Co-authored by Ray Daly and Emma Gardner
Solid products are having a moment. From solid shampoos and conditioner bars to dissolving tablets for cleaning sprays and hand soap. Want some solid advice on where to start? You came to the right place!
Solids are a great replacement for their liquid alternative when you consider their slew of benefits. From reducing waste, to saving you money, to lower transportation emissions, solid products may just be your new BFF.
The Skinny on Solids
There are a multitude of solid alternatives out there, ranging from bars and tablets to sheets and powders, but they all have one thing in common: no water!
Anything sold in its solid form will be void of any water, meaning that you’re getting all the product goodness without that 80% water content that most liquid products on the shelf are sold with.
So what some of the top benefits for solids?
- No water means that you're getting a more concentrated product, giving you more bang for your buck.
- No water also means that these products are lighter, thus easier and cheaper to transport, cutting down emissions when you can pack more into a single trip = yay earth!
- Solid products are much easier to package in a way that is sustainable to the earth, the company, and the consumer; usually either package free or in recyclable or compostable packaging that can break down easily.
- No water also means no need for preservatives and a much longer shelf life! (Spoiler alert: no spoiling here. Anything made with oils or butters can still go rancid over long periods of time, but without water there’s no risk of bacterial growth, so your products are considered shelf stable and don’t require a preservative to be used.)
Travel Trickery
The best part of switching to solid is the added bonus of being travel ready at any moment though! No need to fight through TSA proclaiming that your shampoo is really shampoo, that your toothpaste isn’t a weapon, or accurately measuring down to the ounce the right amount of liquid you can take on that vacation. I, Emma, have never been on a plane though, so maybe I’m not the best authority on this topic? But I DO love solids for travel, just other kinds of travel.
Catch me on Amtrak with my shampoo and conditioner bars and my shaving bar not causing any leaks in my luggage. Seriously, all the feedback we get on how great the Huppy tooth tabs we carry are for flying is enough for me to know you should add them to your travel roster. They foam better than their competitors and come in some yummy flavors like peppermint and strawberry watermelon. Follow it up with their solid mouthwash tabs for that fresh sparkling clean.
Another travel tip I swear by is always keeping a little pouch or stasher in my bag that hosts my beauty favorites in solid form to keep fresh throughout the day, or to transition from work to evening without a trip home first. They're so compact they hardly take up any room, and the options are endless and totally personal - solid face wash, mouthwash tabs, a solid stain stick. Is cream deo a solid? It’s in my bag regardless.
A Solid Beauty Routine
Now let’s break down all the different types of solid products out there. It’s easier than you’d think to incorporate solid products into your beauty routine, by making simple swaps for the products you use every day.
Lets ease you in with something that’s been around since the invention of the thing itself: bar soap. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but hear me out: maybe the most affordable route to luxury. Bar soap, because of its sans water content, lasts FOREVER. Different bar soaps have different benefits, and can be moisturizing, gentle, exfoliating, or detoxifying depending on how they’re made. There’s something about an artisanal bar of soap that makes me feel like I’m in my own at home spa every time I hit the shower, and I’m not breaking the bank or hurting the planet.
If you’re a bar soap fanatic like us we love, of course, our in house line of vegan bar soaps. Our April limited release scent just landed in the shop and it has all the exquisite floral notes one could ask for: Yuzu Blossom and Hinoki. We also carry our ride or die Vellum Street, who makes an uber moisturizing tallow based bar soap made right here in Philly, as well as a new selection of cocktail-inspired soaps from Soap Distillery.
Susty tip → cut your soap bar into thirds so that it lasts even longer. Keeping the dry sections out of the shower when you’re not using it will extend the life of your soap and you’ll be surprised how long a bar gets you!
We couldn’t do a post on solids if we didn’t talk about shampoo and conditioner bars - they seem to be everywhere these days! And we love to see it! This is such a great switch to make for you and for the planet.
There are so many out there to choose from, but we capital L-love DIP and HiBar. Try HiBar’s mini sample pack to dip your toes into the pool and see for yourself. HiBar has a full line to suit your hair care needs, from moisture to volume to curl care. If you prefer something subtle to unscented, HiBar is for you! HiBar also offers a solid face wash as well that we love - (psst.. this is great for travel!)
DIP solid shampoo and conditioner bars are a game changer. Their scents pack a punch - they range from smelling like your favorite summer’s day to a cozy cashmere sweater. If I do say so myself. Try a mini or go all out, because they offer trial sizes of all their full size scents. (But no one said you can’t cut these bars in half either. We love frugality.)
For lotion we love Moon Valley Organics. Solid lotion is maybe an underdog in the solid swap revolution, but it’s one of my personal favorites. It’s less messy and easy to apply and ding ding, you guessed it, easy to travel with! Keep it stored in a tin and it’s ready to throw in your bag.
Pro tip → for solid lotion, instead of just rubbing the product on wondering when the magic is gonna happen, warm the bar between your hands a little before applying for an easy and smooth application. Adding warmth to the product will go a long way.
Another solid we stan is the shaving puck from Lovett Sundries. Made in our sister city of Pittsburg, PA, this is a bar designed for shaving that’s packed with oils and butters that are moisturizing for your skin… bye-bye razor burn! Pair this with a sustainable safety razor, we love Albatross, and you’re golden for a good shave routine.
And last but not least, keep those pearly whites strong and shining with a good dental routine! We have both solid toothpaste and mouthwash tabs on deck for your next adventure. Can’t commit? Try a sample pack of the Huppy brand in either peppermint or strawberry watermelon. Huppy toothpaste tabs are fluoride free, but if you’ve got a dentist in your family try out UnPaste. A little less foam, a little more fluoride in these ones. We love options! Now that’s a solid lineup.
A Solid Clean
We can’t just stop at solidifying our beauty routine, can we? Not when it’s so easy to clean our homes with solid products too!
One of our favorite things about solid products is they can be multipurpose, especially when it comes to a household fave like dish soap--we love NoToxLife. They have a scented and an unscented, as well as jumbo block to last you a lifetime. Talk about solid. The great thing about this dish block is that you can use this for a quick clean on the counters, or as a reliable stain stick on your clothes.
Myni's suite of cleaning tabs offer another easy switch to solid products. To use just dissolve 1 tablet in 26 oz of water (see how much more efficient that is to transport!) and you're good to clean every surface in your home.
So do the planet a SOLID!
If you read this and were like "dang, I'm tantalized, but I'm still not sure how I'm going to like these things" we've got you!
This year for Earth Week we will be offering a 15% discount on our solid form products. This code will automatically apply at check out from 4/22-4/28 2024. To view all of the products included in this promotion, click here!