Lush Solid Shampoos, Skin Lotions

Solid Shampoos and Body Butters from Lush for Your Carry-on Bags.

Aug 20, 2006

Airplane travelers are getting their liquid bath and body products confiscated by the TSA. Lush has organic, solid shampoos and body butters that are still permissable.

Homeland Security has banned many types of toiletries from airplane travel passengers' carry-on bags. This new security measure, enforced by the Transportation Security Administration, is in response to evidence of a foiled plot by terrorists to bring explosives in liquid form onto transatlantic flights. I've heard of travel-size contact lens solution being confiscated during a preflight check from Austin to LAX, and my mother had her Chapstick taken away before returning to the United States from England.

If Chapstick is banned from airplanes, what is permissible? This question worries many of us who travel frequently by air, especially luxury travelers who prefer to pack upscale shampoos and toiletries (and refresh even before landing), rather than use those supplied by hotels. Fortunately, Lush has several high quality shampoos and skin softeners, that come in solid forms readily allowed in carry-on luggage by airline security.

Seanick, a masculine, blue shampoo bar, contains seaweed and organic softening ingredients; scented to be reminiscent of the ocean.

The Trichomania hard shampoo bar is made with creamed coconut and smells lushly tropical.

The Lush Green Karma Komba bar is strongly scented; patchouli and orange are predominant.

Lush's Hybrid solid shampoo has ingredients like organic lemon juice and tahini (you know, the stuff that makes hummus taste so yummy), yet somehow ends up smelling like licorice. It's called Hybrid because this solid bar is also perfectly great for travelers to use as a body soap, and has chunks of cocoa butter that serve as a very mild conditioner.

And then there's my favorite; Irresistible Bliss. C'mon, who could resist a name like that? The Irresistible Bliss solid shampoo bar is for normal hair, with jasmine, gardenia, and neroli oil - which is rumored to promote euphoria.

The Jungle Hair Conditioner is also in solid form. Jungle is a vegan hair conditioner. With organic cocoa butter, passion fruit, avocado, bananas,and figs, you might expect to smell like a walking bowl of fruit - but the ylang-ylang and sandalwood oils balance out the fruitiness. As a conditioner, it works well for thin or wavy hair, but I've found that coarse, curly hair needs something stronger.

There are also Lush shampoo bar tins, the perfect size to contain this product, and keep solid shampoo dry between uses. I can't personally vouch for these, however, as I've never bought one!

Lush also has a large variety of solid skin softeners. The TSA will happily confiscate even your most upscale lotions, but Lush Body Butters are hard enough to be a nonthreatening alternative. The primary ingredient in all Lush Body Butters is organic cocoa butter, and Lush makes as many other ingredients organic and fair-traded as possible.

Men who like to soothe their dry skin, enjoy the King of Skin body butter. The sandalwood oil, shea butter, and fresh avocado combine to create a body butter that is at once manly and effective.

My favorite, Lush's Schnuggle body butter, also has sandalwood, but the jasmine, lavender and ginger oils make for the most delicious scent. It softens skin and works like aromatherapy, to help mentally relax as well.

Buffy body butter is smoothening, and exfoliating as well. The organic ground rice and almonds work to help buff off old skin (get it? Buffy?) with a much more subtle scent than other body butters.

You Snap The Whip body butter, with organic macadamia nut oil and pumice, works similarly as an exfoliant, with a stronger fruity after-scent of blackcurrants.

These TSA restrictions on toiletries probably won't be permanent. But until Homeland Security eases restrictions regarding carry-on bath and body products, it's nice to know that luxury travelers - and those of us simply addicted to our high quality skin care products - have acceptable options from the Lush company.

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The copyright of the article Lush Solid Shampoos, Skin Lotions in Luxury Travel is owned by Jennifer W. Miner. Permission to republish Lush Solid Shampoos, Skin Lotions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.