What to Put in a Toiletry Bag

How to pack a toiletry bag systematically so you remember everything, avoid overpacking, and still look your best.

Source: Pexels

There are two types of toiletry bags: one for the countertop and one you can hang.

The latter is arguably the more practical. It keeps everything off wet, cluttered, or unhygienic surfaces; you can keep it hung open and ventilated; and your toiletries are visible at once. These are ideal if you’re camping or using a shared bathroom.

The countertop type I use is less practical. If you don’t dry things properly after use, the inside of the bag can soon turn into a slimy mess. And rummaging through it to find a single item is time-consuming and annoying. It’s even worse for men having to live out of a toiletry bag over extended periods.

But whichever type you choose—or are lumped with—you won’t be able to take your entire bathroom cabinet contents with you, unlike the men of yesteryear.

My father is a good example: everything he needed fitted into his leather shaving bag (also known as a “dopp kit”). A razor, some spare blades, a shaving brush, a shaving stick, a bar of soap, a small mirror, plus a toothbrush and toothpaste. Anything more was considered vain.

For us, it’s not only about grooming and hygiene; it’s about skin and hair care, too.

A plethora of moisturizers, serums, peels, and balms are not a problem in your own bathroom. But they are when traveling.

You need to pack in a way that keeps things manageable and won’t burst your toiletry bag at the seams. It means looking your best without the extravagance the bathroom allows.

How a Toiletry Bag Works

If you have a hanging toiletry bag, there are probably a number of roomy pockets in which to keep everything tidy.

The countertop type, however, has one large space at the center (sometimes divided into two) and a few pockets in the lining. Because it’s dark inside, mesh doesn’t always improve visibility.

Packing a toiletry bag is mostly self-explanatory: bulkier items like aerosol cans, hair products, soap dishes, body wash, and moisturizers go in the main compartment; smaller items go in the pockets—one side for wet items like your toothbrush and razor, the other for beard scissors, nail clippers, mustache wax, and lip balms. Metal tins can easily rust if they’re exposed to moisture, so it’s important to keep them separate or in an outside pocket if available.

Materials

Luxury toiletry bags are made from leather or waxed canvas, allowing better ventilation. For men traveling numerous times a year, especially for business trips, they’re durable and worth the investment.

Men living out of a toiletry bag over extended periods, perhaps in a hostel or lodgings, may consider the hanging type mentioned above bought from a camping supplier. These are sturdy and often larger than standard bags.

For the rest of us traveling only once or twice a year, a drugstore model does the trick. With their plastic interior, they’re easy to wipe out after use and can be replaced cheaply at a whim.

What to Pack in a Toiletry Bag

It’s not only about what you should put in a toiletry bag, but what you shouldn’t.

If you have a skin condition like acne or eczema, you need your treatment. It obviously can’t be skipped for even a day.

But men like me can economize for at least a week or so without dire effects.

At home, I apply a copper peptide serum for fine lines and to strengthen facial hair. I use an AHA and BHA peel a few times a week to keep me looking vibrant. Then there’s the retinol serum before sleeping, followed by a night cream; in the morning, a day cream plus Pycnogenol serum for added color and elasticity. I cleanse in the PM with micellar water and in the AM with a face and body wash, though I prefer a bar soap for the shower and a salicylic cleanser for my underarms. My teeth get four different substances: a purple toothpaste with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in the morning, and a xylitol toothpaste and floss before bed.

And let’s not forget my shaving ritual with a safety razor and brush as well as a trim of my horseshoe fringe with clippers to keep me looking fresh.

I can’t possibly pack all that in a toiletry bag. I’d need a vanity case.

Apart from that, men completing their ablutions in front of other men in a communal bathroom wouldn’t be seen to perform an entire skincare routine. That hasn’t changed since the barracks of my father’s army days.

What I Put in My Toiletry Bag

When you skip your full routine for a short while, your skin doesn’t fall apart. In fact, it often feels more relaxed for a while—probably because it’s not always reacting to something.

This is why you can choose products that serve more than one purpose instead of taking everything with you.

My skin does fine with a single 24-hour cream. It means no day and night creams, and no serums. I cleanse everything in the morning with a face and body wash—I only like bar soap for its masculine fragrance when I’m at home. This alone saves me several products.

If I’m not expecting to get a tan, I use tanning towels instead of Pycnogenol serum. These are lightweight and their effect lasts a few days on the skin.

My teeth get by on just their xylitol toothpaste.

Instead of a safety razor, brush, and shaving cream, I use a multi-blade cartridge and shaving oil—this can be the sunflower oil from your kitchen cupboard transferred to a small bottle. It’s also suitable for head shaving.

For items that need wetting like toothbrushes and razors, dry them with a piece of toilet paper before putting them back in your toiletry bag.

I find electric shavers bulkier, but they’re cleaner to keep than a damp razor. As for clippers or a hair trimmer, I let my horseshoe fringe grow out a little while on vacation. I then pay my barber his once-yearly visit upon returning home.

And then there’s the no-brainer: buy travel-size items wherever possible. This I do for deodorant and contact lens fluid—and, of course, don’t forget a spare pair of contacts if you wear them.

I otherwise don’t bother about spares. I’ve never had aerosols exploding or leaking in checked luggage or any other mishaps. If I did, I’d simply buy it new at my destination rather than taking up space for something that probably won’t happen.

Source: Pexels

Make Sure You Pack Everything

So, with my daily routine pared down, I have less to remember while packing.

To make sure you have everything, run through your daily grooming routine from head to toe, adding each item as you go. It’s best to assemble everything on a towel first, which allows you to fill your toiletry bag in a more ordered fashion afterward.

Here’s a list of possible items as you’d run through them:

Head

• Shampoo (or will a face and body wash double up?)
• Conditioner (consider a solid bar product to save space)
• Styling product (choose the most versatile if you use more than one)
• Brush and comb
• You can borrow a hairdryer from your hotel, or take a small, foldable model

Face

• Your treatment if you have a skin condition
• Face and body wash (this doubles as a beard wash)
• Multi-blade cartridge and shaving oil for face and head
• Moisturizer or 24-hour cream
• Lip balm
• Tanning towels (optional)
• Scissors, comb, and brush for a beard or mustache
• Beard balm or mustache wax

Teeth

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Floss

Body

• Face and body wash

Nails

• Clippers and a file (finger nails can grow quickly)

Washcloth

If you’re camping, a washcloth is nonnegotiable for daily washing at a sink or bowl. Otherwise, leave it behind—it has to be constantly left out to dry or risk toiletry bag mustiness.

Incidental Items

If you take a small sewing kit, put it in an outside pocket of your toiletry bag. Do the same for medications—even if kept away from wet items inside the bag, they can still pick up atmospheric moisture.

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We all have our own preferences. If you want to take a bottle of cologne or a hair trimmer, that’s entirely up to you. Just pack systematically and take only what you’ll use.

© 2026 J. Richardson