Decanting thick gooey creams and pastes into tiny travel bottles can be messy. The cream doesn’t flow into the travel bottle as much as it flows over it – right down the outside. You end up with a gooey mess, with only half of the cream making it into the bottle. A few years ago another blogger wrote about her solution to the problem. She used an oral syringe to decant her lotions and creams.
The oral syringe is a great solution. The nozzle is wider than other syringes, which means it can withdraw and dispense liquids of various consistencies. Many times the syringe can be obtained for free from the pharmacy. I bought mine at the drug store for under $5. It even came with a cleaning brush and a special adapter nozzle for decanting creams out of tubes and bottles.
This oral syringe comes with an adapter nozzle for use with bottles and tubes.
Using the syringe is easy. Stick the syringe into the cream and withdraw the plunger. The syringe will withdraw some of the cream. Insert the syringe into the travel bottle and depress the plunger. Tap the travel bottle occasionally to settle the cream. Repeat until done.
It is a little trickier getting creams out of a tube. First, withdraw the plunger about 1/4 of the way. Then stick the plunger into the tube . Push the plunger in, forcing air into the tube. Next, flip the tube so that the syringe is on the bottom. Then withdraw the cream.
Use the syringe to withdraw cream from the jar. Push the plunger to transfer the cream into the travel bottle.
Cleaning the syringe is easy. Create a solution of soapy warm water and stick the syringe into the water. Rapidly push the plunger in and out. The agitation of the water will clean the syringe. Scrub with the syringe / bottle brush if needed. Then pull the syringe apart and air dry.
This device is a great little investment. It surely makes decanting liquids easier.
Lady Light Travel 
Do you fill these little bottles right to the top? Do you have to expend the air so they don’t “explode” en route or is that not a problem for the tiny containers? What has been your experience?
Thank you.
I haven’t had problems with leakage at all. It is important to get a decent quality bottle with a good screw cap. Some of the cheaper models don’t have good seals or can crack and break. Most leaks happen when there is air in the bottle. If it is filled all the way and sealed it will be less of a problem. It is also less of a problem if you keep the liquids in the carry on. The passenger cabin is pressurized, unlike the cargo hold. That means that there is significantly less chance of a pressure induced leak.
The other thing I’d note is the order in which you decant. Starting with moisturiser, then sunscreen, then foundation, means that you don’t have to fully clean the syringe before decanting the next product as any “contamination” won’t be a problem in the following product.