With an impending drought and nationwide plans to enforce a hosepipe ban and other water-saving precautions, it’s time we all did our bit and stocked up on rinseless beauty products in preparation.
Traditional water-based beauty and personal care products like shampoos, body washes and moisturisers can contain anywhere from 60 per cent to 95 per cent water, and many require even more to actually use them, including for lathering and rinsing away. With an increasing focus on sustainability, many brands have pledged to reduce their water usage along their production lines, from manufacturing methods to product innovation itself.
Whereas a few years ago, dry shampoo and hand sanitiser were the only mainstream products that promised rinse-free cleaning, innovation in the industry has provided some luxurious options that promise impressive results that rival their wet counterparts.
Take mindful beauty brand YUNI that focuses on creating time-saving, sustainable and plant-based beauty products, including their exceptionally handy Shower Sheets. These extra large, super-soft and pre-moistened body wipes cleanse, refresh and deodorise all over without the need for rinsing thanks to neem extract (a naturally antibacterial extract). Plus, they’re alcohol-free making them kind to sensitive or dry skin, biodegradable and infused with aloe & green tea to cocoon skin.
YUNI have also created a Flash Bath Waterless Cleansing Foam for the body, which is designed to be massaged into skin to instantly lift and dissolve dirt, bacteria and unwanted odour without the need for rinsing (think of it like dry shampoo, but for your skin).
Speaking of dry shampoo, for anyone wanting to avoid the dreaded chalky residue, Aveda have created a 97% naturally-derived Micellar Hair & Scalp Refresher, which has been designed to instantly refresh scalp-to-ends and restore natural texture with its no-rinse micellar technology. Offering one step up from dry shampoo, you simply spritz the formula all over and let hair air-dry or use a hair dryer for a style refresh.
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Then there are products that are waterless in themselves, and mark a shift towards preserving water and being more eco-friendly from the very beginning of the production line. Leading the way in oral care are solid toothpaste tabs like Parla’s Original Toothpaste Tabs with Fluoride. Founded by dentists Dr Rhona Eskander, Dr Simon Chard and Dr Adarsh Thanki, the tabs use your own saliva to create a paste at the point of brushing rather than including water in the formula, meaning they are more sustainable to produce and also able to contain fewer ingredients like preservatives (any formula containing water is prone to bacteria growth and therefore must contain preservatives).
There are also solid shampoo bars (a typical bottle of shampoo contains about 70% water), skincare bars (including a solid retinol balm by sustainable brand SBTRCT) and body and skincare oils, which by default do not contain water and make for a readily available alternative to water-based moisturisers and creams.
Of course, choosing rinseless beauty products is only one small change to make and it’s still important to consider your beauty regime as a whole to make sure you are being as water efficient as possible. Other things to try to implement are reducing the amount of time spent in the shower (why not reduce the number of steps in your haircare routine with a co-wash? We love Hairstory’s New Wash) and making sure to switch the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth (one minute of running water can add up to a staggering six litres that goes straight down the drain).