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Sea of SPA Dead Sea foot cream and hand cream tubes beside a white mineral salt chunk and copper cups

Photo: DeadSeaCream.JPG by Gilabrand (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

Can I bring hand cream on a plane?

Carry-on in JapanYes, within limits
Checked bag in JapanConditions

In Japan hand cream is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, with conditions.

Carry-on: Yes, within limits. Japan's liquids list names hand cream, so on international flights each tube or jar must be 100ml (g) or less and go in the 1 litre transparent bag. As a toiletry it is also limited to 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container and 2 litres or 2kg per person on any flight. Checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre or 0.5kg per container and 2 litre or 2kg per person limits.

Hand cream on flights in and from Japan

On a domestic flight only the quantity limits apply. On an international flight the liquid rule comes on top.

Hand cream: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsYes, within limits. Japan's liquids list names hand cream, so on international flights each tube or jar must be 100ml (g) or less and go in the 1 litre transparent bag. As a toiletry it is also limited to 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container and 2 litres or 2kg per person on any flight.
In checked baggageConditionsYes, within the 0.5 litre or 0.5kg per container and 2 litre or 2kg per person limits.
Domestic flights in Japan
The 100ml liquid limit does not apply.
International flights from Japan
Each container 100ml or less, all of them inside one transparent re-sealable bag of 1 litre or less, one bag per person.

The 2 litre or 2kg total is one shared allowance for toiletries, medicines and aerosols together.

Carry-onChecked bag
Carry-on liquid limits: exemptions, connections and the rule in each countryCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yes

Where hand cream sits on each liquids list

Hand cream is one of the few skincare products that Japan's liquids list names word for word.

Named in both language versions of Japan's list
The English list gives Hand cream as an example in its Creams, Lotions row, between ointment and skin lotion. The Japanese version of the row is longer and has ハンドクリーム directly after 保湿クリーム (moisturising cream). Everything in the row is carried on the same condition, so a rich balm-type hand cream and a light one are not told apart.
A tube labelled in grams
Hand cream is a product where the label may give a weight. Japan's list writes its container condition as 100ml, g, so the same figure is used for both units. ANA's FAQ on liquids for international flights says the same in its own words: 100mL is read as 100g, although densities differ.
The TSA has a Cream entry and a Lotion entry
The TSA does not list hand cream by name. Its Cream entry and its Lotion entry carry the same carry-on condition, 3.4oz/100 ml or less, and both are a Yes for checked bags. The agency's liquids rule spells out that creams and pastes share the quart-sized bag with liquids, aerosols and gels.
South Korea lists moisturising cream and medicated cream apart
South Korea's searchable list has an entry for moisturising cream (보습크림) and another for medicated cream (약용크림). Both fall under the cabin liquids control on international flights. The medicated cream entry adds that an over-the-counter or prescribed product may be allowed in the cabin in the amount suited to the flight even without the clear zip bag.
Bringing it into Japan
This is a matter for the health ministry, not for airport security. The ministry's Q&A on personal imports lists ハンドクリーム among cream-type cosmetics. Cosmetics for personal use can be brought into Japan without applying for Import Confirmation up to 24 per item, and the Q&A sets 120 per item for small products of 60 g or 60 ml or less.
Carry-onChecked bag
Vaseline (petroleum jelly)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsToner and lotionCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsSunscreen (cream and lotion)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditions

Hand cream: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for hand cream is the same in all 8 other places we checked. The limits themselves are not identical, so read the row for the country you fly from.

Hand cream: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsWith limitsJapan's liquids list names hand cream, so on international flights each tube or jar must be 100ml (g) or less and go in the 1 litre transparent bag. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsYesLotion is listed: carry-on only in containers of 3.4oz/100 ml or less, and allowed in checked bags. The liquids rule covers creams too: travel-sized containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less in one quart-sized bag.TSA entry: Lotion Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limits—Lotions and items of similar consistency count as liquids. Hand luggage: 100 ml per container, all in one re-sealable one-litre bag. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentWith limitsYesCreams are listed as liquids. Hand luggage: 100ml per container at most airports, up to 2 litres at some. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365With limitsYesMoisturising cream is listed. Domestic flights: allowed in cabin and hold. International flights: it falls under the cabin liquids control, 100ml or less per container in one 1L clear zip bag per person. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesLotions are named among liquids and gels. International flights only: 100 ml per carry-on container, in one resealable 1 litre bag. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsYesCreams and lotions are listed as LAGs: in hand baggage, containers no larger than 100ml in one transparent re-sealable bag of 1 litre or less. Larger containers go in checked baggage. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACWith limitsYesCounts as a cosmetic. Domestic flights: one of each type of cosmetic for the trip, in a container of up to 100mL, open to inspection. International and regional flights: containers up to 100mL in one resealable 1L clear bag. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsYesCreams are listed as liquids. On international flights each carry-on container must be 100 mL or 100 g or less, in one transparent re-sealable bag. The limit does not apply to checked baggage or most domestic flights. Source

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.

If security in Japan will not let hand cream through

What to do
Move hand cream to the bag you check in before you reach security, within the checked-baggage limits above. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring hand cream on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes, within limits. Japan's liquids list names hand cream, so on international flights each tube or jar must be 100ml (g) or less and go in the 1 litre transparent bag. As a toiletry it is also limited to 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container and 2 litres or 2kg per person on any flight. In checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre or 0.5kg per container and 2 litre or 2kg per person limits.

Is hand cream a liquid or a solid for the 100 ml rule?

A liquid. Japan's list places hand cream in its Creams, Lotions row. The European Commission's definition of liquids covers lotions and other items of similar consistency, and Hong Kong's airport FAQ opens its cosmetics line with creams and lotions. None of these lists has a solid category for a cream in a tube or jar.

Can I carry on a large tube of hand cream if it is almost empty?

No, not on an international flight. JAL's notice on liquids says a container over 100 millilitres is refused even when it holds 100 millilitres or less, and that a container of that size has to be discarded at the checkpoint. GOV.UK words the UK rule the same way: the limit still applies if the container is only part full.

Is medicated hand cream treated as a medicine at security in Japan?

Not by the wording of the list. The Japanese version puts 薬用クリーム（医薬部外品）, medicated cream sold as a quasi-drug, in the same row as hand cream, so it follows the container condition for creams. The separate exception is written for prescription and over-the-counter medications in liquid or gel form, which have to be declared to the screener.

Can you put hand cream in checked luggage?

Yes, within the 0.5 litre or 0.5kg per container and 2 litre or 2kg per person limits.

Related items

Carry-onChecked bag
Toner and lotionCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsVaseline (petroleum jelly)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsLip balmCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yesSunscreen (cream and lotion)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsLiquids (the 100ml rule)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yesZip-lock bags for liquidsCarry-on: yesChecked bag: yes
Show all 18Sunscreen sprayCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsMake-up (foundation, lipstick)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsFace washCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsPerfume and cologneCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsNail polish and removerCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsDeodorant and cooling sprayCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsShaving foam and gelCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsBath salts and bath oilCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsContact lens solutionCarry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditionsBar soapCarry-on: yesChecked bag: yesWet wipesCarry-on: yesChecked bag: yesSheet masksCarry-on: yesChecked bag: yes

Back to What you can bring

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Sources for this page

Show all 18
  1. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) — List and Description of LAGs Restriction (1 October 2015)
  2. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau — Items restricted in carry-on and checked baggage (updated 24 April 2026)
  3. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau — List of liquids covered by the quantity limits (Japanese, 1 October 2015)
  4. TSA — What Can I Bring?: Lotion
  5. TSA — Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels Rule
  6. European Commission — Information for air travellers
  7. GOV.UK — Hand luggage restrictions: Liquids
  8. Aviation Security 365 (MOLIT / KOTSA) — Items restricted on the plane: 보습크림 (moisturising cream)
  9. Taiwan CAA — Q&A on the new security measures for carry-on baggage (liquids, gels and aerosols)
  10. Hong Kong International Airport — Frequently asked questions: Security controls on liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs)
  11. CAAC — Air travel basics (航空旅行常识)
  12. Australian Department of Home Affairs — TravelSECURE: What you can and can't bring
  13. Civil Aviation Department (Hong Kong) — Frequently Asked Questions: Implementation of Security Controls for Liquids, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs)
  14. ANA — FAQ: International flights, what are the restrictions on carrying liquids? (Japanese)
  15. Japan Airlines — Restrictions on carrying liquids on board (Japanese)
  16. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
  17. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Q&A on import procedures for medicines and medical devices, 30 June 2025 edition (Japanese)
  18. GOV.UK — Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports