The increasing demand of sustainable packaging solutions for cosmetic products has promoted the development of eco-friendly cosmetic products. For this reason, numerous studies have decided to analyse the environmental impact of water-based cosmetics and why waterless cosmetics are the perfect alternative if we want to be more sustainable.
Water is one of the main components of cosmetic products. This ingredient is famous for its capacity of dissolving water soluble solids and active gases. According to Shanu Walpita, trend consultor and founder of Futurewise Studio, water is usually applied as a soluble component or to improve the consistency and application of a product. If we think for a moment, the majority of cosmetics that we use contain water as the main component: from cleaners to serums, gels, or even our daily perfume.
When we add some water to our composition, the product gets a softer and ductile texture, the opposite to balsams and cosmetic butter creams that we can find in the market. Despite the fact that many skincare products are water based, water can be contraindicated not only for our bodies but also the planet. As a consequence, a new wave of waterless products have been launched to the cosmetic market to revolutionize it and make a difference.
The problems of water based cosmetics
Nowadays the majority of cosmetics are designed to be apart from profitable, durable. For both of these reasons, water is a perfect component because it is not an expensive resource and also reduces the contamination of the product. Nevertheless, water is also a source of germs and contaminants. According to Susanne Langmuir, founder and director of aN-hydra, a cosmetic brand with waterless products, the reason is simple: where there’s water, there is bacteria. The same way we need to save and protect food in the fridge so it can be conserved properly, the water based cosmetics need conservants that prevent bacteria from growing.
The problem is the relation between convervants and some problems in the immune system even in complex reproduction. Moreover, though water can appear to be a hydrating component, it has been demonstrated that cosmetic water based products dry skin and hair since when the water evaporates it also absorbs the majority of natural oils of our skin. Not to mention that sometimes when water evaporates, our skin can react to synthetic emulsifiers, fragrances or cosmetic colorants. In extreme cases, our skin could become irritated, inflamed and could even appear small rashes, states Walpita.
In case these reasons aren’t enough, when using water as a main component for cosmetic products it can also suppose a negative impact on the environment. It is known that nowadays, there are 8.3 thousand million plastic tons in the planet due to the cosmetic industry because of packages that can’t be recycled easily and that are made of different materials. Water is also a component that makes it harder for packaging to be recycled.
The increase of waterless cosmetic products
The development of waterless cosmetics started in Corea and started to expand through the rest of the world in 2015 with all types of products for hair, skin and even makeup: cleaning balsams, makeup powder, oils, body butter, face masks, serums…
At the beginning, the aim of deleting the water component in cosmetics products was to improve the efficiency, states Glendean Rehvan, responsible for skincare products at Intrend. Some brands had started to lead the change with innovative formulas that didn’t use water in their composition. Nevertheless, this idea has come to the attention of consumers and as a consequence, big brands of the cosmetic sector have had to attend this new customer demand. According to Rehvan, nowadays waterless cosmetics’ aim goes beyond the efficiency of products since their main focus is finding a cleaner formula for the environment, reducing the pollution and adapting better to travelling restrictions.
The quantity of single-use plastics used in North america is absolutely embarrassing. Therefore one of the main preoccupations of the cosmetic sector is finding an alternative that offers the same results in terms of quality without generating the current amount of waste. According to Arden Teasdale, executive director of Unwrapped life, a specialized company in waterless hair treatments, they prefer using stick formats for their solid shampoos which is a better alternative that contributes to the planet.
Makeup brands are also adapting to this new waterless trend and are starting to innovate with new compositions. An example of a brand that is following the trend is Pinch Of Colours, they have launched a product line of 12 waterless lipsticks and 6 makeup foundations for different skin tones. Another example is Vapour, the brand created 97% of waterless products, and 100% waterless lipsticks and face cosmetics.
Due to the increased concentration of the formula, waterless products are usually more expensive than the traditional products and also offer a better quality since they are made from other natural components. The dermatologist, Joshua Zeicher confirms that the technology needed to develop this kind of cosmetics influences the pricing. However, pricing shouldn’t be an inconvenience, we have to think that since the product is more concentrated, we need less quantity and therefore it lasts more.
Waterless cosmetics aren’t the perfect solution
Despite the fact that brands are investing in waterless formulas because they appear to be more sustainable, this product range isn’t the solution to the environmental problem that the cosmetic industry is facing. “Water is used in the entire life cycle of a product: from the extraction to the processment of the ingredients and components, the production, product filling, transport and final use” stated Sarah Jay, the director of Toxic Beauty documentary. Therefore, brands have to take into account how they use water and analyse in which stages they can reduce the use.
We are actually in a point where water is becoming a limited resource. As a matter of fact,two third parts of the population will face extreme dry seasons in 2025. The global crisis due to scarce water reservation will be the key motivation for companies to change the use of water.
