From experimentation to expectation
In recent years, solid cosmetics have often been approached as a sustainability-driven add-on or a communication tool. That approach is reaching its limits. Consumers are more informed and far less tolerant of compromises in performance or experience.
“Solid cosmetics are no longer about intent – they are about delivery,” says Maria Lobo Maia, General Manager at Groupe GM Cosmética Portugal.
“Brands will be expected to deliver products that perform as well as – or better than – traditional formats, while remaining coherent with their sustainability commitments.”
What will no longer work
As the category matures, several practices are likely to fall behind:
- solid products designed mainly for storytelling rather than real use;
- sustainability claims not backed by concrete operational choices;
- solutions developed without considering long-term scalability.
These approaches risk undermining both consumer trust and the credibility of solid cosmetics as a viable alternative.
What comes next
Looking ahead, brands will face increasing pressure to:
- ensure consistent performance and user experience comparable to traditional formats;
- rethink formulation, sourcing and packaging decisions;
- align product development with long-term brand strategy.
“The future of solid cosmetics will be defined by the decisions brands make today. The brands that will succeed are the ones making those decisions now, not later,” adds Maria Lobo Maia.
Closing the gap
Despite growing interest, many brands still treat solid cosmetics as an add-on rather than a strategic pillar. The gap is rarely technological – it is strategic. The next phase of solid beauty will belong to brands that move beyond experimentation and start building solid formats with long-term vision, performance, and scalability at the core.
And that shift is already taking shape.
Introducing Solid Labs
As part of this next phase, Groupe GM Cosmética Portugal is introducing Solid Labs, a new generation of solid cosmetics shaped by precision, performance, and purpose.
Created to meet a new expectation in beauty – formulas that achieve more, with less – Solid Labs reflects a more mature approach to solid formats: one where innovation is no longer driven by novelty, but by delivery, scalability, and uncompromising product experience.
Less excess. Less complexity.
More function. Real results.
With a laboratory mindset and a minimalist philosophy, Solid Labs delivers modern essentials in solid form – supporting brands seeking the next standard in high-performance solid cosmetics.
Solid Labs. The science of essentials.
