Is 2024 the year you should switch to solid cosmetics?

Skin care has come a long way since the days of the humble bar of soap. From shower gels to bath mousses, the skincare market is full of possibilities. But in recent years, it seems we are returning to what we once knew, rediscovering and investing more in solid cosmetic bars in the name of minimalism and sustainability.

But what is so sustainable about bar-shaped skincare? Well, it starts with preventing plastic packaging from ending up in landfills, but it's actually much more than that.

"In general, solid beauty has a smaller harmful footprint than liquid beauty. For example, Solidifique's skin care bars have a carbon footprint more than ten times lower (8%) than that of the equivalent liquid product. The reason for this is obvious—solid products require much less packaging, and because they don't contain water, they don't need plastic packaging," explains the technologist at the zero-waste beauty and lifestyle company.

It is absurd that traditional cosmetic products are manufactured and transported with 70-95% water content and then used in a room where water literally flows from the tap. Why not just buy the ingredients that make up the product and reduce our consumer waste and carbon footprint at the same time?

Some markets are more inclined to explore solid beauty than others. In Japan, solid facial cleansers are among the most popular, and in Germany, consumers have embraced solid and naked products without packaging earlier than most European countries. So why not in Bulgaria?

Many people associate solid cosmetic products with soap, and it is understandable that this puts them off. Years ago, this may have been the simplest and most primitive cleansing product, but the formulas of solid products in recent years can successfully compete with their liquid counterparts. Simply put, a solid cosmetic bar is a highly concentrated solid version of your favorite shower gel, face wash, exfoliant, or cream.

The cleansing bar contains little or no water, which means that only the active ingredients remain. By comparison, liquid cleansers typically contain 70-80% water. More water means more weight, which leads to higher carbon emissions, more plastic needed for packaging, and more waste.

By switching from a bottle to a solid cosmetic bar, you are not only giving up plastic, but also saving water. Without compromising on quality! In addition, a solid cosmetic bar also means that you don't have to worry about liquids on planes when traveling.

What are the negative consequences of ignoring the environmental problems caused by the cosmetics industry?

The illusion of abundance masks the fact that so little of the Earth's water—only 0.3%—is accessible or consumable by humans. This is no longer sufficient.

Thirty percent of wells in India have been abandoned due to contamination. By 2025, water shortages are expected to affect nearly 2 billion people, who will be affected by disease as they resort to contaminated water and struggle to survive. These estimates suggest that two-thirds of the world's population will be living in conditions of water scarcity by that time.

Another consequence? Hunger. Food production requires huge amounts of water, with between 3,000 and 5,000 liters needed to produce 1 kg of rice and 900 liters for 1 kg of wheat. Meat and dairy products require even more, with agriculture accounting for 70% of global water consumption.

How long do solid products last?

How long yours will last depends largely on how often you wash, how much you use, the quality of the product you use, and, of course, how you store it.

The beauty and sustainable lifestyle brand Solidifique provides the following data on how long solid bars last on average, by type:

Facial cleansers: 3-4 months

Solid facial oils: 3-4 months

Body wash products: 1 month

Deodorants: 2 months

Solid body oils: 1-2 months

Solid shampoos: over 80 washes

Solid conditioners: over 80 washes

How are solid products used?

You can simply rub the cleansing and exfoliating bars onto damp skin, lather, and wash off.

Solid oils for the face and body are applied with a spatula and melt into a gentle oil from the warmth of the skin, which you can spread until absorbed.

Are solid cosmetic bars convenient to carry to the gym and when traveling?

Consider this: a solid cosmetic bar means you don't have to worry about:

1. Restrictions on traveling with liquid products on airplanes

2. No more liquids spilling all over your bag

3. Unnecessary half-empty bottles in your toiletries bag

Switching to solid beauty means you can reduce the volume of your cosmetic bag to a few simple solid bars.

Are solid cosmetic bars really that much more sustainable?

With every choice we make, even a small one, we are moving in the right direction to protect and restore the environment and prevent unnecessary pollution of our nature.

- If you use a solid cleaning product three times a year, you prevent nine plastic bottles from being produced and ending up in landfills, and you save 5.2 liters of water used in their production.

- If you use solid oils three times a year, that's 7 plastic jars and 14.7 liters of water.