Ten Full-Size Liquids You Can Still Bring Through Airport Security

Packing toiletries into tiny bottles has been a travel ritual since 2006, when the TSA introduced its 3-1-1 rule after British police foiled a plot to detonate liquid explosives hidden in soda cans on flights from London to the US and Canada. The rule caps carry-on liquids, aerosols, and gels at 3.4 ounces (100 mL) each, all fitting inside one clear quart-sized bag.

The restrictions have loosened in some places. Several UK airports, including London Heathrow, now permit liquids up to 2 liters thanks to advanced CT scanners, and a TSA spokesperson says the agency expects the US limit to be lifted in the coming years. Until then, the rule stands nationwide, though individual officers make the final call.

The TSA does allow ten common full-size liquids through security, provided travelers declare them before screening and place them in a separate bin. The list includes prescription medications, medically necessary liquids such as insulin and contact lens solution, gel ice packs and frozen water bottles (if frozen solid), breast milk and infant formula, baby food and drinks, non-spillable wet batteries under set voltage limits, fresh eggs, live fish and coral in water, non-infectious scientific specimens, and duty-free liquids sealed in tamper-evident bags on inbound international flights.

Items that alarm during screening face extra inspection, and the agency warns some contact lens solutions contain chemicals that typically trigger alarms, so larger bottles are best checked.