Can you take face wash on a plane? Rules by country

Face wash 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.

Face wash: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
Where	Allowed?	What applies
In the cabin	Yes, within limits	Yes. Face wash is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Cleansing foam and make-up remover are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on containers must be 100ml or less.
In checked baggage	Conditions	Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre 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.

Face wash as a tube, a bar or a sheet: how each is screened

Face wash is sold as a paste, a foam, a bar and a sheet, and security reads each of those differently.

Cleansing foam and make-up remover share a row: Cleansing products is the name of the row on Japan's liquids list, and its examples are cleansing foam and make-up remover. A cleansing oil that takes off make-up is therefore read under the same row as a foaming face wash. The separate list that sets quantities names face-wash foam in its cosmetics table, as a skincare product.
A paste in a tube still counts: Face wash is often a thick paste rather than a runny liquid, and that does not take it out of the rule. The opening notes of the Japanese list extend the restriction beyond liquids, gels and aerosols to any article that will not hold its form once it is out of the container. The European Commission's definition likewise takes in pastes and anything of similar consistency.
The number on the tube, in grams: Narita Airport writes the carry-on figure as 100 ml (g), so a tube of face wash labelled in grams is compared with the same 100. Australia's security page shows what that means for a used tube: a 200 g toothpaste tube that is half full cannot be taken, because the container is what is measured.
A solid bar is a different entry: The TSA separates the forms: Soap (Bar) goes in carry-on as it is, while Soap (Liquid) falls under the 3.4oz/100 ml limit. The Japanese liquids list names cleansing foam and, in another row, liquid soaps such as hand soap and shower gel; a solid bar appears in neither. CASA files Soap with toiletries.

Face wash: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for face wash 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.

Face wash: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying from	Carry-on	Checked bag	What the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation Bureau	With limits	With limits	Face wash is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Source
United StatesTSA	With limits	Yes	Liquid soap is allowed in carry-on bags only in containers of 3.4oz/100 ml or less.TSA entry: Soap (Liquid) Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASA	With limits	—	Gels, pastes 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 Government	With limits	Yes	Toiletries count as liquids. Hand luggage: 100ml per container at most airports, up to 2 litres at some. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365	With limits	Yes	Face wash falls under liquids, aerosols and gels. Carry-on is restricted on international flights only. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation Administration	With limits	Yes	International flights only: 100 ml per carry-on container, in one resealable 1 litre bag. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation Department	With limits	With limits	Covered as a toiletry article. Carry-on: containers of 100 ml or less in one re-sealable 1-litre bag. Carry-on or checked: no more than 0.5 kg or 0.5 L per article (a per-person total also applies). Source
Mainland ChinaCAAC	With limits	Yes	Domestic flights: no liquids in carry-on except cosmetics for the trip (one of each type, container up to 100mL). International and regional flights: containers up to 100mL in one resealable 1L clear bag. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASA	With limits	With limits	Counts as a toiletry: 0.5 kg or 0.5 L per item and 2 kg or 2 L in total per person, in carry-on and checked bags. On international flights carry-on containers must be 100 mL or 100 g or less; most domestic flights have no limit.CASA Pack Right entry: Toiletries including perfumes, aerosols, hairsprays and colognes 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 face wash through

What to do: Move face wash 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.

Buying face wash in Japan

Where to buy: Drugstores.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take face wash on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes. Face wash is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Cleansing foam and make-up remover are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on containers must be 100ml or less. In checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.

Does face wash count as a liquid in carry-on luggage?

Yes. Cleansing foam and make-up remover are named examples on Japan's liquids list, and Taiwan's CAA lists facial cleanser among the liquids, gels and aerosols that travellers commonly carry. The closest TSA entry, Soap (Liquid), is held to 3.4oz/100 ml in carry-on.

Are cleansing wipes and make-up remover sheets allowed in carry-on?

Yes. Narita Airport's FAQ says wet wipes and make-up remover wipes fall outside the liquid restrictions on international flights and can travel in carry-on baggage. The TSA lists Makeup Wipes without any size limit, while its entry for the liquid, Makeup Remover, is capped at 3.4oz/100 ml.

Can you put face wash in checked luggage?

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

What is the rule for face wash on flights from Taiwan?

Taiwan: International flights only: 100 ml per carry-on container, in one resealable 1 litre bag.

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) — Items restricted in carry-on and checked baggage (updated 24 April 2026)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Civil Aviation Bureau — List and Description of LAGs Restriction (1 October 2015)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Civil Aviation Bureau — List of liquids covered by the quantity limits (Japanese, 1 October 2015)checked October 2, 2026
Narita International Airport — FAQ: prohibited itemschecked October 2, 2026
Narita International Airport — Restrictions on carry-on liquids on international flightschecked October 2, 2026
TSA — What Can I Bring?: Soap (Liquid)checked October 1, 2026
European Commission — Information for air travellerschecked October 1, 2026
GOV.UK — Hand luggage restrictions: Liquidschecked October 1, 2026
Aviation Security 365 (MOLIT / KOTSA) — Items prohibited on boardchecked October 1, 2026
Taiwan CAA — Q&A on the new security measures for carry-on baggage (liquids, gels and aerosols)checked October 1, 2026
Civil Aviation Department (Hong Kong) — Packing Tips for Air Passenger: Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passenger and Crewchecked October 1, 2026
CAAC — Air travel basics (航空旅行常识)checked October 1, 2026
CASA — Pack Right: Toiletries including perfumes, aerosols, hairsprays and cologneschecked October 1, 2026
Australian Department of Home Affairs — TravelSECURE: What you can and can't bringchecked October 1, 2026
Taiwan CAA — Q&A on the security measures for carry-on baggage: liquids, gels and aerosols (Chinese)checked October 1, 2026