With the rise of environmentalism and an increase of awareness in consumers worldwide about these issues, cosmetic companies have also taken responsibility for producing better products while conserving resources. A recent trend has been their waterless products such as cleansing balms.
Due to the customers' shift toward being more cautious of the ingredients in products, the beauty industry has started reducing the use of water in their operations. According to these firms, the usage of water has taken a toll on the collective water reserves, affecting the ecosystem. Water is used as an ingredient in many cosmetic products, especially skincare.
Many companies are now trying to appeal to their customers by limiting the use of water and have cited saving tens of thousands of gallons of water per year. One major product type that has become very common due to the waterless trend is a cleansing balm.
Why Is Going Waterless a Big Deal?
The following reasons shed light on why we are seeing this trend explode, especially in the beauty industry.
Little Preservation Needed
The waterless trend is not only great for the environment, but it also helps the skin. Making a product that limits the use of water results in less product being applied on the skin. As well as conserving space for packaging.
Water or aqua is usually the first listed ingredient on a beauty product and constitutes 70% of the product. But it is often unnecessary and helps bacteria grow. Not to mention, the preservatives added to increase the product's shelf life are a result of using water in the product, which reduces the shelf life.
Easier Flying
Airlines have a lot of restrictions regarding cosmetics containing liquids. For instance, you cannot carry more than 3-4 ounces of such a product and cannot carry them outside a transparent bag bought specially for cosmetics.
Waterless products reduce these restrictions to almost none because they have a small packaging and last longer while weighing the same.
Endorsement by Big Brands
Brands are actively seeking to combat their water consumption. Even giants such as L'Oréal have promised to reduce their water usage by 60% in the coming two years. Which is equal to the amount they were using in 2005. L'Oréal has already made efforts to reduce the consumption of water in its plants.
Photo Credit: L'oréal Paris
A motivating fact for these companies is that the dry part keeps the whole product fresh as compared to water which complicates the chemical composition of the product. Moreover, since the products work just as well without water, companies find it profitable to go in this direction.
Success of Waterless Products
The success of waterless products is evident by the success of companies such as Pinch of Color, which launched only two years ago and quickly received massive support. In fact, Pinch of Color was encouraged to expand its product line from just lipsticks to balms as well. Soon, it will be launching a waterless skin therapy elixir, which will consist of natural face oil with some essential oils for keeping the face hydrated and healthy.
Photo Credit: Pinch Of Color
Conclusion
Watching the waterless trend grow in recent years, we can safely say that it is no longer a small niche. In the coming years, it is sure to see an exponential growth among the many other industry trends motivated by the preservation of the environment and ecosystem. By benefitting both the environment and companies, devising more and more waterless products is a win-win situation for all.