The miniatures are handy if you're flying abroad with only cabin luggage, as you can't take products larger than 100ml through airport security.
While this means you can avoid paying extra for hold luggage, buying a full set of travel products can still be pricey.
With the cost of living taking its toll and households feeling the pinch, we've rounded up eight ways you can save money on travel toiletries this summer.
What toiletries can you take on a plane?
The current rules for liquids, gels and aerosols in hand luggage state that containers must hold no more than 100ml, and be able to fit in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag that is around 20cm x 20cm.
You can only take one plastic bag per person, and liquids in containers larger than 100ml generally cannot go through security even if the container is only partially full.
There are some exemptions, such as if the liquid is for medical purposes or special dietary requirements, and baby food and milk.
However, the government has set a June 2024 deadline for most UK airports to scrap the 100ml liquid limit by introducing high-tech scanners.
Some UK airports, including London City and Teeside have already introduced this and scrapped the 100ml rule. This means if you're travelling from one of these sites you can now carry up to two litres of liquid, and toiletries no longer have to be put in separate bags.
However, unless you plan on using everything during your holiday you'll still have to bring it back for the return leg of your trip, and most airports abroad still have the 100ml rule.
Are travel miniatures worth the money?
Many brands offer miniature versions of their products, which are under 100ml so they can be taken through security.
We found the cheapest price of the most popular toiletry brand miniatures and compared it with the full-sized version in the same shop and have excluded multibuy offers. The table is ordered by largest price difference per 100ml.
For every product we looked at, you would end up paying more per 100ml for the miniature.
In fact, in one case it's only 10p more expensive to buy the full-sized L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Long Hair Conditioner, at £2.25 , than the travel version, which would set you back £2.15.
Some of the worst value products include travel-sized shower wash. The Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash, cost £2.73 per 100ml, over five times the cost compared to the full-sized product which was 49p per 100ml.
That said, in many cases shoppers won't pay the full price for the miniatures they buy; several shops have multibuy offers such as three for two.
We've listed our top hacks for getting around the airport liquid allowance to save money on your holiday products.
1) Decant regular toiletries into small bottles
One easy way to avoid paying out for mini toiletries every time you go away is to make your own. Simply decant your regular-sized toiletries into smaller bottles, which you can take through security.
You can pick up packs of empty bottles that tend to come in their own airport-friendly transparent cases, or just pick up the separate containers you need.
As these bottles are reusable, you can take them away with you time and time again.
Find out more:2) Get your toiletries delivered to the airport
If you're going to need more than 100ml on your holiday, you could use a click and collect service to get your toiletries delivered to an airport branch of Boots. You can pick these up after you've passed through the security gate, and you won't have to pay premium airport prices.
You can order and pay for your toiletries online – just use the store locator to see if there is a Boots branch at your chosen airport. They can be found around the UK, including at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester airports.
Note that your order will need to be placed at least three days before you fly, and you should choose the date of your flight as the pick-up date. The click and collect service costs £1.50 if you spend less than £15 – otherwise it's free.
Remember, the carry-on restrictions will be in place when you fly home, so you’ll have to use up any products you buy while you're on holiday, or pour them into smaller bottles.
Find out more:3) Buy abroad and share
If you’re not fussed about using a specific brand, you could buy your toiletries when you arrive at your chosen destination.
If there's a group of you going on the trip, it can be worth coordinating and sharing full-sized items. For instance, one person buys the sun cream, while someone else grabs the toothpaste.
You'll also have the issue of not being able to bring full-sized products home, but if there's a few of you sharing, there's more chance you'll use up the products before you leave.
4) Use shampoo bars and solid toothpaste
Lots of brands now offer shampoo and conditioner bars, which are easy to travel with as they don't count as a liquid, gel or aerosol, so you won't have to place them in the see-through bag and can take them through security.
It's also possible to buy things such as solid toothpaste and deodorant sticks, which won't count towards your liquids allowance either.
These kinds of products are growing in popularity – not least because they often use less packaging and may be more sustainable.
Find out more:5) Earn or spend loyalty points
Supermarkets and beauty stores that offer holiday toiletries often have loyalty schemes, so you can earn points on what you spend.
If you tend to spend a lot of money at the same shop throughout the year, you could even spend the points and get your toiletries for free.
Find out more:6) Check if your hotel provides toiletries
Some hotels and Airbnb rentals will provide shampoo, conditioner and shower gel for your stay. See if you can find out whether they offer these products before you go.
It can be worth keeping these bottle to reuse for your own liquids in future, as they will often be travel-sized and many hotels will just throw them away when you leave.
Find out more:7) Use cashback sites and reward cards
If you make purchases with a cashback credit card, remember to pay back your full balance each month to avoid cashback gains being wiped out by interest charges.
Find out more:8) Get rewarded for recycling your toiletries
After you return from holiday, check if your empty bottles can be recycled before throwing them away, as some retailers offer voucher rewards for returning empty beauty products.
John Lewis, for example, has a BeautyCycle scheme, where you can get £5 off your next purchase when you bring five or more empty beauty products to one of its branches and show your My John Lewis card.
Lush's Bring It Back scheme offers 50p off your next purchase for returning qualifying, empty, full-sized Lush products.
The Boots Recycle scheme offers up to 500 Advantage card points, worth £5, if you take in five empty products to its in-store recycling bins. However, you also need to make a purchase of at least £10 to qualify for the extra points.
This article was originally published in May 2022 but has now been updated for 2023 with new pricing anlaysis.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/8-ways-to-save-money-on-travel-toiletries-this-summer-afCSr3p3rhXd