.
You also need to ensure that each individual lip gloss is no more than 3.4oz/100 ml or it won’t be allowed. Most lip glosses are way less than this so should be fine.
After checking my own lip glosses, I found that they contained between 0.2oz – 0.5oz/6 ml – 15 ml so would easily fall below the 3.4oz/100 ml limit.
I’d recommend double-checking the size just in case though. All lip glosses will clearly state the size on the bottle.
Wondering if you can take nail polish in your carry on? I also cover if you can take tweezers or nail clippes on a plane in my complete guide.
Thanks for reading this post on if you can take chapstick, lipstick or lip gloss on a plane.
All of the information in this article was taken from the official TSA rules. You can visit their website for any additional queries.
You may also be interested in my guide on if you can take makeup palettes in your carry on. I also have a guide on how to pack makeup palettes for travel to prevent them from smashing!
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Megan Jones is a travel expert and founder of Traveller's Elixir, who has been travelling the world full time since 2021. Megan's travel tips been featured in numerous media outlets including Metro, Timeout, Thrillist and more.
