What a Flight Attendant Packs in Their Toiletry Bag

Many of us wish we could pack our entire bathroom when we get ready to travel. Picking and choosing which products we take with us and which we leave behind is sometimes more difficult than booking a trip in the first place. Thankfully, flight attendant Katie Campbell took to TikTok to share how she packs her toiletry bag for flights — and her video is full of handy items that not only save space, but are also affordable.

It’s interesting to know what a flight attendant keeps in her toiletry bag to look and feel her best. Keep scrolling — ahead are 7 crew member-approved travel essentials, including TSA-friendly nail kits, eyebrow grooming sets, quick-dry bath sponges, and more, all under $20 on Amazon.

The exact same toiletry bag Campbell shares in her video is a hanging organizer from Bagsmart, now on sale for $20 on Amazon. This roomy bag opens to reveal four zippered, clear pouches that are large enough to hold any beauty products you might need for a long trip. It’s lightweight, easy to carry, and includes a 360-degree swivel hook that can be hung from a shower rod, doorknob, or towel holder for easy access. “I was a flight attendant for 30 years,” wrote one five-star reviewer, adding that he wished he had had this toiletry bag back then. “I’m a flight attendant and travel for a living,” shared another shopper. “This is my go-to travel bag for all my toiletries. It’s perfect!”

Instead of a loofah, Campbell packs an African net sponge inside her toiletry bag. These scrubbers are notorious for providing thorough exfoliation, and since they’re made of just one mesh sheet, they also take up minimal toilet bag space. This two-pack of Sub Sahara comes in several fun color combinations, like pink and teal, and has its own travel bag for easy packing. Another reason they’re perfect for travel? “They dry really fast,” she says.

More than 10,000—yes, 10,000—have been purchased in the past month alone, making it one of the best-selling and highest-rated options on Amazon. “As a Nigerian, I can say these sponges are the real deal,” wrote one five-star reviewer, adding that they are “travel-friendly,” but “thick enough” to provide a good, thorough clean.

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Campbell shares that she packages her shampoo and conditioner in small, refillable bottles. She repackages liquid hairspray inside a mini spray bottle to avoid aerosol cans. This set of 16 refillable toiletry bottles comes with four leakproof, silicone containers, four jars, a mini spray bottle, and a clear carrying case approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)—all for just $10. “I’m a flight attendant and use them daily,” wrote one buyer. “These are perfect.”

“I clean my makeup brushes every time I use them,” Campbell shared in her TikTok video. As such, she likes to keep a solid makeup brush cleaning mat in her toiletry bag, like this $10 option from Ducare. This small but powerful pick features a textured silicone mat and a thick sponge that agitates any lingering products or oils on the makeup brushes, helping them lift up and out of the brush fibers. It also includes a solid layer of brush soap that is spill and mess proof.

Three more essentials in Campbell’s toiletry bag include an eyebrow razor, a small pair of scissors, and “a good pair of tweezers.” Many people don’t know that the TSA does Allow scissors to be packed inside the carry-on, as long as the blades are less than four inches long from the pivot point. Campbell doesn’t disclose the brands she uses, but Amazon has a handy travel kit that includes all these grooming tools, plus a two-in-one spoolie and brow brush, all for just $7.

Campbell says she keeps a mini nail kit with a nail file and cuticle cutter in her toiletry bag for quick fixes and touch-ups on the go. This portable manicure kit has everything you could possibly need for nail care, including a cuticle pusher, nail clippers, and a double-headed pick, all neatly packaged inside a zippered carrying case. More than 7,000 Amazon buyers have given the set a five-star rating, with hundreds of reviewers noting that it’s more luxurious-looking and of higher quality than they expected based on the $10 price point.

When it comes to shaving, Campbell revealed that she packs a razor with a blade cover on top. A proper cover like this not only protects you from getting hurt while digging into your toiletry bag, it also protects the cleanliness and integrity of the razor’s blades, ensuring they stay sharp for longer. This clip-on razor protector comes in a pack of two and fits most standard men’s and women’s razors.

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