Making cosmetics travel-friendly

By Julia Wray | Published: 14-Mar-2022

Travel essentials used to refer to dinky versions of full-sized products, but the vogue for concentrated and solid products is now opening new doors for on-the-go supplies

Travel essentials. Your mind first wanders to those bijou, 30ml versions of your full-sized favourites, correct? And you’d be forgiven for that, because pretty much every brand from Colgate to Youth To The People offers travel miniatures, with many curating these into handy kits for those on the go.

But, while travel has been in a chokehold in recent months, cosmetic industry innovation has not. Today, we are witnessing a convergence of consumers champing at the bit to go abroad for long-overdue breaks with a move by the beauty world towards water-reduced goods, pushed by environmental considerations.

However, water-free or reduced products in solid or concentrated formats have other benefits: for one, they lend themselves well to travel. So, with this in mind, what kinds of products are perfect for holiday makers and what are the materials and tricks of the trade required to perfect them?

What wanderers want

Quebec, Canada, native Melissa Giroux is a travel blogger who posts under the moniker ‘A Broken Backpack’ and whose adventures have spanned from the Canadian Rockies to Southeast Asia, via stints in Australia and Europe.

Giroux confirms that the weight and size of a product, plus the possibility of something running out while you’re unable to get your hands on a replacement are big considerations when it comes to personal care and travel.

“When I first started backpacking, I brought too much stuff with me. My backpack was so heavy. But, more importantly, I brought too many things like hair ties, an extra toothbrush, extra toothpaste, etc. I guess I forgot I could always buy those things abroad too. It would have been better to bring along the products I really like and that I can’t find easily abroad, like a special face cream or hair products.”

Of course, there are many different holiday types and destinations, and what one might need for a week of Alpine skiing will naturally differ from what one would pack for a beach holiday. Likewise, your checklist for a stint in the wilderness would presumably be a lot longer than for a city break, where you’d stand a good chance of finding retail stores to replace used beauty goods.

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