What Is Waterless Skincare?
Do you know what waterless skincare is? Waterless skincare, which originated in South Korea in 2015, is growing in popularity in the West and is making waves in the mainstream beauty world. However it is still a relatively new term for a lot of people. I attended a webinar last week and when I was introducing my business I said "We do waterless skincare". They replied “I didn’t know that existed!” It made me realise that not everyone is aware of the different types of skincare available and what the differences are. There is so much information so I wanted to break it down. So let’s get into it!
What Is Waterless Skincare?
Waterless skincare is literally as the name suggests. It is skincare without water. They are also known as anhydrous products. The term waterless skincare may not be well known but if you have ever used body oils then you will have used waterless skincare. There is a very easy way to see if your products have water in them. Go and get one of your products and have a look at the label. If you see the word “aqua” then your skincare contains water. Skincare that contain water are known as aqueous products. Most of the time, aqua is the first ingredient. On any label, ingredients are listed in weight order, starting with the largest weight. So if you see aqua as the first ingredient it means that the product is mostly made of water, up to 80% in most cases. Have you ever used a lotion and it just didn’t moisturise even though it said it's for dry skin? It’s because its mostly water. Water = hydration, it doesn’t moisturise. This is one of the reasons why I started making my own body butters. My skin is dry and the lotions were just not serving my skin. It’s a bit like when you order a fizzy drink and they put loads of ice in it. It is watered down and tastes flat. It doesn’t quench your thirst so then you buy another and another. They do that so that they are not using as much of the syrup and they can charge you the same but give you less. It’s the same with cosmetics.
3 Reasons To Use Waterless Skincare
So now that you know what waterless skincare is, what’s the big deal with it? Here are 3 reasons to make that switch…
#1 - Active Ingredients
Waterless skincare means that you get all of the goodness without it being watered down which means the ingredients can have a direct, positive impact on your skin. Imagine if our Sweet Orange Body Butter was made with mainly water. There would be barely any room left over for the magic of Shea butter, mango butter, broccoli seed oil or sweet almond oil. These are key ingredients that nourish your skin:
Shea Butter - Heals the skin, protects the skin’s barrier and has anti-aging properties
Mango Butter - Stimulates production of new skin cells and improves the texture of skin
Broccoli Seed Oil - Acts as a natural silicone, has heat protecting properties and adds shine
Sweet Almond Oil - Moisturising, great for hair and skin and evens skin tone
With our oil-based body butter you can harness healing with Shea butter, experience moisturising magic with mango butter, flaunt flawless skin thanks to sweet almond oil and glow all day with broccoli seed oil!
#2 - Better For Our Planet
Let me ask you another question: do you get gift sets for your birthday or Christmas? You know the ones that have body lotion and body wash in them. They contain water. Do you use the whole thing, or do you use it a few times and forget about it? This happens to me too! They normally have a shelf life of 12 months so if they don’t get used they will go to waste.
According to Severn Trent Water, weather patterns in the UK are changing due to climate change. Combine that with a growing population, and it means we need more water. However, whilst there is an increased demand for water, rainfall is less consistent. According to a report by the Great British Rain Paradox, England will experience water shortages by 2040. This is not to scare you! This is highlighting information and giving you food-for-thought..
"Climate change and population growth will lead to water shortages in England by 2040" – Great British Rain Paradox
#3 - No Preservatives
Waterless skincare products do not need preservatives whereas water based products do need a preservative so that they do not breed mould and bacteria. No preservative is great news if you have sensitive skin or if you are worried about the long-term risks. Some preservatives such as parabens and formaldehyde and even phenoxyethanol are known irritants, allergens and can even disrupt our hormones.
So What Next?
So now you know what waterless skincare is and how it benefits both you and the planet. Knowledge is power so understanding different types of skincare can help you to make informed decisions when it comes to your skincare purchases. We have a range of waterless skincare products including body butter and body oils. We will soon be launching our new Face & Body Oil, available in 2 scents, so check your inbox in the next few weeks so you don’t miss our announcement.
For more information on how to save water visit:
https://www.stwater.co.uk/wonderful-on-tap/save-water/how-a-changing-climate-is-affecting-water-use/
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