Walk into any beauty store and pick up a moisturiser, serum or lotion. Turn the bottle around and look at the ingredients list.

Chances are the first ingredient will be water.

In fact, many conventional skincare products contain between 60% and 90% water. It's so common that most of us never question it. But should we?

As consumers become more aware of sustainability, packaging waste and ingredient transparency, it's worth asking whether the beauty industry's reliance on water is really the best approach for our skin—or for the planet.

Why Is Water Used in Skincare?

Water is often used as a base ingredient because it creates textures consumers are familiar with. It helps formulators create creams, lotions and lightweight serums that spread easily and feel refreshing on the skin.

Water also acts as a solvent, helping dissolve certain ingredients and allowing them to be mixed into a stable formula.

However, water itself doesn't provide long-lasting moisturisation.

This is where many consumers are surprised.

Does Water Hydrate Your Skin?

Not in the way most marketing suggests.

Your skin's living cells receive hydration from within your body. When you drink water, it is absorbed into your bloodstream and transported to cells throughout your body, including your skin.

The water you apply to the surface of your skin remains largely within the outermost layer, known as the stratum corneum.

As this water evaporates, it can actually increase transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a natural process where water escapes from the skin into the surrounding air.

This is why skin can sometimes feel tighter or drier after repeated washing or exposure to water.

The role of a good moisturiser is not simply to add water. It is to support the skin barrier and help reduce water loss.

The Environmental Question

If water is abundant, why does it matter if skincare contains lots of it?

The answer lies in transportation and resources.

Water is heavy.

Every bottle of water-based skincare must be manufactured, packaged, stored, shipped and delivered. The more water a product contains, the heavier it becomes and the more resources are required to move it through the supply chain.

Think about the journey a face cream takes before it reaches your bathroom shelf:

• Raw materials are sourced and transported.
• Products are manufactured and filled.
• Packaging is produced.
• Cases are shipped to warehouses.
• Products are transported to retailers.
• Individual orders are delivered to customers.

When a product is primarily made up of water, much of this transportation involves moving an ingredient that is already available in homes across the world.

While transport is only one aspect of sustainability, reducing unnecessary weight and volume can contribute to a lower environmental impact.

Why Water Requires More Ingredients

There is another issue that rarely gets discussed.

Microorganisms love water.

Bacteria, mould and yeast can grow in water-containing products, which means formulators must include preservation systems to keep products safe throughout their shelf life.

As a result, water-based formulations often require:

• Preservatives
• Emulsifiers
• Stabilising agents
• Texture enhancers
• Chelating agents

These ingredients are not inherently harmful. In fact, many are essential for product safety.

However, they are often needed because water is present in the formula.

Water-free products can sometimes be formulated with fewer ingredients because they do not create the same environment for microbial growth.

The Rise of Waterless Beauty

In recent years, the beauty industry has seen growing interest in waterless skincare.

Waterless doesn't mean dehydrating.

Instead, it means replacing water with concentrated ingredients such as plant oils, botanical extracts, butters and other nutrient-rich ingredients.

This approach offers several potential benefits:

• More concentrated formulations
• Smaller product sizes
• Reduced transport weight
• Less packaging
• Fewer preservatives in some formulations
• Greater focus on active ingredients

Rather than diluting ingredients in water, waterless products deliver ingredients in their concentrated form.

Why We Chose Plant Oils

At Ermana, we believe skincare should support the skin's natural barrier rather than constantly stripping and replacing moisture.

Plant oils work differently from water-based creams.

Oils such as jojoba, macadamia and apricot kernel oil contain essential fatty acids and skin-compatible lipids that help soften the skin and reduce moisture loss.

Instead of temporarily wetting the skin, they help support the skin barrier so that your skin can retain its own hydration more effectively.

That's why our products are formulated without added water.

Not because water is bad, but because we believe your skincare should be filled with ingredients that actively nourish the skin rather than simply adding volume to a bottle.

The Bottom Line

Water is an important resource and an essential part of life. Our bodies need it, and our skin cells depend on it.

But when it comes to skincare, it's worth questioning how much water we really need to package, preserve and transport around the world.

The next time you pick up a moisturiser, take a look at the ingredients list.

If water is the first ingredient, ask yourself:

Am I buying concentrated skincare ingredients?

Or am I paying to ship water?

Sometimes the most sustainable choice isn't adding more to your routine.

It's choosing products that contain less filler and more of what your skin actually needs.