powdered skincare: the future of sustainability?

If you’ve looked at the ingredient listing on your skincare products you would have noticed ‘Aqua’ aka water as generally the first one listed. According to Univar Solutions (chemical company) a typical bottle of shampoo, body wash or shower gel contains 95% water.

That’s right, the stuff that flows freely from your taps at home. So why is so much water added to our products?  That’s because most of the time water is used to dissolve the active ingredients.

Lightbulb moment: why not just BYO water? It surely would help issues of water scarcity for the planet and reduce emissions in production.

Enter powdered, waterless skincare. Powdered skin care benefits not only your skin but the environment as they are designed to reduce the amount of water and waste used in production as well as giving you the ability to customise products to your individual needs.

so lets us help you get to know powdered skincare and why you should add it into your routine.

What Are Powdered Skincare Products?

As the name goes, powdered skincare products ditch the liquid form made with the help of water and oil. It’s all the stuff you know - your serums, shampoos, creams, cleansers and face-masks - without the aqua element (water).

While this has been serving beauty goals for years, people have begun to embrace the powdered alternative.

The active ingredients in powdered beauty aren’t activated until they've been mixed with water or absorbed into other products, such as facial oils. The difference between this and a regular liquid skincare product is that you only add water when you are about to use it.

One of the benefits of powdered skincare is that you don’t have to worry about buying products with fillers, irritants or preservatives.

Benefits Of Powdered Skincare Products You Should Know

1# Powdered Skincare Products are Customisable
Skincare is not a one size fits all deal. Powdered skincare allows your experience to be completely customised to your skins type and needs..

How? You control the potency of the active ingredients. For example, the more water you add to your powdered cleanser the gentler your cleanser will be. The less water you add, the stronger your product will be.

So you can basically mix this powdered product to your taste without reducing the strength of its active ingredients.

2# Powdered Skincare Products are Stable and more potent
Yep, products like powdered face masks contain higher concentrations of active ingredients so you are getting more of the good stuff and they will last longer as preservatives are not required to keep the product stable. Powdered products last longer without deteriorating in composition,  they contain fewer (if any) preservatives than liquid products which are vital in water-based products to avoid  our product becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

And then there is stabilisation, some skincare ingredients are harder to maintain than others. For example vitamin c, which can lose it potency as soon as it’s bottled, losing its potency before it gets into your hands.

Powdered alternatives remain inactive until you’re ready to use them and are less likely to degrade, be ruined by environmental factors, or be degraded by heat, oxygen, or water.

Plus, as we mentioned above, its customisable so you can add your own flavour to your skincare by adding extra oils and actives to create a magical concoction of your own (But please always do your research to make sure what you are mixing does well together.)

3# Powdered Skincare Products are Cost-effective
One of the benefits of powdered skincare products that is relatable to us all. Powdered skincare last longer so you get more bang for your buck. 50g of a powdered face mask lasts longer than a traditional wet face mask as the water element has not been added yet.

So, apart from being typically designed so that consumers can customise them to meet specific needs, they are terribly cost-effective.

4# Powdered Skincare Products are Environmentally Friendly
Firstly, With less water in a product, the consumer can use it more often and it last longer (less packaging as you buy less frequently), and the manufacture and distribution of the product require less energy.

Compared to liquid beauty products, reconstituted products create less waste in production and in the final product you buy. We are all aware of the beauty industry and its packaging problem with 120 billion units of packaging being produced annually. So, less water in products equates to less packaging, in particular plastic. Estimates indicate that is we only shipped active ingredients we could reduce the amount of disposable plastic packaging by 20%. (Holy Moly)

Not only that, waterless formulas use less water. Water is a finite resource so dry formulas help do their part in the water scarcity crisis, which has become a major ecological concern ~ it leaves more water for other uses, especially drinking.

5# Powdered Skin Products are Great on The Skin
If you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, beauty powders are a good option. This is because they are usually free of preservatives and alcohol, so they are less likely to irritate the skin.

For desired results try combining your powdered face mask with water or your favourite oil-based face treatment. So you are getting double the amount of actives and are feeding your skin undiluted nourishing ingredients.

Tips On Using Powdered Skincare Products

Using powdered skincare products is awesome. However, there are a few tips that you should know. So, to enjoy all benefits of powdered skin products you should follow these tips on using powdered skincare.

• Powdered skin products must be processed properly to penetrate the skin.
  So, when you use a powdered moisturiser use a good molecules powder boosters. This helps in deep penetration. Also, avoid using a powder of indigestible vitamins. This is not ideal.

• The powder works best when combined with liquid based products such as serums, oil-based treatments and lotions. Since active ingredients tend to dissolve when combined with light, watery textures, the powder works best this way.

• If your skin is sensitive, start with less powder. Patch-testing on your arm is a good idea before using it on the face.
  
  
• It is also best to use a concentration of 20% or less, or 1 part powder to 4 parts product or less. That's keeping a powder to product ratio.
  
  
• While your skin adjusts to these powdered products, you might experience some tingling, stinging or irritation. Try using less powder at first and increase the amount as your skin becomes accustomed to it.

How To Use Powdered Skincare Products

1. To use, pour the desired amount into your palm.
2. Mix a few drops of your favourite liquid to transform it into a cleanser, serum, or exfoliant.
3. Rub hands together and apply to your face.
4. If needed, rinse with water.

The Takeaway

Powdered skincare has benefits for both your skin can the environment. As mass consumers we need to be conscious of how the things we buy are made, and the productions process.

The love for powdered beauty is growing rapidly, people are drawn to them because they are effective and benefit the planet. But to make a real difference powdered products should be seen as a lifestyle change and part of the global effort to love more consciously.