H²NO, THANK YOU
We explore the benefits of waterless skincare for both your dermis and the planet
You have to hand it to the beauty industry. Its move towards plastic waste reduction, along with more environmentally friendly packaging and production processes, has been swift, sustained and impressive. But polishing your corporate eco-halo is thirsty work, especially when the planetary threat in question is a global water shortage.
A wave of waterless beauty products is hitting the virtual beauty aisles, with the goal of reducing pressure on an increasingly finite resource while simultaneously improving the condition of your skin. While the former is a welcome move from an industry in which water is one of the most reliedupon ingredients, it’s the latter claim that makes waterless products so intriguing. Products are said to be more concentrated – and potent – than their water-based counterparts, while also being kinder to skin and hair by virtue of containing fewer or no preservatives. But before you convert to an all-oil, powder and solid bar regime, it’s worth considering the finer details of forgoing H²O.
PLUGGING THE GAP
It might be hard to believe as you read this on a cold, dreary day on a rain-sodden island, but the global water shortage is real. The WWF estimates that, at the current rate of consumption, two thirds of the world’s population could be at risk of water shortages by 2025 – just four short years from now. If you’re wondering where the beauty industry comes into this, water is integral to both the production and formulation of beauty products. Up to
95% of your shampoo and conditioner is made of it, while the average moisturiser or serum can be between
60% and 85% aqua. And that’s before you account for the production process. ‘For every 100 litres of water used both in the products themselves and in their production, 20 litres are typically considered wastage,’ says Prudvi Kaka, chief scientific officer at Deciem, which owns brands like The Ordinary and Niod. So it follows that cutting back on water is the next logical step for an industry intent on becoming more sustainable across the board. Especially since almost a third of beauty consumers are looking for
ways to reduce the water in their own regimes, according to Mintel’s Beauty and Personal
Care Trends 2025 report.
It’s this gap in the market that waterless beauty products are hoping to plug. Waterlessonly brands, like True Skincare, 320 MHZ and Pinch of Colour, are gaining traction fast, while beauty brands big and small are offering up water-saving products, from oil serums and ‘dry’ microfibre cleansing cloths to no-rinse body washes, toothpaste tabs and treatment powders that require just a few drops of water to activate. A quick survey of the beauty behemoths shows big pushes in a drier direction in terms of manufacturing, too. L’oréal has committed to ensuring over the next decade that all the water used in its manufacturing processes is continually recycled and reused; Garnier, too, is working with international ‘waterloop’ factories, where 100% of industrial water is recycled and reused; and REN, which takes the lead on environmental initiatives for Unilever’s beauty brands, is developing a new way to ‘upcycle’ water use, in a technique it says will be positive for both the planet and your skin.
So, can investing in waterless products really make a difference? Potentially, yes. Take a closer look at the formulations of water-free products and the numbers add up. Sue Campbell is creator of shampoo bar brand Kind2. She explains that one 80g bar is the equivalent of two bottles of shampoo and at least two bottles of conditioner, meaning ‘each bar saves between 500ml and a litre of water’. It’s a similar story for skincare products. ‘A mass brand can sell a 75ml traditional face mask every 15 seconds,’ adds Emma Thornton, founder of the
We’re just four years away from facing global water shortages