Waterless beauty is becoming one of the biggest trends in skincare — but it’s actually something we’ve quietly been doing at The Good Soap for years.
Many modern skincare products contain a surprisingly high percentage of water. In fact, some lotions and creams are made up mostly of water, along with emulsifiers, stabilisers and preservatives to keep everything blended together and shelf stable.
But our products take a different approach.
Our solid moisturiser bars, tinned balms, lip balms, deodorant bars and scrubs are all made without added water. Instead, they’re packed with concentrated oils, butters, waxes and skin loving ingredients that are designed to nourish the skin directly.
What Is Waterless Beauty?
Waterless beauty simply means skincare products made without added water.
You may also see it called:
- solid skincare
- concentrated skincare
- anhydrous skincare
Instead of using water as the main ingredient, waterless beauty products are usually made with oils, butters, waxes, clays, salts or powdered ingredients.
The idea behind it is simple — less dilution, less packaging and more concentrated products.
Over the last few years, more people have started moving towards waterless skincare as they look for simpler routines, plastic-free alternatives and products that last longer.
Why Is Water Added To So Many Skincare Products?
Water itself isn’t “bad” in skincare. It’s often added to:
- create lighter textures
- help products spread easily
- make creams feel less rich
- allow products to be pumped from bottles
- lower manufacturing costs
But once water is added, products usually need preservatives and stabilisers too, because bacteria and mould can grow in water-based formulas over time.
That’s why many lotions and creams contain long ingredient lists designed to keep the product stable.
What Are the Benefits of Waterless Skincare?
For us, solid skincare simply makes sense.
By not adding water to many of our products, we can focus on rich, concentrated ingredients instead.
Our products are made with ingredients such as:
- cocoa butter
- shea butter
- beeswax
- sunflower oil
- aloe vera (see benefits)
- coconut oil
- essential oils
- natural exfoliants
Because these products are concentrated, a little often goes a long way.
Many customers also love that solid skincare products are:
- plastic free or low waste
- travel friendly
- longer lasting
- less bulky
- simple to use
Our Cocoa Butter & Vanilla Moisturiser Bar is a great example of this. Rather than being diluted with water, it’s made with rich cocoa butter, nourishing oils and beeswax to help soften and protect dry skin naturally.
The same applies to our tinned balms, lip balms, deodorant bars and scrubs.
Does Natural Bar Soap Contain Water?
This is where soapmaking is slightly different.
Traditional cold process soap does require water during the soapmaking process. Water is used to dissolve the lye so that it can react with the oils and butters to create soap.
But during curing, much of that water gradually evaporates away over several weeks.
Cold process soap is very different from many modern liquid cleansers and body washes, which are often largely water based and packaged in plastic bottles.
Our soap bars are also naturally rich in glycerine, which is created during the soapmaking process itself. Glycerine is a natural humectant, meaning it helps attract moisture to the skin.
Why We Love Solid Skincare
For us, waterless beauty isn’t about following trends.
It’s about making practical, concentrated products using skin loving ingredients and less unnecessary packaging.
We love the simplicity of solid skincare:
- fewer bulky plastic bottles
- concentrated formulas
- products that travel easily
- less waste
- nourishing oils and butters directly on the skin
And while solid skincare may feel like a modern trend, in many ways it’s actually a return to older, simpler ways of making skincare products.
Explore Our Water-Free Skincare Products
If you’d like to try water-free skincare for yourself, explore our range of:
All handmade in our North Wales workshop using carefully chosen ingredients and plastic-free packaging wherever possible 🌿