Re-Do Me a Solid

So it looks like Lush products (like those in our Do Me a Solid post) that are listed on Amazon cannot be trusted right now.  Read about Lush's court battle with (and new product line that mocks) Amazon here.

I'll just say that if you want to buy any of the Lush Handmade Cosmetics products that we have mentioned, it is wiser to go straight to the source and purchase from their site.  It looks like the prices on Amazon in the US are inflated anyway.  I'd go check the links, but I'm just going to say that none of us should bother with it.  You're always going to find the best prices and the real product on Lush.com anyway.

However, we do have an online store for a reason and it's time I looked at alternatives to Lush anyway, for those who aren't fans of that line of products.  Since I don't have time or money to go try all these things, what I've done is delved into the reviews on various sites and found some of the best products out there.  I hope that they make your travels more enjoyable, less stressful and terribly fabulous.

Eco-Dent Toothpowder:  A tiny bottle of this powder goes a very long way.  I've seen a lot of Eco-Dent products at Whole Foods Market - so if you find you like this, you can check out the whole line there.  One reviewer on Amazon recommends sprinkling a bit on your tongue, then swishing with water, for a mouthwash.  As much as I love my Sparkle Toothy Tabs, they don't break up quite well enough to do that.  Which means that I'll be trying some of this minty multi-tasker for my next trip.

For facial cleansers, I've included two that I have tried and one that I have not (but hear great things about).  

These Erno Laszlo facial cleansing bars are excellent whether you're traveling or staying at home.  The Blue Firmarine Treatment Bar is incredibly gentle and lovely.  $45 seems like a lot when you're looking at a bar of soap, but the teensy trial size one I was given the first time around lasted months.  The Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar was my favorite soap when my skin was more oily (when I was younger) and I found that using it on my body, especially rough or bumpy areas, worked just as well.

I first saw DHC Mild Soap on Pinterest and found the simplicity of this face and body bar appealing.  It is said to be both gentle and moisturizing, which makes sense with skin-loving ingredients like olive oil and honey.  And if you can get the soap case designed to fit it, even better.

If you're going on a particularly long trip or feel the need to exfoliate more regularly, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is an exfoliating powder that only requires you add a bit of warm water.  

While Amazon does offer a few different alternatives to the Lush Shampoo Bars (though nowhere near the variety for hair types), J.R. Liggett's Old Fashioned Shampoo Bar is the one I've been seeing in natural food stores most of my life (though I have yet to try it).  A basic bar for hair with olive and coconut oils, it multi-tasks well as a body/shaving soap or gently getting your laundry clean on the fly.  But the eZ-pouch you can buy it with is what makes it self-contained in a way most shampoo bars will never be.

Dry shampoo is the kind of product I haven't had reason to use since it became big, as my hair doesn't really get that oily anymore.  However, a good one could double as deodorant in a pinch or be used as an all-over body powder.  I'll have to try them out to see how well they multi-task - and these are the two I'm thinking of trying:

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder Dry Shampoo has been given rave reviews on Sephora, especially for it's light and fresh scent.  I like the oat flour and clay in this powder, but I'm not so crazy about the silica.  It also touts being great for extending styles and volume, but you should know - that's going to be true for any dry shampoo.

Lulu Organics Hair Powder is available in at least a couple of scents (jasmine or lavender/clary sage) and is a nice natural alternative to B and B's silica based product.  I also like that it's available in this one ounce travel size.  Cute packaging never hurts, but I'm really trying not to be a sucker.

Since we already have four different bars listed that work great on the body, as well as their intended use, I'm skipping the bar soap for this post.

However, I did find a popular solid moisturizer, the Oyin Handmade Body Butter - Belly Bar.  The Belly Bar won me over with its moisturizing butters and convenient dial-up packaging, but it is not available for purchase through Amazon.  The good news is that you can purchase it directly from Oyin Handmade.  In addition to being a great travel body lotion, this would be very nice on the plane for dry hands and cuticles.

Cleansing oils and balms have been really popular in the past few years and, thanks to my Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar, I'm starting to see the appeal.  While I don't know if this REN Cleansing Balm would get seized by TSA or not (it's not a liquid or a gel, but neither is pomade and my friend had that taken from him, so...), I do like the idea of taking a bit of it with me when a travel.  A cleanser that gently remove makeup and conditions skin sounds like a lovely thing to have on a long flight.

Although my Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm would have to be pried from my cold, dead hands before I would surrender it on my travels, I am pleased to see that Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is available without color.  The tinted versions have long been a favorite of mine and can always be found in my makeup kit.  But the pure treatment would be a lovely balm for lips, cuticles, flyaway hairs or anywhere you need a little extra hydration.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find anything comparable to Lush's solid hair conditioners or exfoliating body butters (like Buffy).  

What beauty products do you travel with?