New generations are more aware of the way they consume and the impact the products they use have on environment. One particular need has emerge : to have more water-conscious products. This desire has both ethical and practical reasons. 

Ethically, consuming less water, for product formulation as well as during production process, goes along with climate change awareness and realizing that water is a precious commodity. Industry leaders themselves have decided to join the effort : L’Oréal by reducing its water consumption by 60% (per finished product unit) by next year and Unilever by setting goals to half the environmental impact (including water usage) of the making and use of its products by 2030.

On the practical side, when you know that about 70% of your standard skincare product is made of water, essentially as a filler, you realize that the actual ingredients supposed to treat and enhance your skin represent less than a third of the bottle. So when a brand decides to replace water by pure ingredients (oils, botanical extracts,…), you get a formula that is non-diluted and potentially more potent for the skin.

The waterless trend originated a few years back in Asia, and has now spread globally. Let’s have a look at some innovative brands experimenting with waterless skincare and cosmetics across the world :