Just subtract water! Is waterless beauty the next slow beauty trend?
Did you know the average beauty product contains 60% to 85% water? No I didn’t either, until I took a closer look at my own skincare routine.
I’ve used solid shampoo for years, but my toner lists aqua as the first ingredient. And my cleanser? Water is second on the list, after sunflower seed oil.
Go and take a peek at the products you use and tell me it’s not the same story.
I stopped leaving the tap running while I brushed my teeth decades ago. I usually opt for a shower over a bath. And I cringe when I see the tap dripping.
So why had I never realised that my hair and skincare products were wasting water?
In 2020, the beauty industry consumed 10.4 million tonnes of water. This sounds like a lot and it is. Water is used in formulations to improve the texture of creams and lotions, making them easier and more pleasant to apply.
What is waterless beauty?
Waterless beauty is a relatively new concept in the West. Traditionally, waterless formulations were limited to bars of soap, and more recently, solid shampoos and massage bars.
But in the rest of the world they’re not as new as you might think - the Japanese have used rice and matcha green tea for centuries, while in India people use turmeric and in Myanmar they use thanaka .
But waterless beauty has gained the attention of environmentally conscious companies concerned about the beauty industry’s role in water scarcity. These brands are innovating high-performance waterless versions of products like cleansers, moisturisers, scrubs and even exfoliating peels.
What’s so good about waterless beauty?
Water scarcity is a big problem across the globe. We urgently need to find ways to reduce our water consumption in our everyday lives. Waterless formulations are one way brands can help this.
But beyond using less water, there are other benefits to adopting waterless formulations, including:
Lower carbon emissions by minimising product weight and packaging.
Extended shelf life and less synthetic ingredients. Preservatives are essential when formulating with water. Waterless products mean you can eliminate synthetic preservatives.
Eliminating plastic packaging waste. Products containing water need something to contain them. Brands often opt for plastic because of price and lightness.
Enhancing ingredient potency. Water can dilute active ingredients, so when you remove it the formulations become more concentrated. This means a little goes a long way.
(source: The Zero Waste Beauty Report).
Is waterless beauty sustainable?
There’s one thing we should never forget: waterless doesn’t mean water-free. On the contrary – beauty is a thirsty business.
Beauty products consumer water at all phases of the production chain – it’s used to cultivate ingredients, to manufacture them, to transport them, to make the (often plastic) packaging. And you also need water to wash off many products.
As Good On You reports, plant-based ingredients tend to use more water, and few manufacturers are taking meaningful action on water in their supply chains.
So if you’re promoting waterless formulations you need to be familiarise yourself with the relevant greenwashing regulations. It’s so easy for brands with the best of intentions to inadvertently greenwash by the way they word their copy, and advertising regulators are taking claims seriously.
As with any potential greenwashing situation, the more specific you can be with your claims – such as the amount of water saved through the waterless formulation – the better.
Waterless beauty brands you can try in the UK
While shampoo bars and solid soaps have been around for a while (hello, Lush!), new brands are experimenting with powdered, concentrated and multi-use next-gen formats. Here are some that have caught my eye:
Disruptor London – this UK brand is championing multi-use solid bars combining shampoo and cleanser. I recently heard about them on the Formula Botanica podcast.
SBTRACT – another brand which appeared on Formula Botanica, this brand sells a range of serums and balms in solid, water-free form.
Inlight beauty – this new-to-me brand claims to be the UK’s first 100% organic, waterless skincare brand. They sell a range of face oils, cleansers, masks and more.
Acala – this brand sells anti-ageing face masks containing a whole host of goodies.
Susteau – powder-based haircare in 95% recycled ocean-bound plastic bottles.
MONO Skincare – this French brand has developed water-free facial peeling tablets for premium skincare.
Oliveda – based in the US, this brand sells waterless serums and balms. The founder, Thomas Lommel, builds wells in Africa.
Clementine Suds – there’s no shortage of solid shampoo bars, but this fun and vibrant brand from my local area is my current favourite.
Upcircle – while they do use water in some of their products, waterless formulations include cleansing bars and face balm. Plus, you’ll probably see them in your local refill shop!
How can brands convince customers to try waterless beauty?
Despite the clear benefits of going waterless, it’s still not mainstream. For years, it was associated with the crunchy eco-warrior lifestyle or assumed to be inconvenient.
So how can we make it more desirable to make the switch? Here are some ideas:
Luxury positioning. Shifting the narrative from ‘eco-friendly’ to luxury, ‘high-performance skinimalism’ and science-backed formulations that respond to skin concerns can make waterless beauty more desirable.
Strong brand storytelling. We connect with stories more than overt sales messaging. Taking a storytelling approach can help you share your values and reason for developing waterless formulations without being perceived as preachy.
A distinctive brand voice. Voice can have a huge impact on how consumers perceive your brand. Investigate how you can give your copy a luxurious, fresh or quirky tone of voice.
Promote skinimalism. K-beauty convinced us that we needed multi-step beauty routines. But underconsumption core is hitting back. Waterless products that do more with less, like Disruptor London’s bars, can lean into this ‘trend’.
Ingredient transparency. If a higher percentage of an active ingredient translates into further benefits (and you have the science to back it up), you can use this as a selling point.
Make storage easier. One of the barriers to mass adoption is the perception that bars are messy and difficult to transport. When they get waterlogged due to incorrect storage they can become less effective or don’t last so long.
Prioritise scent. Scent can have a huge impact on mood and emotions. When developing waterless products, you may need to rethink its scent profile, as removing water can affect this.
Need help telling your waterless beauty story?
Looking to refine your messaging, tell a compelling story and develop a strong brand voice for your waterless beauty brand? I can help. Get in touch with me to discuss how my brand voice development, copywriting and Italian-to-English transcreation services can help you.
