We all know that in the next few years water will be considered a luxury. Whether we would like to believe this fact or not is an entirely different case. The global crisis around this natural resource is urging us to control our dependency on it. And as global talks around conservation move forward, we too should understand that water scarcity, at the end of the day, is a reality. Therefore, adopting a water-conscious beauty routine may be more important than ever before.
In the past decade, even the quality of water has declined because mining and fracking practices have increased metal and mineral content in water runoff. This has made water have very high levels of calcium and become hard. Hard water causes a chemical reaction with your skin’s natural oils, changing the consistency and, in turn, clogging the pores and leading to acne. It also generates free radicals, causing collagen breakdown. Not to mention its unfriendly effects on hair texture.
When we talk about beauty products, water or aqua is often one of the first ingredients listed which means it is present in the highest concentration, most of the time constituting about 70% of the product. A little secret to know here is that it’s actually serving as a space-filler and is a cheaper option to add volume to the product, without actually adding substance. Did you know that already?
Nowadays, effective anhydrous products i.e. products that don’t contain any water can take many forms such as cleansing balms, moisturizing oils, body butters, pressed serums, and dry masks. While it can be difficult to entirely eliminate water from our beauty routine, being more mindful can help both our skin as well as the environment.
Waterless products are already being championed by brands such as Lush and Pinch of Colour, which is the world’s first completely water-free brand. Even a beauty mogul like L’Oréal has pledged to reduce water usage by 60% by the end of this year!
The formulation of such products can be solid, powdered or dissolvable forms that are made sans aqua. Another thing to know here is–if you take away water, you can also do without plastic packaging because they can be turned into solid products that can be packaged differently. Isn’t that wonderful!
Here Are Some Products That You Can Use If You Want To Take The Sustainable Route
Even if you don’t want to completely change your beauty routine, a few easy places to start are: choosing oil-based products over water-based ones and opting for solids or powders whenever possible. Also, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth or handwashing, cutting back on showers, washing your hair less frequently, using soap and waterless products instead of liquid products containing water, and a big one is recycling.
Yes, corporations and governments need to fight this fight at a larger scale but we can start somewhere, right? So, lets!
Featured Image Source: Unsplash
