Nearly all cosmetic products, such as mascara, shampoos, hair care products, deodorants, facial creams, gels, perfumes, etc., are considered liquids. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you can spread it, then it's a liquid.
Finavia's website includes a handy search function to help with packing various products.
Packing instructions for cosmetics
The upper size limit for liquid containers carried in hand baggage is 100 ml. Any containers larger than this must be packed in checked bags.
The determining factor for cosmetic product containers is the size, and not the quantity of the contents. For instance, a container over 1 dl in size is not permitted in the cabin, even if it only contains a tiny amount of the product.
Each passenger may only carry one bag of liquids in the cabin. Airports hand out free bags that are suitable for cosmetics and adhere to the regulations.
'We are faced with these situations on a nearly daily basis: passengers are unable to fit their liquid products into one bag. We then offer the passenger the option to send these products to the cargo hold, store them at the airport, or hand them to a person seeing them off. If none of these is possible, then the extra liquids are disposed of', says Service Supervisor Joni Pekkanen from Finavia.
Take care with hairsprays
Hairsprays of over 500 ml are not allowed on aeroplanes at all, neither in the hand baggage nor checked bags.
'Aerosols for personal hygiene or beauty care are allowed on aeroplanes in only up to 500-ml containers because they are classified as hazardous products by international regulations. Each passenger is only permitted to carry two litres’ (2,000 ml) worth of aerosol products. Pressurised containers must be properly sealed and free of knocks or dents. Any aerosols that are poorly sealed or too large in size are removed from the baggage and the passengers are left a notice of this', Pekkanen explains.
Hazardous substances, such as poorly sealed hairsprays, are removed from checked baggage daily at Helsinki Airport.
More cosmetics from airport shops
If you can't fit all your cosmetics in the bag, remember that you can easily get any missing items at airport shops. You can carry all products purchased at the airport in your hand baggage without any limitations.