What does blue beauty mean? With the rise of clean, natural, organic, green, and blue beauty, we are on the hunt for healthier, more sustainable choices when it comes to selecting beauty products. Now more than ever before, sustainability is a conscious choice and we are far better informed. Not only have we come to understand the impact of our choices, but companies have made this part of their top line agenda – from packaging to formulations.
One of the interesting trends that has become more prevalent in the marketplace is that of anhydrous products – otherwise known as waterless formulations.
Water is a precious commodity, and according to a recent report by Mintel, in the decades to come, water will be considered a luxury. Beauty and fashion brands are very much aware of this with Unilever stating that they have reduced the volume of water used in their manufacturing methods by 40% and L’Oréal recently claiming to have set a target of reducing water consumption by up to 60% for each of their finished goods. This thought process is trickling across the industry with many rethinking their future necessity for water.
Waterless beauty? The term originates in South Korea. The Asian market is known to lead many a beauty trend and Korean manufacturers have been creating waterless formulations with added skincare benefits for some time, not purely for environmental reasons. Waterless formulations are kind to our skin, reducing risks of flare-ups and irritation, and particularly good for people suffering with sensitive skin or acne-prone skin.
The formulations are gentler on our skin. Water is essentially used in most products and it is classed as “aqua” which is typically the first ingredient on a label and it tends to make up the bulk of the formula. Shampoos, cleansers, serums, and gels contain the highest percentage of water.
Waterless beauty can be created in a few different forms such as cleansing balms, powders, solids, oils, butters, and masks which can be incorporated into skincare, cosmetics, and haircare. Brands like
Ethique Beauty is another brand whose mission is to reduce wastage and to introduce environmentally friendly regimes. They develop concentrated beauty bars for your hair, body, and face. Makeup brands have also started going waterless. Pinch of Colour has created all or their products without water – using ingredients such as honey extract and shea butter to replace water.
Certain waterless products can be slightly more expensive as they are concentrated, they are also considered to be of higher quality as they contain ethically sourced ingredients. However, the higher the concentrate, the less product you will need to use and the longer it lasts. Some shampoo bars are equivalent in concentration and usage to three bottles of product.
Although waterless products are environmentally friendly, we do not have to eliminate water from our routines entirely – it is more about being mindful about the subject and how we can start incorporating certain elements into our regimes that are more sustainable. It is important to be conscious about the amount of water we use and to be aware that certain products like balms and oils may also have water footprints. Most importantly, using fewer products, in general, maybe the answer. Less is more.
With brands turning to waterless formulas there are alternatives within the beauty industry to help take care of our planet. Swapping liquid soaps and shampoos to solids is beneficial to our skin and the environment – there is a soap for every need, from our hands and body to our hair and facial cleansing.
Refillable products are also becoming far more popular and readily available. Most products are recyclable, but it is not as easy as we would like to think it is. Only 8% of plastic waste is currently reusable. Body Shop has installed refill stations in its Bond Street store which allows us to purchase an aluminium bottle that can be filled and then refilled with their shower gels and creams. Charlotte Tillbury has also created a refillable lipstick option. We can switch up our look with their refillable shades available online and instore. Mac offer in-store recycling methods with reward schemes.
Swapping cotton pads for reusable pads or cloths is a simple and smart method to cleansing. Reusable cloths can be purchased from most retailers and brands, at affordable price points. Easy to remove makeup and to cleanse and tone, these clever tools can be machine washed up to 200 times.
Let’s rethink the traditional cotton buds. It’s estimated that 1.8 billion plastic stemmed cotton buds are used in England each year, 10% are flushed down toilets ending up in the ocean. Using bamboo stemmed cotton buds are far more environmentally friendly. Little steps and some consideration to how we select and use our beauty products, goes a long way to taking care of ourselves and our planet and protecting this for future generations.
We are committed to building sustainable brands for the future. If you are looking for support in developing a brand in the beauty industry or you have an existing brand and you are looking to reposition this, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
As a beauty and wellness consultancy, we develop a comprehensive strategy for your business by understanding your vision (and the marketplace) and then delving into the details to create order and structure neatly packaged up to deliver you commercial results. We design brand identities and visual elements, manage your product development, build your go-to-market strategies to help you to engage with your ideal customers.
We are proud to support our clients from different regions of the world – from Saudi Arabia, to Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, the US, Canada, Europe and the UK – from entrepreneurs, to multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies. And we work with you across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including the hair care market, professional nail care market, spas, salons, hotels and the aesthetics market – here’s a snapshot.
If you would like to discuss your ideas with us, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
As an international beauty and wellness consultancy, we are proud to work alongside clients from different regions of the world – Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, Canada, US, Europe and the UK . We love collaborating with entrepreneurs, multi-award-winning beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, distributors, embassies and trade bodies across the retail sector, and the professional sector, including those selling into the hair care market, hotels, spas, professional nail care market and aesthetics market.
If you need support with devising a new strategy, developing a new product range, designing your packaging or rebranding your current product range, managing your PR, or with planning your market-entry into international markets, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Bespoke is a brand management expert with deep industry knowledge, extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the beauty and personal industry in the UK and Europe, complemented by an extensive network of contacts in the relevant market segments. Bespoke’s expertise, experience and contacts significantly contributed the success of the UK/Europe project with the companies that Bespoke assisted successfully entering or well on track to enter the UK and European markets. The Bespoke team was very professional, responsive and obliging and always delivered within timeframes. It was a pleasure to work with them.
Working with Janet over the past year has been a real pleasure, she has fantastic industry experience and knowledge of the UK beauty market. She has delivered a number of webinars for my clients looking at how to enter the UK market, providing an overview of the market and how to build a strategy. She took the briefs we provided and added real value to them, included key insights and information that my clients have found incredibly useful. Feedback on these sessions has been very positive. Janet is a clear communicator and has always delivered as agreed and on time. We are continuing to work together on other projects and I very much value the conversations we share.
‘Janet has a wealth of experience across retail, buying and marketing. She conducted a full strategic review of our cross functional business and the travel retail market to develop a comprehensive buying and quality control strategy that was signed off at board level. I highly recommend her as an asset to any business.’
‘As a Queensland-based company, we were determined to tap into the European market and establish a strong presence. From the very beginning, Bespoke Advantage demonstrated a deep understanding of our export goals and objectives. Their comprehensive knowledge of the European market, coupled with their extensive network of contacts, enabled them to connect us with key decision-makers and influential stakeholders in our target countries. Their strategic guidance and insights were invaluable in shaping our export strategy and positioning us for long-term success.’
‘Through Janet’s management skills, expertise and proven track record on the job she successfully managed the purchasing of our retail operations and ensured the integrity of our brands in-stores. Her enthusiasm and total dedication, delivered results in any project she was involved in.’
‘Janet has excellent beauty market knowledge. Level headed with clear vision, direction and the ability to drive business forward, Janet led the teams through a complete product design change advising on what the key marketing messages should be, incorporating her technical knowledge and beauty expertise.’
‘Absolutely fantastic course. Condensed learning from Janet, an expert in developing beauty brands. Also, valuable introductions to expert professionals, in the Masterclass sessions. In 12 weeks, you will learn from Janet, what would take years to learn by yourself. A very worthwhile investment’