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You may have noticed that there is a new kid on the beauty block. Waterless, water-free and solid beauty products have been popping up from brands both new and old alike. While they look cool in your bathroom and allow brands to offer more potent formulas, there’s another reason that beauty brands are offering water-free conditioners, scrubs, and shampoos. Water waste and water insecurity. According to the UN, 1.8 billion people, or 2/3 of the world’s population will experience water scarcity.
5 Reasons To Choose Beauty Products Without Plastic Packaging
Thankfully, there are brands and companies creating innovative solutions to tackle old problems. Water-waste and the mislabeling of natural ingredients are two issues that these international brands have confronted by offering fabulous new products. Yet, disrupting your everyday routine for a new water-free product can take a minute to get used to. So, here’s our roundup of what to expect when you’re expecting to try your first solid beauty product.
Solid Shampoos
Tried & Tested: Lush Honey I Washed My Hair
Environmental Impact: “This solid, self-preserving bar will last for up to 80 washes (that’s the work of three bottles of liquid shampoo!) and requires no packaging.”
What You Need To Know: Avoid the grainy bars if you have curly hair. Those little granules can (and will) get stuck between your bouncy curls if you’re not careful. On a positive note, it’s nice that a little goes a long way. After your hair is wet, rub the bar over your hair. I like to use a downward motion to preserve tresses from excess friction and split ends. Store the bar in a container away from water to ensure that it won’t wash away and you get in those 80 washes!
Solid Hair Conditioners
Tried & Tested: Lush American Cream
Environmental Impact: According to the beauty brand Ethique, 132.8 billion litres of water are used to make plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles annually. Skipping single-use containers for a reusable container that you keep at home will save water.
What You Need To Know: Rubbing a bar over your hair will take a minute to get used to. Dry-haired girls know the elation of hair soaking in conditioner. But, most of that slip and slide moisture comes from conditioners is plain old water. Solid beauty products skip water to give your hair a highly-potent dose of hair moisturizing ingredients. You’ll just have to accept that your hair is being conditioned without the excess slab of wet ingredients.
Classic Bar Soap
Tried & Tested: L’Occitane Verbena Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap
Environmental Impact: “Bring your used beauty and skin care products and packaging to one of our participating boutiques to be recycled. The L’Occitane Recycling Program allows us to recycle beauty and skin care products to prevent them from ending up in landfills and be used in the creation of new products.”
Solid Exfoliators
Tried & Tested: Ethique Ginger Snap Face Scrub
Environmental Impact: “We’re on a mission to rid the world of plastic waste and we want you to be a part of it with our 100% plastic-free, palm oil-free, cruelty-free & vegan products.”
What You Need To Know: An exfoliating body bar is such a genius idea. Try it once and you’ll never go back. Gone are the days of maneuvering a plastic tub of a slick & grainy something that misses your leg and mostly washes away in the shower. This bar is compact, easy to use, and smoothing enough to use allover your body.
Solid Body Lotions
Tried & Tested: Lush Naked Body Lotion
Environmental Impact: It’s estimated that most skin and body beauty products contain 80-90% water. That means that they’re less effective and contribute to water waste.
What You Need To Know: Lasting for what seems like forever, this little bar delivers a deep dose of moisture. The shape can make it awkward (and painful) to use over bony areas like the knees or clavicle. As a pro tip, rub the bar between your hands until you see a little product and then glide it over your skin.
