Carry-on Restrictions Tip 1 - Get a one quart plastic zipper bag - Not a sandwich bag or a one of those plastic bags from the produce section of your local grocery store. A quart! And make sure it has as few markings as possible.
Carry-on Restrictions Tip 2 - Use brand name bottles to store your liquids and creams. A lot of people make the mistake of pouring a few ounces of shampoo from a large bottle at home into a smaller plastic or metal bottles without any markings. Bad idea! The one thing a TSA inspector doesn't like to see are things they can't immediately identify or relate to. Place your liquids in a brand name bottle, even if the contents of the bottle do not match the label.
Carry-on Restrictions Tip 3 - A lot of people make the mistake of carrying the allotted amount of liquid in bottles capable of holding liquids far exceeding the limits. No good! The container must be capable of holding no more than three ounces regardless of how much is in it.
Carry-on Restrictions Tip 4 - Will you be flying between two non-US cities? If you are flying on a US flag carrier the rules imposed by those carriers are actually more stringent than they are in the US. For example, on a recent flight from Tokyo to Singapore on American Airlines, no liquids, creams, lotions or pastes of any kind regardless of size or where purchased were allowed to be hand carried onto the aircraft.
Carry-on Restrictions Tip 5 - Seriously consider checking your bags. No one likes to do this if they don't have to but no one should have to deal with the anxiety, inconsistencies and uncertainties of trying to carry any sort of non-solid item through security, or the second layer of security which exist at most international airports servicing flights to the USA.