3.4 Ounces
If you just want my must-have toiletry items, scroll to the bottom!
What items have been relieved of your ownership in the airport security line? I’ve given up a pocket knife purchased in Belgium, some olives purchased in England, and of course countless bottles of water and other liquids. Why do all our life-sustaining water products have to fit in a 1-quart bag!? 😩
Let me tell you a tale that will make your blood boil, soothe your soul, and hopefully make you chuckle at the bureaucracy of our human race. Spoiler alert: the woman who first declared “3.4 ounces” thinks you should be able to bring more than that on an airplane.
A few years ago, at a fancy dinner in Washington DC, my husband sat next to Fran Townsend (the U.S. Homeland Security advisor during the Bush administration). To catch you up, the TSA or Transportation Security Administration was created in the aftermath of 9/11. During the attacks, Fran was on maternity leave but jumped back into her job assisting the US Coast Guard. Anyway, when Bush appointed her as the HSA, she was only the 3rd person to have the job and the 1st woman. She was tasked with creating a passenger liquid limit for airplane safely in the wake of a security incident in 2006.
What incident, you ask? In August 2006, British security services MI5 cracked the code on the Liquid Bomb Plot. These bungholios were planning to sneak liquid explosives—disguised as drinks—onto transatlantic flights using hydrogen peroxide. Talk about a cocktail that packs a punch!
Their plan was to assemble the bombs mid-flight, but their plot was intercepted. The dum-dums got caught and were imprisoned but so were our face creams, our skin creams, our butt creams… all our creams. 😔
This is where Fran comes in: as the President’s Homeland Security Advisor the buck stopped with her. Overnight on August 10th of 2006, all liquids (except breastmilk for babies) was disallowed on airplanes. With humans being comprised of 60% water this was obviously not sustainable… we needed to come up with a plan QUICK.
In desperate need of an official policy, Fran and her team basically took the smallest amount of a liquid that could be dangerous (as reported by a research facility) and cut the number in half to come up with 3.4 ounces/100 milliliters limit. It was meant to be temporary. Fran expressed her regret for the amount selected. She never imagined that 20 years later we would still be unable to take safe liquids in quantities about 3.4 ounces on an airplane. Dantan also noted that Fran was warm and lovely and a splendid conversationalist. (I will also note that Fran’s regrets are my husband’s recollections of a dinner that had wine with every course and an open bar.)
Now these next opinions are mine (and not Fran’s!) but I think that part of the reason that we will never go back to unrestricted liquids in the skies has more to do with the dollars than common sense. Travel toiletries are big business. Travelers have always sought out smaller, more convenient sizing for items when we travel, but now cosmetic and skincare companies can brand with that little “TSA APPROVED!” sticker—boasting that their products comply with airport liquid restrictions. Not to mention airports starting selling more bottles of liquids—at outrageous pricing no less!
I guess the moral of this story is how quickly a policy can become ingrained in the eyes of the government and its people. So the next time your precious face cream gets thrown into the trash at security, just remember that you and I know there’s no safety in this measure, but rules are rules. 😢 We humans can be so silly sometimes! ♥️
Like most who travel, I keep paring down everywhere including my toiletries. Here are my MUST HAVES in order of importance.
Clickable photos to Amazon (or you could just go to the store?)
Natural deodorant from ZirYab’s Body Brews. I love Brenda (the all-star behind ZirYab’s) and not just because she selected the font Alegreya SC for her website. I’ve been a customer since her early days on Etsy when it was made in tiny batches in her kitchen. This is the stuff of miracles. Cannot purchase abroad; must have packets in every bag.
A good face wash. I’m partial to Youth to the People’s Superfood Cleanser, but I also like the Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar (there’s also a version for acne prone skin). Bonus: it’s always under $3 at your neighborhood drug store or superstore and doesn’t count toward your 3:1:1 liquids.
Facial moisturizer. I like CeraVe’s original Moisturizing Cream which is easy to get anywhere. The one with SPF is convenient too.
Body Glide’s skin cream. OMG. This one is a lifesaver—especially for my fellow curvy ladies out there (actually, anyone without a thigh gap) but my husband borrows it all the time for his feet when a blister is starting. Anytime you feel the rub grab for this and your life will be a lot easier.
A tiny travel toothpaste. There’s no way you need to buy this one! I get a tiny toothpaste tube at my dentist every 6 months, sitting on the edge of the sink at my hotel, in the amenity kit on planes (yes, economy!). I included a link to Amazon, but hopefully this is the last time you buy a mini tube of toothpaste and just collect them on your adventures for future use—or, no judgement, everyday use. Waste not, want not!
A vial of perfume. Right now it’s Diptyque’s Tam Dao but I have my eye on Trudon’s Elae.
For more Amazon travel finds worth their weight in gold (but mostly under $10) click here!