Let Us Tell You All About Waterless & Organic Skin Care!
From ancient times up to the present day, men have used waterless products to hydrate and protect their skin. These beauty products, called “oitment” or “balm”, were used for therapeutic, cosmetic and medicinal purposes, but also to heal and preserve one’s body (as a way to be eternal).
At minima[liste], if you look at the formulas of our Makeup Remover Oil, our Face Oils, our Moisturizing Face Balm, our Deodorant Balm, our Repair Balm or our Moisturizing Scrub, you will NEVER find water in it.
But why?
100% Active Formulas Without Unnecessary Ingredients
Although our skin is 65 to 70% water, the water contained in “conventional” cosmetics holds no real value for our skin and cannot be considered an active. In order to be used in cosmetics, water needs to be pure and safe from any microbiological contamination. As a result, this demineralized, purified and sterile water, which is the main ingredient in most of the products you can find in your bathroom (sometimes with a concentration as high as 90% in lotions, shower-gels or shampoos!), does not offer any real benefit to your skin and is often referred to as a “dead” ingredient.
That is why we usually find only around 10% organic actives in an organic cosmetic formula, whereas the percentage of actives in balms and plant-based oils is much higher and can even reach 100%.
Formulas Adapted to Our Skin
In today’s world, most skin care creams are emulsions, meaning they have a lot of water and not many lipids (oils and fats). Yet, to penetrate the skin, active ingredients face one major problem: the skin barrier (and more specifically the skin’s hydrolipidic film) which is mainly made of sebum (an oily substance).
That’s what water-free cosmetics are all about: Mainly made with lipophilic molecules (aka “fat-loving” molecules because of their attraction to lipids) and with a higher concentration of active ingredients, these ancient “balms” serve a real purpose for the skin: they strengthen our skin’s hydrolipidic film (a powerful shield against external aggressions), penetrate the skin barrier more easily, and intensely hydrate and nourish the skin.
Preservative-Free Formulas
In a cosmetic product, water is the ingredient most susceptible to microbial contamination. For that reason, it is vital to use one or several preservatives whose purpose is to neutralize and inhibit the growth of micro-organisms (bacteria, moulds, yeasts, etc.). But these preservatives oftentimes have unpleasant side-effects for the skin and may trigger skin reactions such as allergies or irritations.
“Anhydrous” formulas (water-free) such as powders, balms and oils do not need preservatives and are much softer and healthier for the skin.
Greener and More Affordable Formulas
Since water is a precious resource that needs to be preserved at all costs, choosing to make waterless organic cosmetics was a no-brainer.
Balms and oils have extremely active formulas, a very small amount is enough to get the best results and the best comfort.
Used equally, balms will last much longer than conventional creams. That’s why it’s much more cost-effective to buy a balm!
