The Proof Is in the Data: Waterless Beauty Was One of 2022's Biggest Trends

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(Image credit: @dinahansen)

In the midst of everything that happened this year, one thing has become abundantly clear in the beauty world: Consumers care about sustainability. This year, waterless beauty reigned supreme, as waterless soap bars have seen a 7.1% year-over-year increase and waterless shampoo bars have seen a 5.3% increase YoY, according to Spins, a wellness-focused data company. For beauty consumers, this is a fairly large jump, and it shows that sustainable beauty truly has staying power. 

"Combined, waterless shampoo and soap bars have seen nearly $1.5B YoY market growth this year," said Dan Buckstaff, CMO of Spins. "The beauty industry understands that consumer demands have shifted to holistic and sustainable-minded practices such as creating a lower carbon footprint and ingesting healthier ingredient quality. Consumers are becoming more consciously aware of the ingredients in their everyday products, so retailers will need to adapt to changing demand and integrate eco-friendly, innovative waterless beauty products into the market."

Below, find our absolute favorite waterless beauty products to try on for size. Our picks range from solid lotion to an ultra-concentrated shampoo paste. 

Next: 5 Beauty Editors Share the First Luxury Items They Ever Bought (and Still Love)

Associate Beauty Editor

Katie Berohn is the associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. Previously, she worked as the beauty assistant for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her master's degree at NYU's graduate program for magazine journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan; a digital editorial internship at New York magazine's The Cut; a social good fellowship at Mashable; and a freelance role at HelloGiggles. When she's not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her journey to smell every perfume on the planet, Katie can be found taking a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York's newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.