'I'm A Travel Expert – You're Probably Packing Perfume Wrong'

Liquid limits are shifting across UK airports, but for now, “At most airports, you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security”. 

That can spell disaster for people like me, who basically bring their entire bathroom cabinet with them on short-haul flights. 

But, Stacey Hamilton, a seasoned traveller with Private Tours England, said, you can save some stress with at least one of those items. 

“I love wearing perfume when I travel,” she said. 

Still, “perfume bottles are expensive, fragile and heartbreaking to lose... I’ve seen people smash bottles in their bags, have them leak over clothes, or even have them confiscated at security because they forgot the liquid rules”.

So, she swears by a cotton ball hack.

What’s the best way to pack perfume? 

Hamilton uses cotton balls to stay under liquid limits and to prevent spills.

“This is my go-to method every time I travel with hand luggage,” she said.

“You take small cotton balls, and you fully saturate them with your perfume. Not damp, properly soaked.” 

Then, place them in a zip-seal bag. “You really have to push all the air out before sealing it,” she said. “Air is what dries the cotton out, and once the alcohol evaporates, you lose the strength of the scent.” 

This can take up a lot less space than a large, fragile perfume bottle. “Carrying bottles around just isn’t practical when you’re travelling light,” Hamilton said.

To apply the perfume, she added, “I just dab the cotton ball directly onto my skin, the same places I’d normally spray. It smells exactly the same, just without the bottle.

“You naturally use less because you’re dabbing instead of spraying, which actually makes the scent last longer and feels a bit more refined.” 

How long will they work? 

The travel expert said it lasts longer than you might expect – up to a week. 

“If you notice it’s starting to dry, don’t panic,” she advised.

“Just add a tiny bit of water to the cotton. It reactivates what’s already there and you can keep using it.” 

Don’t go too heavy-handed, as soaking the ball again will wash off the remaining fragrance oil: “Just wake it back up.

“As long as the bag stays sealed properly, it works far better than people expect.”