Home Consumer Insight Product Design Trading Latest Resources About Contact Get demo Log in Waterless beauty is the sustainable future consumers are after Haeckels Nov 19, 2021 By WGSN Insider As we all become more climate aware, we realised that the planet’s resources are finite. The world's supply of fresh water is running out, with the UN predicting that by 2025, two-thirds of the planet's population will be living in water-stressed conditions. Population growth, accelerated consumption and economic development are increasing global demand for water by 1% YoY. The average person in the Western world consumes 140 litres a day and with the global population predicted to reach 10.2bn by 2050, demand is set to outpace supply. WGSN social media data The water crisis will pose a number of problems for beauty brands in both their manufacturing processes and for consumers using their products. Rising awareness of water quality and scarcity is inspiring consumers to demand products that use less water to make and use, while transparent supply chains will need to demonstrate that water supplies are treated with respect throughout production. Business strategies Dry or solid products that are activated by water represent the future of waterless beauty, with Mintel stating that 13% of UK consumers and 15% of French consumers are already interested in dry-use soap, bath and shower products. As well as reducing water use, BYOW (bring your own water) formats are safer and more effective than traditional water-based products, where water is used as an inexpensive filler – leading to the reduced effectiveness of active ingredients and the need to use more product overall, generating waste. Removing water from a product also gives it a longer shelf life, thanks to the lack of free water where bacteria can grow, appealing to the value-driven sustainable consumer. What’s more, removing water drastically reduces the weight, volume and packaging of a product, lowering carbon emissions throughout its lifecycle. Polina Kovaleva/Sarah Chai WGSN subscribers can see the full white paper, Create Better, here or catch up on our latest Food & Drink insight. Share article: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services. Request a demo Let’s talk. contactus@wgsn.com Give us a call Global & North America +1 212 201 2800 Europe, Middle East & Africa +44 20 7715 6200 Asia-Pacific +852 2730 0831 Latin America +55 11 3525 7374 For WGSN’s latest podcasts, blogs and events, visit: Latest Stay connected Select language: English Español Português 中文 (Chinese) 日本語 (Japanese) 한국어 (Korean) For access to our Privacy & Cookies policy and our Terms of Use, please click here. WGSN Limited, Company number 04858491. Registered Address: Ascential plc, The Prow, 1 Wilder Walk, London W1B 5AP Ascential Inc., tax ID 04-3851246, registered office c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 160 Greentree Drive, Suite 101, Dover DE 19904, United States 4C Serviços de Informação Ltda., CNPJ/MF (Taxpayer's Register): 15.536.968/0001-04, Address: Avenida Cidade Jardim, 377, 7˚ andar CEP 01453-000, Itaim Bibi, São Paulo CTIC WGSN China Limited 达帛商务咨询（上海）有限公司，Registered address: 5/F, Block 29, No. 1, Lane 618, Dingyuan Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai, China, 上海市松江区鼎源路618弄1号29栋5层