Waterless beauty
Could it be the best thing for your routine, while also helping the environment?
With new buzz ingredients making the rounds every few months, having a full hair, skin and body routine can often feel like it has a huge environmental impact. Perhaps that’s why there’s a growing appetite for waterless beauty: a new trend all about products saving on one of our most precious commodities.
“Waterless beauty basically means products without water in them,” explains Dr Lauren Hamilton, cosmetic doctor and founder of Victor & Garth (victorandgarth. co.uk). This sometimes “stretches to include zero water use throughout the production process, too”.
Just think of the huge interest in shampoo bars – not only do they reduce environmentally damaging plastic packaging, but as they’re in solid form, they don’t use water.
Why do we need to worry about water? According to 2019 research by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, one in three people globally don’t have access to safe drinking water.
A 2020 report from the UN said:
“Climate change will affect the availability, quality and quantity of water for basic human needs, threatening the effective enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation for potentially billions of people.”
It’s clear we should be careful with how we use water – and that extends to our bathroom cabinets. Just take a look at any of your moisturisers, face washes or liquid shampoos, and you’ll see ‘aqua’ is the number one ingredient.
So can beauty products be waterless?
In a word: “Yes,” says Hamilton. “There are other options – botanicals, oils, or even other types of water.” She suggests marine algae is a possible replacement: “It is super hydrating for the skin and miraculously requires no water in its growth or production.”
Says Hamilton: “Benefits for skin include better results, healthier products, and better hydration.”
She also suggests these products contain “more active ingredients”, so can be “absorbed better, due to the lipid content of the skin”. Hamilton’s top piece of advice here is: “Be sure to opt for actives shown to improve skin at a cellular level through rigorous studies.”
If you do opt for an oil over a water-based product, make sure it’s non-comedogenic (none acne-causing) – “or else you might end up with blocked pores”