Click through to read about water, cosmetics and innovation.
Waterless formulation isn’t an entirely new concept, evidenced by bar soap, but with increased consumer interest in eco-conscious formulas the selection of solid, waterless and low-water formats has grown.
In today’s market, led by small and indie companies, personal care products from cleansers to sunscreens, serums, face creams, perfumes, haircare and lotions are being put in waterless, solid or low-water formats in a global market which is expected to surpass $8.9 billion, according to Future Market Insight.
Below are some of the formats brands are using to get their foot into this international marketplace, and some of the brands using them.
L’Oréal’s Garnier brand has launched a no rinse conditioner line across Europe this week, in a move set to challenge consumers into re-thinking beauty routines and slashing water use at mass scale.
The launch formed part of a wider ‘Green Step’ beauty campaign from Garnier designed to encourage consumers worldwide to engage with sustainable action but also voice commitments on social media using the hashtag #OneGreenStep.
Garnier’s ‘no rinse’ conditioner range featured four formulas, each manufactured in carbon neutral, waterloop factories and packaged in lighter cardboard integrated tubes with 75% less plastic, boasting an overall carbon footprint reduction of 92% per tube compared to a traditional 200ml bottled conditioner.
As a ban on chemical UV filters goes into effect later this year in Maui a Hawaii-based sunscreen brand partnered with Four Seasons to start protecting reefs now.
Project Reef is a Maui-based brand that sells only mineral-based suncare products in order to protect reefs, particularly those around the island.
Founder Matt Roomet told CosmeticsDesign that as an owner of a tourism business on the islands he’s seen the purported effects of chemical UV filters on the most visited reefs. He designed his brand around environmental concerns appearing in his own backyard.
“This brand was built and designed not to make money, it's designed to make systemic change and large impact,” Roomet said. “When we say we're sustainable, we want to do good and we put people first, we really mean it.”
CEO Q&A
As some parts of the industry turn to removing water from formulation, others are embracing the hydration-packed hydrogel delivery format.
CosmeticsDesign spoke with Adam Levy, CEO of Nexgel, about his company's low-chemical hydrogel product and the potential of hydrogel as a skincare actives delivery system.
To start out, tell me a bit about your hydrogel product.
Hydrogels on the market are generally crosslinked using chemicals and UV light. Those chemicals are not ideal for beauty, cosmetics, dermatology and a whole bunch of applications for which skin irritants are a problem.
Water scarcity and desire for products with eco-ethical claims are driving forces behind consumer interest in waterless formulas.
According to Global Senior Analyst in Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel Anna Keller, 20% of adults in the US list sustainability as one of the top three important areas for a company to support. Additionally, 71% of consumers said they’re interested in soap, bath and shower products which would help save water.
Keller said consumer efforts to reduce their water usage, driven by global issues with water scarcity and social movements around the climate crisis, have pushed consumers to consider and decrease their own environmental impacts.
“This sentiment has grown, and in 2019, 30% of adult consumers said that they were trying to use less water when showering and/or bathing, and in 2020, 52% said that they are trying to take shorter showers to help conserve water,” Keller said.
