What You Should Know About ‘Waterless’ Beauty

As warnings of water shortages filter down into the public domain, we take a deep dive into the benefits of waterless beauty. Spoiler alert: there are some big wins for your skin and for the environment, too. Happy World Water Day!

Ah, water. The elixir of life. Even the word leaves us feeling refreshed. The miraculous nature of water is an age-old acknowledgement, but somewhere between facilitating all life on earth, making up 70 per cent of said earth’s surface, and being entirely necessary for the survival of the entire human race, water started evading our grip. Abuse of freshwater reserves has left us searching for a more sustainable solution. If waterless beauty is a simple swap for a more mindful routine, then we want to be riding the wave.

After extensive research, our Founder and CEO, Susie Ma, saw that many gentle natural cleansers and face washes contain 96 per cent water, which she thought was a monumental waste of product and packaging:

“We’ve always tried to concentrate our products as much as possible, often using plant juices in our formulations instead of water. A few favourites of these are aloe vera, coconut juice and cucumber juice. This time, however, we wanted to go one step further.”  

Susie was keen to make a splash in the skincare and beauty industry with some waterless beauty products. Enter: Clear Skies and Clear Slate cleansing powders. These are dry products, with no water inside, and no water used in their manufacturing process. They’re completely refillable with 100 per cent plastic-free pouches and entirely remarkable in the low levels of their water wastage.  

To activate the beauty benefits, just sprinkle some powder in the palm of your hand, add a few droplets of water and mix into a creamy emulsion – minimising water-waste and keeping your skin cloud-soft and blemish-free!

Why is going water free good for me? 

Clear Skies has been clinically tested and shown to reduce excess sebum by 81 per cent in seven days! That's one powerful powder.  

Ideal for oily or blemish-prone skin, the encapsulated plant enzymes in Clear Skies do the dirty work by emptying out and shrinking pores, while blue spirulina prompts cell turnover and restores vitality. 

The Clear Slate cleanse runs a little deeper – with volcanic ash and bamboo charcoal going the extra mile for very oily, troublesome skin. Popular with men with larger pores, the anti-bacterial eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils are so invigorating, you’ll feel like your face has been dunked in glacial waters (without wasting a precious drop of H2O!) 

An oasis of moisture  

Tropic’s powder cleansers are evidence that beauty brands can step up to the challenge of low water wastage without compromising on the quality of results from their products. 

We believe that waterless beauty is a great way for us to adapt to the planet’s impending water scarcity, but we’ve also seen how water-free products can tackle the drought and dehydration that occurs on the surface of our skin. 

Contrary to what may seem obvious, excess water can be very drying for our complexions. The proof is in the percentages: Clear Slate has been clinically tested and shown to increase skin moisture by an average of 35 per cent in just seven days.  

Overly watery solutions and formulations can also result in lower efficacy rates, as active ingredients and botanicals become more diluted by water, which reduces their potency. Water can also lead to the growth of bacteria when added to skincare products, necessitating high levels of preservatives which can sometimes cause sensitive skin. 

Big and mighty, but treading lightly 

Clear Skies is both gentle and mighty, maximising clear, bright skin without stripping or causing sensitivity. It even made it onto the Evening Standard's 'Best waterless beauty products for an eco-friendly routine!'

Even if it’s used in formulations responsibly, we can always strive to decrease our water footprint. Although it’s not advisable to eliminate water from your life entirely – your inner organs can have something to say about that – being less H2O-happy with your cosmetic and skincare routines may leave your skin and its surroundings with a bit more spring in their step. 

Ready to take a deep dive? Which cleanser will you try first?