Hair Wax or Clay - solid or liquid?
 

Suite to the thread on men traveling liquid free the last barrier is a hair styling product for me. My current stuff is clearly to liquid to be called a solid by any means, and I know TSA guys can be finicky.

However, there are creams, waxes and clays that are so solid that you can open the jar, turn it around and shake as you may, the stuff is not going to budge. For me, that would count as a solid.

What do you think are the chances of something like that getting through?

I have not had any trouble in the US with my redken 6 rewind... its kind of like a thin pomade.. or thick slime / goo. Of course, I have a small tub that is less than 3oz.. but still I think it would be fine in large qty.

FWIW, in China they did take it away - the SMALL one even! I did admit that it was hair product to the people. Then, in the same search, they grabbed a tube of LA looks (I know...) and I told them it was hand lotion.. and they let me keep it.

I would take very little anyway as I am always trying to take as little weight as possible. I'd never take more than 3oz. More likely I'd repack to something of 1oz or less. This is really an attempt at eliminating the stupid baggie.

I will also try Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap as shampoo and toothpaste substitute. If it works, I am golden. I am sure I can find a hair product that is good enough for the look I want.

If the Bronner soap tastes too awful, I will have to take some toothpaste anyway. This means the liquid barrier is broken. I might then as well keep my current gel/cream and other liquids, and not smuggle my shave oil through. That said, if the Bronner soap works well for shaving, I might not even need the shave oil.

I'd still smuggle cologne samples, though, as the solid stuff just doesn't cut it for me.

Till

So what's the situation with waxes and clays?

Till

Mine has been successfully 'artfully concealed' through every trip to the airport without a problem. Just bury it in the middle of your clothing stack (wrapped so it won't leak) and you should be fine.

Clothing basically vanishes on the x-ray; they see your item. If it's wax or a very firm gel they most likely see it as a solid and let it go. Or your item is too small to cause them much concern. To be honest, if I see just one or two items in a bag, unless pretty large, I let it go if I'm on x-ray.

I've watched my bag on the different types of x-ray screens. Maybe it's my concealment technique, but Ive never seen anything that looked like a liquid/gel container.

I've received a couple "bag check!!!!" and they still didn't find it.

You could be correct, but things such as a gel/wax really do stand out. I have worked on 3 different x-rays, and this is true on all of them. However, it is possible that the person operationg the x-ray is not paying attention or sees it and let's it go. It also depends on how full/empty the container is.

It would be a scary though if a bag check was called and they did not find the item and simply let the bag go. But that can happen too.

But I can not fell you how many times I have had to check a bag and the person believes they know what I am checking for, such as their tweezers or hair straightener, and that was NOT what I was looking for. I would have to be there while your bag is being checked to tell you if this item was whY they were actually looking for, which of course I can not do.

But I can promise you that clothing does not block or obscure the x-ray image at all, otherwise every bag with that in it would have to be checked. Just as the actual luggage itself does not block the scan of what's inside.

If true tell me how a plastic bin can obscure shoes?

I've given up at trying to eliminate the liquid baggie. The "solid" replacements for a number of items just don't work as well, IME, especially when it come to shaving cream/gel, shampoos, hair products.

I've tried some hair waxes that definitely go into the solid category (in my eyes) and they just don't have the consistency of a pomade or a sticky gel.

Thanks for the answers! Today I bought a jar of American Crew "Fiber". The fill weight is 100g, there is no volume indication only a weight indication. I believe it also exists in a smaller variant but my supermarket only had this.

Anyways, the stuff is very hard. I am quite convinced it counts as a solid. I'd say it is about as hard or harder (doesn't melt as easily) as a lip balm stick. You need to scoop it out with the fingernail as the tip of the finger won't get much. You then need to rub it vigorously in your hands to make it soft. A green pea size amount is sufficient for my hair on dry hair. My hair is fine and I am somewhat balding, though. If you have a wire brush on your head you might need more. It does make the hair feel a bit greasy at least when applied to dry hair. The directions say to apply to towel dry hair. I will try that tomorrow.

I bought this over the clay they offered because the clay didn't smell very good. It actually did smell a bit like clay because there is effectively real clay in it. the Fiber stuff smells quite nice. A bit lemony and cedary.

So this stuff is going with me on my trip next week. We'll see. I will also take some shaving oil. The tiny 0.5 Alpha oil container. I shall try both version: 1. Smuggled in my pants and 2. not in a kippie but just put openly in the bin.

In that case, all they could say is that it must be in a baggie. That is kind of stupid though for a single item.

I'll let you know how it went.

Till

Sadly, I've seen the TSA require a baggie for a small thing of chap stick... and they didn't budge. The individual had to 'surrender' the chap stick.

The sad part, this was a parent with a gate pass trying to get airside to pick up her child. :td: :td:

There are a couple of things about this.
1. If you can spread it, it is a liquid. Peanut butter etc.
2. Are you going to need that item on the airplane?

So if it is more than 3.4 oz, you wont be allowed to take it in carry on.

I'll most likely re-pack so volume should not be a problem. The fill weight is 100g 3.54oz is what it says on the container. Not sure what the volume is.

I can spread a candle, too, or an apple. It's a matter of how much pressure I apply. The apple is probably 80% water. Human beings are in that range, too. Are we liquids? We are also spreadable, it would just hurt quite a bit. :)

I see what you mean though. But the spreadable definition is tied to the more than 3.4oz limit. Since it will be under that limit, carrying it on will not be a problem.

The problem is whether it needs to go in an extra baggie on the belt. I won't check bags so, i can't check it.

We'll see.

Plastic bins do not block shoes. The actual policy on shoes is you can have them on the belt or in a bin if there is nothing else in the bin. Yes, there are shoe Nazis, I work with some of them and have encounter some of them when traveling. They have told me to take my shoes ot of the bin. I refused. I told them what policy was, and my shoes were allowed to stay in the bin.