It is no secret that the beauty industry generates enormous amounts of packaging waste annually, with the industry being the leader in overly packaged products that are often difficult or unable to be recycled. This problem of packaging was also discussed in the earlier blog posts. However, to my surprise as well, one beauty trend that many are hopping onto right now may help alleviate this problem – Waterless Beauty (Peri et al., 2020).

Previously, we are familiar with water-based beauty products. For example, a bottle of shampoo contains approximately 80-90% of water (Hunt, 2006). Take a look at the ingredients list on your beauty products and chances are “aqua” will top the list. By adding water as a filler to products, the overall concentration is reduced. This reduces the number of use for the product, thus the more likely you are to go through one product faster. The more you consume, the more packaging is required, consequently creating more waste and pollution (Malzahn, 2021).

Today, we have waterless beauty as a rising trend, positioning itself as a better alternative for the environment. From balms and sticks to solids and powders, products available in the market include shampoo and conditioner concentrate that is activated by the water. Instead of water, these products are formulated using various butters, oils, or waxes and oil-soluble actives as ingredients. As water promotes microorganism growth, water-based products require synthetic preservatives which often find their way to the environment after use (Baranowska et al., 2014). On the other hand, most water-free products can be preserved without preservatives or more natural ones, omitting the need for artificial chemicals. At the same time, the absence of water also allows products to be more compact, thus requiring lesser packaging. With waterless beauty, less is indeed more.

However, make no mistake. A water-free product doesn’t mean zero water footprint as water remains a part of its supply chain. The more we know about what we’re putting onto our skin, the more we’re able to make smarter choices while purchasing. Perhaps, take a look at your product label and consider a waterless alternative next time around.

 

References

Baranowska, I., Wojciechowska, I., Solarz, N., & Krutysza, E. (2014). Determination of preservatives in cosmetics, cleaning agents and pharmaceuticals using fast liquid chromatography. Journal of Chromatographic Science, 52(1), 88–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/chromsci/bms210

Hunt, M. (2006). Consumer Advice: Wash those shampoo myths away. Mcall.Com. https://www.mcall.com/business/all-center_wedoct11-story.html

Malzahn, C. (2021, June 17). Is the future of beauty waterless? CR Fashion Book. https://www.crfashionbook.com/beauty/a36688304/waterless-beauty-future/

Peri, E., Gomiero, J., Ca, ñadas E., Almi, ñana N., & Delgado, R. (2020). No itching or flaking—Just a naturally healthy scalp. South African Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Review, 47(2), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.10520/ejc-im_sapcr-v47-n2-a9