Waterless beauty is a beauty trend that focuses on products made without water. This trend began in South Korea, making its way its way into the west in 2015. The concept was that by eliminating water, more active ingredients can be included for a more potent, concentrated product.  

Have you taken a look at the ingredients on your skin and beauty products lately? Chances are that “aqua”, another word for water, is first on the list.  Depending on the product, 60 to 85% is water.

The main reason water is so prevalent in beauty formulas, frankly, is that it’s an inexpensive filler. Waterless cosmetics are typically more concentrated and more potent. Think of it this way: the higher the concentration, the less product you need, and the longer it lasts. That’s a win for your wallet.

 

Waterless Beauty Environmental Benefits

Adding water to products can also be harmful to the environment. By adding water as a filler to products, the overall effectiveness of the product is reduced. The less effective a product, the more you consume of it. The more product you consume, the more packaging is required, along with costlier shipping, which then creates more water pollution.

 

Waterless Beauty Products Are More Sustainable

The beauty industry has a history of overly packaged products with layered plastic and mixed-materials packaging, which are often difficult or unable to be recycled.

“Water is also really heavy to send around the world via mail or on trucks. The carbon cost of transporting watered down product is astronomical — not to mention the packaging waste” explains Tim Hollinger, co-founder of the sustainable personal care brand, Bathing Culture.

Waterless products are sold in smaller, more compact packaging requiring significantly fewer materials, reducing use of plastic. Lighter, smaller packaging reduces shipping weight and space. Shipping waterless formulas requires less space and therefore less fuel.  All of which results in a smaller carbon footprint.

Kari Gran skincare products contain no water, only organic, non-GMO, sustainable plant-based ingredients, wildharvested where possible. Our waterless sunscreen has become a fan favorite due to its concentrated oils to nourish and moisturize skin while protecting from UVA and UVA damage.

Kari Gran Skincare is committed to being as kind to our planet as we are to our skin. We aim for recyclable and minimal packaging and low-impact shipping. We’ve been certified as 100% Plastic Neutral by Plastic Bank, and use these services —TerraCycle, Ridwell, Pact —to recycle the bits not accepted by regular recycling companies. 

Clean, non-toxic formulas and high-performance results along with growing sustainability demands suggest that waterless beauty will continue to be part of the future of beauty. Kari Gran focuses on waterless skincare products including our 10% waterless Vitamin C Serum, natural Cleansing Oil and moisturizing serum. Concentrated, natural products are better on your skin, wallet, and planet.