The Ingredients List - Breaking down the what, where and why of natural and eco-friendly beauty.
When you look at the ingredient list of any beauty product, chances are, ‘aqua’ (aka water) is first up. According to chemical company Univar Solutions, a typical bottle of shower gel or shampoo contains 95% water. Yep, the stuff that also flows freely out of the tap. Many of the products in your bathroom need this water to function but it makes you wonder: why couldn’t this H20 just be added at home?
Enter BYO water beauty, a new breed of powder products that are designed to add water to at home. Borrowing ideas from the cleaning industry (concentrated laundry detergent or washing up liquid is nothing new), these just-add-water formulas make much more sense when it comes to sustainability. Firstly, they save on planet-damaging emissions - water adds volume and weight to a product which increases the number of transportation vehicles.
Secondly, these reconstituted products create less waste. We all know the beauty industry has a packaging problem (120 billion units of packaging are produced annually), and less water equates to less packaging, in particular plastic. It’s estimated that 20% of global disposable plastic packaging could be replaced by reusable packaging if we only shipped active ingredients.
One company leading the way in this area is FORGO. Their powder to liquid hand wash is simple: purchase a starter kit containing two glass bottles (the packaging is a minimalist Scandi vibe) and two sachets of powder soap. Add 250ml of hot water and - ta da! - you have hand soap. Available in a neutral, citrus or wood scent, once you've finished the soap you can simply order the refill sachets.
'We believe that if brands made a sustainable option convenient, more and more people would switch over,' Allon Libermann, Co-Founder of FORGO, told ELLE. 'We can send 20 refills of hand wash in the same volume as one bottle of soap,' Libermann explained. Plus, the powder formulation means the packaging can be paper (90% post consumer recycled and recyclable paper in FORGO’s case). Luckily, the Swedish brand has big plans to expand the range with a body wash and oral care products in the works.
Haeckels, the Margate-based brand famed for their cult seaweed skincare has pioneered a similar offering. The 60% H2O Ocean Cleanse Concentrate + Allantoin is a body cleanser with a difference. You mix three pills with boiling water in a ceramic dispenser and watch as they turn into shower gel. 'We view this as the future of the bathroom,' founder Dom Bridges told ELLE.
ELLE Edit: BYO Water Beauty Products
Haeckels 60%H2O Ocean Cleanse Concentrate + Allantoin – 1 Year Supply
No aspect of the luxe shower experience has been sacrificed. 'The true magic lies in the scent; a 100% natural citrus blend that turns into the same shower gel you’re used to using. It would never be enough to invent the future without making it infinitely better,' Bridges says.
It’s not just bath and body products that work in this way. OWA haircare has created a water-activated shampoo called Moondust Hair Wash. One 56g bottle of powder is equivalent to four standard bottles of liquid shampoo. Simply sprinkle a small amount evenly across a wet palm and rub your hands together to activate. In the same vein, By Humankind - the Insta-friendly brand known for its refillable deodorant - has formulated two both just-add-water products for your teeth: Toothpaste Tablets and Mouthwash.
While sustainability is often the first selling point for these products, the benefits stretch beyond being eco-friendly. 'Sustainability is a growing top-of-mind concern for consumers, but the brand and product experience still needs to delight and inspire,' Lisa Payne, Beauty Editor at trend research agency, Stylus, commented. 'Add-water formats are nailing multiple sustainability touch points that are easily delivered alongside Instagram-worthy packaging and quirky user experiences. The mix-and-go element of these products adds an easy, fun element of DIY, and taps into a desire for greater control over products and experiences,' she explained.
This DIY element Payne cites is seen in the growing number of skincare launches taking this dehydrated approach. For example, when Alicia Keys launched her new SoulCare line in partnership with E.l.f at the end of 2020, the range included the Be Luminous Exfoliator, a water-activated powder designed to buff away dead skin cells that allows you to create the right formula for your skin by adding your chosen amount of water. Lina Hanson’s Global Face Trio works on a similar premise. The 3-in-1 powder purifies, brightens, clarifies, and balances the skin. You can mix a teaspoon size of water for cleanser or exfoliator or a tablespoon amount to create a mask. Plus, try also adding honey or yoghurt for an at-home boost.
When it comes to skincare, powder formulations are also more powerful. Some active ingredients - like glow-giving vitamin C - actually last longer in powder form. Take Holifrog Sunapee Sacred-C Brightening Powder Wash, a water-activated highly-concentrated brightening powder cleanser.
Of course, there’s the travel-friendly benefits too. Packing your luggage with water-free products is one easy way to get around dreaded packing restrictions. With holidays looking likely again for this summer, going water-free will make travelling easier and benefit your skin and the planet in the process. Win, win.
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