Waterless beauty
From powder shampoos to solid-form moisturisers, beauty products sans water are the latest trend to trickle in from South Korea. Here’s why you’re about to be a convert…
Fun fact: a standard bottle of shampoo contains around 70% water. For conditioners, that number bumps up to around 90%, leaving little room for the valuable stuff. And it isn’t just hair products, either. Grab any skincare product and more often than not, you’ll notice ‘aqua/water’ sitting firmly at the top of its ingredients list.
‘This means it makes up the greatest part of the volume compared with other ingredients,’ explains Brianne West, founder and CEO of sustainable beauty brand Ethique. ‘The majority of the water in liquid shampoo, conditioner or face wash is just creating the illusion of value by filling a big bottle.’ Basically, it’s filler – sort of like when you’d pad out essays at university with ‘thus’ or ‘it’s important to note’ to hit the word count.
However, it is important to note that water scarcity is a real concern. According to Unicef, four billion people (almost twothirds of the world’s population) experience water scarcity at least one month each year. It also predicts that half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025, which, frankly, is pretty terrifying.
In an industry that pumps out products filled with H₂O, more and more beauty brands are (thankfully) beginning to see the light at the end of the tap. Enter: a new wave (sorry) of waterless beauty products. ‘Alternatives are emerging in the form of waterless beauty, from solid formulas to alternative natural oils, and products that don’t require water to work,’ says Clare Varga, director of beauty at trend forecaster WGSN.
Larger companies are doing their bit as well. L’Oréal has pledged to test all its formulas to guarantee they are respectful of all aquatic ecosystems by 2030, and P&G is reducing its water use by 20% by 2030. Additionally, a slew of waterless beauty brands have emerged over the years.
It goes without saying that water-filled products can have a detrimental impact on the environment. ‘Water is heavy and cosmetic products including water are heavier than those that don’t,’ explains Varga. ‘Creating formulas in dry, powder forms, or using innovative technologies, will help reduce shipping
