You can travel lighter and 'greener' if you switch to solid beauty products

Economical, eco-friendly and less bulky, solid cosmetics can replace liquid formats for vacation convenience. Photo: AFP

Vacations are the perfect time to test or switch to solid cosmetics, which allow you to travel lighter while doing your bit for the planet.

From deodorant and shampoo to hair care and sun protection, it's now possible to build a 100% solid beauty kit to avoid paying extra for checked baggage while saving space (and a few kilos) in your bag.

According to data published by Kantar, a quarter of French people said they bought solid cosmetics in 2020, a period during which the beauty industry was nevertheless heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The research doesn't specify whether those people use solid cosmetics regularly, but it's definitely a strong trend that meets new consumer demands, whether in terms of ecology, cost-effectiveness or more natural formulations.

As a result, the range of solid cosmetics is slowly but surely expanding, enabling everyone to build a 100% solid beauty kit.

And this new approach is not to be overlooked as vacation season gets underway.

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Saving money

Switching to solid cosmetics at the height of the summer season can reduce your vacation budget in many ways.

First, you save on the extra cost of checked baggage, which is essential when your suitcase is overflowing with liquid beauty products.

While it is, of course, always possible to pack liquid products in hand luggage – in a container up to 100ml (or 100g) in size in a transparent, resealable plastic bag – the limit of one litre of liquid per person can quickly be reached, not to mention the fact that this often means buying new products in travel-size formats.

That solution is neither economical nor ecological, unlike solid cosmetics, which can easily fit into a small suitcase.

Moreover, solid cosmetics – whatever their format – are themselves a significant source of savings.

This is due in part to their compact, concentrated format, which means they last much longer – between 1.5 and 3 times longer, depending on the product – than cosmetics in bottles.

As a result, a single bar of soap, if it meets the needs of every member of a family, can easily suffice for an entire vacation.

Kind to skin and kind to the planet

In addition, solid cosmetics are a go-to alternative for protecting the planet from the multitude of waste that has been sullying the environment for decades, not least because they require no plastic packaging.

And that's not all, since solid soaps, for example, contain virtually no water, unlike liquid shower gels, which is also good for the environment.

Plus, solid products have longer lifespans, which means that the number of products purchased in a year can be halved on average.

In fact, solid cosmetics seem to have everything going for them in environmental terms.

Another plus is that if you opt for a natural formulation, solid cosmetics can be gentler on the skin.

The reason? The fact that they contain very little water means that manufacturers have little or no recourse to chemical preservatives and additives.

Gone are the endless ingredient lists found in certain liquid formulas, replaced by fewer ingredients that are just as effective, if not more so, and which won't harm your skin's health.

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Mixing it up

We're all familiar with the famous bar of soap, designed to wash face, hands and body.

This is undoubtedly the best-known solid cosmetic product and has been sold for decades. But a multitude of products are now available in solid format.

So, you can fill your suitcase without worrying about forgetting a single beauty or personal hygiene product.

Just like soap, you can now find shampoo, conditioner and other hair care products in bar form too, while deodorants come in refillable sticks, as do sun protection products.

Toothpastes, too, now come in solid formats, whether in the form of lozenges, sticks, powders or bars.

Contrary to popular belief, some facial care products are available in solid formats too, from weekly masks and scrubs to cleansers and makeup removers, most often in bar form.

Indeed, solid products allow you to enjoy all your beauty essentials on vacation, without harming the planet or your wallet, and without having to lug around an overstuffed suitcase. – AFP Relaxnews