Last Updated on February 20, 2021
Flying with dry shampoo is possible but you need to make sure you have the size of bottles that are allowed by the TSA.
There’s also a cool hand luggage hack that all greasy haired travelers should know about!
Let’s get started.
TSA Dry Shampoo Rules
The Transportation Security Administration display this rule about dry shampoo on their website.
Can You Bring Dry Shampoo In Carry-On Luggage?
In this case, the TSA are referring to aerosol dry shampoo sprays.
Aerosol dry shampoo spray is considered to be a liquid by the TSA so you need to follow their liquids rule.
You can bring dry shampoo in your carry on but you need to pack it in your plastic quart-sized bag and it needs to be in containers smaller than 3.4 oz (100ml).
Standard size canisters of dry shampoo are usually at least 5 oz. This means that they can’t be packed in hand luggage. And sadly it’s not a product that you can transfer into a smaller container.
So you need to buy a small can. At 1.6 oz these Batiste travel size cans are well under the TSA carry-on limit.
Make sure any aerosol you pack has a cap and can’t be accidentally sprayed while in your luggage. A TSA officer might confiscate your spray if it is too large or if the cap is missing. TSA agents on the ground always have the final word on what gets past security.
Remember, if you are going for a longer vacation, or have more greasy hair, you can pack more than one travel-size can in your toiletries bag.
You’re allowed to take as many travel-sized liquids as can fit into a single quart-sized, zip-top bag.
That depends on what else you’re are taking though. It’s not hard to hit the limit on your carry-on toiletries.
If you need to make space switch out liquid products for solid versions of the product. For example, take a bar of soap with you instead of shower gel.
Can You Bring Dry Shampoo In Checked Luggage?
Many passengers worry that aerosols will explode in checked luggage. Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen.
You can pack dry shampoo in checked baggage.
While flammable aerosols are generally banned toiletries are an exception and dry shampoo is considered a toiletry.
There is a limit to the size dry shampoo can that you can bring in checked bags.
Kylie asked the TSA about bringing dry shampoo on Twitter:
The TSA informed her that you can only bring cans of dry shampoo that are smaller than 18 oz in checked bags.
The most popular size of dry shampoo is 5 oz so it would be under this limit.
Dry Shampoo Alternatives
It’s easy to see why passengers get a little confused about whether dry shampoo is a liquid or not.
For a start, it says it’s “dry” in the name and liquids are wet!
Dry shampoo exits the can as a gas and seems to land on your scalp as a powder.
Inside the pressurized aerosol canister it’s a fluid, and this is why it’s treated as a liquid by the TSA.
But here’s the thing….
Not all dry shampoos are aerosols!
There are DIY dry shampoos and also store bought products that come in a powder form.
For example this Drop Dead Gorgeous powdered dry shampoo.
Because it’s not an aerosol format the liquids rule does not apply and you can pack as much powdered dry shampoo in your hand luggage as you like.
There are no limits to bringing powders in hand luggage. The only rule is that if your container is over 12 oz then you should remove it from your carry-on bag and place it in a separate tray for screening when going through airport security. A bottle of powdered dry shampoo is unlikely to be 12 oz though, the Drop Dead Gorgeous product is just over 2 oz.
So you can pack something like that for your vacation and it won’t take up space in your liquids bag.
Or you can make your own natural powdered DIY dry shampoo like Melanie did.
Check out Melissa’s two ingredient dry shampoo if you like the sound of a natural powdered product that doesn’t use up your liquids allowance!
The Takeaway
You can pack aerosol dry shampoo in carry-on bags in canisters under 3.4 ounces.
You can pack aerosol dry shampoo in checked bags in canisters under 18 ounces.
You can pack powdered dry shampoo in hand luggage without restriction but take it out of your bag at the x-ray machine if it’s in a bottle larger than 12 ounces.
You can pack powdered dry shampoo in hold luggage without restriction.
That’s it! Wishing you a great trip or vacation without too many bad hair days!
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