Opening Lines
Winging It
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorRecently, I stepped off the plane at Los Angeles International Airport, having returned from a week in Hawaii for the wedding of my friends Cori and Leighton. When my boyfriend picked me up at the airport, he remarked that I looked a little tired. Well, I was tired—being a bridesmaid is hard work! But it didn’t help that I wasn’t able to freshen up with makeup on my flight, thanks to the new FTA regulations banning most carry-on liquids. Nothing comes between me and my lip gloss—except the sight of armed guards. As a frequent flyer, I want to cooperate with measures that are meant to keep us safe. But a girl’s got to wonder—what nonliquid cosmetics can make flying the skies beauty-friendly again?
One product that came to mind is water-soluble film. Films have been used to market a number of personal care products, including Aveda hair gel. Recently, film soap manufacturer Aicello partnered with Japan’s P&PF beauty brand to create what it says is the first exfoliating film soap. (For more information, read the New Formulations column in CPC Packaging’s September 2006 issue.) Carlton Wong, national sales manager for Aicello North America, says that Aicello and P&PF have already developed film prototypes for cream and lotion products.
Another product that could be useful on planes is the sponge technology of private-label manufacturer Sponge Tech. The company’s sponges are infused with a dry-formula body wash. When exposed to water, the product activates, lathering the sponge with soap.
I asked Wong if he foresees more companies developing nonliquid products in response to the FTA bans. He replied that companies might not create new products specifically for this purpose. “The air travel industry by itself might be very niche,” he says. However, he adds, companies that already offer nonliquid products—such as films—now have a great new marketing angle.
In the meantime, the number one product that air passengers have been requesting to combat low humidity in plane cabins is lotion—especially for long, international flights, says Rob Hoyt, president of Lather. Since February, Lather has provided amenity kits, including moisturizer, to Delta Air Lines’ first-class BusinessElite flyers. Delta is now considering providing moisturizer to international travelers flying coach. (Hoyt says that thus far, FTA has not banned liquids in airline-provided kits.)
So what does the future look like for me, my lip gloss, and air travel? In Hoyt’s words, “It remains to be seen what the long-term effects will be.”