Brands are developing waterless products yielding concentrated formulas with a higher percentage of actives. As a result of removing water, the need for preservatives and stabilizers has been eliminated. Waterless products are also eco-friendly as they preserve a precious resource, and are more easily transported. Here, CEW Beauty News presents a selection of new waterless brands and products.
An-hydra
Bite Beauty founder Susanne Langmuir’s newest venture, SL&Co., is an incubator focusing on brands with clean and sustainable ingredients, simplification, and less waste. The company’s debut brand is An-hydra, a waterless skin care brand that launched in late November. Products include The Powder of Youth No.1, a makeup remover, cleanser, exfoliator and mask featuring lactobacillus ferment (which supports beneficial bacteria), glacier clay and bentonite clay (for detoxifying), willow back extract (for brightening), and pomegranate enzymes (for exfoliating). The refillable product is sized so that it can be shipped without extra packaging, and reduces weight and energy needed for transportation. The Powder of Youth is for all genders, skin tones, skin conditions and ages.
PWDR
PWDR, as the brand name suggests, includes products such as Powder To Gel Treatment Serum, which is blended with water just before use. The products do not contain preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilizers, allowing for cleaner formulations with a higher concentration of active ingredients. The serum, which transforms from powder to serum when a little water is added, includes hyaluronic acid, vitamins B5 and B3, l-arginine and silk peptides. Top Coat Treatment Face Oil seals in hydration with a blend of jojoba, arnica, sachi inchi (a nut oil), rosehip seed and meadowfoam seed oils. The Powder to Crème Exfoliating Face Wash exfoliates skin with kaolin and bentonite clays together with berry seeds. The powdered products can be customized according to skin care needs: more water can be added for dry environments, less water in humid climates. PWDR’s products are also packaged in smaller formats, which reduces packaging and shipping weight.
Frudia
Frudia, whose tag line is ‘real fruit goes deep’, is a Korean skin care brand with waterless formulas and organic, fruit-derived extracts that aim to hydrate and nourish the skin. The brand employs a technology called R VITA W that extracts fruit juice at low temperatures, preserving nutrients and vitamins. Frudia also uses extracted juice as base water instead of purified water. There are four antioxidant-packed collections, including Blueberry (tightens and soothes), Green Grape (cleanses and banishes impurities), Pomegranate (protects against aging) and Citrus (brightens and revitalizes), with cleansers, toners, serums, creams and sheet masks. The fruit collections contain between 77 and 89 percent pure fruit extract. Frudia’s focus is on eliminating ingredients that do not deliver benefits to the skin.
Whamisa
Whamisa focuses on preserving the benefits of natural ingredients, including organic flowers, fruits and seeds, by way of natural fermentation. The Korean brand’s products are EWG-verified, Ecocert- and BDIH Standard-certified, and vegan. Whamisa’s Organic Flowers Toner contains no purified water, just botanical extracts such as aloe maculata leaf, a succulent perennial plant. Whamisa’s natural fermentation process enhances the rapid absorption of nutrients into the skin, while preserving the integrity of the nutrients. For example, Organic Flowers Nourishing Cream is made with natural fermented organic flowers, organic aloe maculata leaf extract water (as opposed to filtered water), and organic oils. The Organic Seeds Hydrogel Mask features a dual culture of organic seed fermentation and rice withs lactobacillus.
Chic Chiq
Chic Chiq creates powder-based masks from crushed natural ingredients such as blue nettle, white turmeric, prickly pear cactus and cornflower, that are activated with warm water just before use. The Ayurveda-inspired brand invites users to find their skin ‘dosha’ (energy patterns that flow around the body) by way of a simple quiz when selecting a mask. The brand also believes that combining ingredients with water in a formula before the product is ready to be used dilutes the potency and effect on skin. For example, vitamin C has a short shelf life once mixed with water, however it is stable in a dry, powdered form. Chic Chiq states that the benefits of its powdered masks last longer because they are activated just before use. Variants include A La Rose (with rose petals and jojoba oil), De La Mer (with spirulina algae and lemongrass), and La Noce (with turmeric, chickpea flour). Chic Chiq’s face masks are packaged in sustainable bamboo jars.
May Coop
May Coop is another Korean brand that uses maple tree sap as the main ingredient in its skincare line. Maple tree sap offers high absorbability thanks to the smaller size of its molecules, enabling it to sink more easily into the deeper layers of the skin, as opposed to just sitting on the surface. The brand’s flagship product, Raw Sauce, a waterless toner, emulsion and essence in one, is made with 93 percent maple tree sap, skin-nourishing and Ecocert-certified fructan powder, and Asian herbal and fruit extracts for a hydrated, dewy look. The brand’s ‘May’ name is inspired by the month of May when the sap is harvested. The maple sap, which is listed as the first ingredient in May Coop’s products, is said to be at its most potent at this time of the year.