Whether shower gel or serum – “no water, no cosmetics” still applies. But how much H2O does the production of creams, kajal and co. swallow?
Water in cosmetics – why actually?
Aqua is the number one ingredient on the back of countless cosmetic bottles and jars. With good reason: it is ideal for dissolving or diluting active ingredients, for example for aqueous plant extracts. “Many substances that are sticky, waxy or solid without water, such as panthenol, can hardly be dosed precisely in any other way,” explains Birgit Huber, Head of Beauty Care at the Industry Association for Personal Care and Detergents. And of course our skin also loves moisture. Certain thermal waters also contain minerals such as selenium, which provide additional care and protection. So that it does not immediately evaporate on the skin, skin care products usually contain substances that bind water: for example fats and urea (also called urea – not disgusting, but a natural component of the upper layers of the skin anyway).
Does it also have disadvantages?
Unfortunately yes. Because if water is combined with organic compounds in cosmetics, with carbohydrates, proteins or fats, for example, the entire care product can become contaminated, skin infections are programmed. That’s why preservatives are needed – but these, in turn, can irritate the skin. This is another reason why solid, water-free shampoos and conditioners are booming. Our eco heart is doubly happy here, because because they are more compact, they need less packaging – or even none at all. Another eco-advantage: Because unpackaged cosmetics weigh less, the transport costs are also lower. That saves CO2!
How much water is actually used in the production?
Now it gets tricky, because this question cannot be answered that easily. Compared to food or textile production, the production of cosmetics is a lot more complex – there are many processes, ingredients and suppliers. The L’Oréal group has examined how its products pollute the environment and found that the largest proportion, a full 52 percent, depends on the water. More specifically, the water footprint. It measures how much water is actually used, i.e. not just the pure amount that is in the product itself, but how much water the production swallows, which evaporates or maybe even gets polluted. The special feature: Ideally, the calculation also includes how the region in which production takes place deals with water: How is polluted water recycled? Is there water shortage in the country? Is the product exported, meaning the water is “taken” from one region and fed into another? What causes the water footprint to grow: A large amount of water often flows when the raw materials for a cream are grown, for example for fruit or plants. Almonds, for example, for the oil that is so popular in cosmetics, are often grown in California. Water is scarce there. For one milliliter of oil alone, around ten liters (!) are needed for irrigation.
And at home?
So most of the water is used during production? think! According to Garnier (also part of the L’Oréal group), a full 60 percent of a product’s footprint only occurs at home in the bathroom – at least in the case of so-called rinse-off cosmetics such as shampoos or make-up remover creams. Because the warm water that we use to wash off the shower gel every time is also included in the environmental impact. Nevertheless, there is not much savings potential within our four walls, says Juliane Vatter, water expert at the nature conservation organization WWF. In production, on the other hand, yes: Vatter believes that agriculture and industry have a responsibility to analyze and understand along the entire supply chain of their products where the use of water is problematic and to make targeted improvements there. And this knowledge must then be placed transparently on the product packaging, according to the expert. So that we can see and decide immediately in the store: Do I buy the product – or do I give the company the signal that they have to make improvements here?
Do cosmetics pollute the water?
Actually, we’ve known it for a long time: the main problem with shampoos, lotions and the like are plastics, because they are hardly or not at all biologically degradable. The following applies to plastic packaging: 32 percent of it ends up uncontrolled in the environment, including the seas. There they decompose into small particles, the so-called microplastics, which attract pollutants like a magnet. Animals often confuse these bits of poison with food. But, and it is absurd that it is still like this: there is still plastic in cosmetics! In 2018, the Fraunhofer Institute Umsicht estimated that around 50,000 tons of plastic are used in beauty and cleaning products in Germany every year. Liquid plastics such as silicones or PEGs, which make many products soft, are also difficult to degrade and are flushed down the drain into the waste water when make-up is removed. The sewage treatment plants in this country may have good filters, but environmentalists fear that the substances will end up in the water.
What are the companies doing?
More and more are changing their recipes – in such a way that they can do without plastics. Environmental organizations also welcome the trend towards more organic cosmetics. Organic farming dispenses with mineral fertilizers and pesticides, which protects the groundwater. And there seems to be a change in thinking when it comes to transparency. L’Oréal, for example, created the “Environmental & Social Label”, which is being used for the first time in Garnier’s hair care products. Ratings from A (low) to E (high) indicate the environmental impact, but compared only to the average of L’Oréal products. Since the water footprint is so relevant, it is listed again separately. When it comes to packaging, plastic is still the number one component. However, large companies have also recognized that they need to place recycling much higher on their agenda, simply because so many consumers are demanding it. Procter & Gamble has also launched “Refill the Good” refill packs for its hair care brands. A surprising number of brands are also involved in initiatives to protect the oceans. Stop The Water While Using Me founded Good Water Projects to help in water-stressed regions. Giorgio Armani’s “Acqua for Life” pursues the same goal with the Green Cross. Thanks to Armani, 217,000 people in 15 countries have gained access to clean drinking water, and eight new projects have just started. And Biotherm is supporting the Tara Ocean Foundation’s research mission with its “Water Lovers” initiative to find out more about the marine microbiome.
And we?
Sure, buying refill solutions or shampoo bars is something. What also lies in our consumer power: to check the list of ingredients – silicones are usually called dimethicone there, for example. Other common plastics are nylon or have “acryl” or “polymer” in their name. Mobile phone apps such as “Beat the microbead” also help to find out what fancy terms microplastics are behind: simply scan the barcode on shampoo bottles and the like with your smartphone and check for problematic substances. And then it’s best to tag brands on social media and thus increase the pressure on the company. True to the motto: “We don’t care what we soap ourselves with, and neither should you!”