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Can You Take Mascara On A Plane? TSA Rules 2024

Ever wondered if you can bring your trusty mascara on a plane?

Don’t fret, this post has got you covered! I’ll cover the official TSA rules, but don’t worry, I’ll keep it simple and jargon-free.

Just a heads up, the rules do vary depending on whether you wanna pack your mascara in your carry-on or checked luggage. So keep on reading to get the scoop!

Summary

You can take mascara on a plane but if you’re taking it in your carry-on, it must contain less than 3.4oz/100ml and must fit into a quart-sized resealable bag along with your other liquids. 

If you’re taking mascara in your checked bag then there are no restrictions.

Can You Take Mascara On A Plane?

can you take mascara on a plane - yes!
ItemCarry-on?Checked Luggage?
MascaraYes
(some limits)
Yes

You can take mascara on a plane but there are several restrictions you need to be aware of.

Firstly, it’s important to know whether or not mascara is classed as a liquid under TSA rules.

Is Mascara a Liquid? – TSA Rules

Under TSA rules, mascara is considered a liquid. 

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.

TSA Liquids Rule

TSA liquids rule

Here’s the lowdown on the TSA liquids rule:

You are allowed to bring one quart-sized resealable bag of liquids in your carry-on.

You should place all of your liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes inside the bag.

You’re not allowed to bring any additional liquids with you that don’t fit inside this bag.

You will be required to take this bag out of your carry-on luggage when passing through airport security.

I personally always prepare this bag beforehand so I 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 bag before you get to the airport to make sure that all your liquids actually fit.

If you take any extra liquids that don’t fit inside the bag then these will be confiscated from you by security staff. (This has happened to me before and it’s super annoying!)

You also need to ensure that each liquid item contains 3.4oz/100 ml or less of liquid.

If you try to pack any liquids in your carry-on that are over this amount then they will be taken from you by security staff so check the bottles carefully beforehand.

You may also want to know if lipstick or chapstick count as a liquid? I give you the lowdown in my guide.

Can You Take Mascara In A Carry-On?

Applying the TSA liquids rule, this means you can take mascara in your carry on but you must ensure that each mascara tube contains less than 3.4oz/100 ml

I checked my own mascaras and found that most mascara tubes contain between 0.2oz – 0.44oz/6 ml – 13 ml so they should easily fall below the 3.4oz/100 ml limit. 

All mascara tubes clearly state how much liquid they contain on the packaging so you can easily check this for yourself.

This limit is per tube so it doesn’t matter if the total amount of your liquids is over 3.4oz/100ml as long as each individual bottle is less than this amount.

Wondering if you can take tweezers and nail files on a plane? (the answer might surprise you!)

Can You Take Mascara In Checked Luggage?

You can take mascara in your checked luggage. There are no restrictions at all on taking mascara in checked luggage so take as much as you want!


And that’s it!

Thanks for reading this post on if you can take mascara 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.

Find out if you can take makeup palettes on a plane and the best way to pack a makeup palette in my handy guide (it’s insanely helpful).

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.

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