Dew Mighty

Bloom jelly serum / Source: Dew Mighty

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4 MINUTE READ

Nadine Smith

WHAT WE SAY:

Removing water from a beauty product has myriad benefits. It makes the product more potent and therefore more effective. It reduces its weight and size, facilitating better storage and reducing shipping emissions. And perhaps best of all, the product can be packaged without plastic.

Dew Mighty’s take on the waterless beauty movement is novel. Its debut Bloom product is a jelly serum bar. A single block of jelly replaces two full plastic bottles of product and comes packaged in a reusable and refillable metal container. It is not a cheap solution - thanks to the abundance of natural ingredients used - but it is one that will pay back over time.

KEY FACTS:

Founded in 2020 and operating from California (US), Dew Mighty offers two waterless products - the Bloom jelly serum bar and Lucid, a powder-based enzyme cleanser.
The brand has removed 100% of water from its formulas, as well as other filler ingredients and those it deems ineffective. The result is a small-batch, localised production of highly potent beauty products that last longer than their water-based counterparts, are easier to transport, and come packaged in metal and cardboard.
The jelly serum is designed to be stored in the brand’s plated Steel container, while the cleansing powder comes in an Aluminium alloy tube.
Both are considered food safe, non-toxic and 100% recyclable, but are intended to be refilled time and time again. The tin and tube are 95% lighter than a Glass equivalent and 100% plastic-free.
Product refills are packaged in bio-based coated FSC-certified paper, printed with plant-based inks. The brand says the paper is both recyclable in paper-waste streams, and industrially and home compostable, depending on available facilities. The brand recommends shredding or cutting the Paper before placing it in home compost.
All marketing and shipping materials are recyclable and compostable too. This includes its insert cards, Glassine paper sleeves, kraft shippers and kraft paper tape with plant starch adhesive.

Lucid aluminium holder and refill / Source: Dew Mighty

Steel plated tin for the Bloom jelly serum / Source: Dew Mighty

DIVE DEEPER:

Water is quickly becoming known as ‘blue gold.’ Reserves are dwindling and care must be taken to preserve water wherever possible.
The beauty industry uses water in abundance. It is the primary ingredient in the majority of beauty products - with products being made up of anywhere from 60-95% water. That is an awful lot of money to pay for something that comes out the tap, not to mention an awful lot of water to ship around the world.
Removing water from beauty products is more than possible, and waterless products range from solid bars to powders. The result is a lighter and smaller product, increased efficacy and, more often than not, packaging that is not plastic.
Dew Mighty replaces water as an ingredient with a plethora of natural, plant-based ingredients, such as blue chamomile oil, hibiscus seed oil and spirulina platensis powder. Both products are activated by water at the point of use, but contain none in their formulations.
That is not to say, however, that water is not used throughout the production process and, of course, to grow all those natural ingredients. Waterless products do not mean a waterless supply chain.
The formulas are also cruelty-free, vegan and Leaping Bunny-certified, and the brand does not sell into China due to animal testing mandates.
Following opening, both products are stable for 24 months. This is double the stability time of the average skincare product, which should be used within 12 months of purchase and six months of opening, according to skincare founder Joanna Vargas.
Dew Mighty ships its products carbon neutrally through certified offset programmes. It also offset the company’s entire footprint in 2020 and 2021 by donating to the building of a hydroelectric plant in India.
Dew Mighty products are available globally, and start at USD 40 for the Immaculate Duo (Lucid) Starter Kit and USD 52 for the Dynamic Duo Starter Kit (Bloom). Refills are USD 16.50 and USD 45 for Lucid and Bloom, respectively.

“We removed the water and the complications by choosing only the purest natural-based ingredients.”

Tiffany Buzzato - Founder, Dew Mighty - as quoted in Los Angeles Magazine

Key Design Considerations:

Choosing the right products to make waterless

Serums and enzyme pastes tend to have a low water content as is, so while Dew Mighty’s products are reducing water use even further, there are other beauty products on the market that require reformulation more urgently. Shampoo, body wash, hand soap, face creams and lotions contain the highest percentages of water and should be prioritised first when embarking on waterless design.

Lifespan of permanent packaging

While plated steel and aluminium have long lifespans, the areas under stress, such as hinges and closures will become worn overtime, rusting if exposed to water or sunlight and becoming less efficient for purpose as a result. Consider how the container could be further fortified to cope with daily use.

Paper coatings

Dew Mighty’s vegetable-based paper coating is a bioplastic, better than fossil fuel plastic at its origin, but unfortunately destined for the same end-of-life. While it may not hinder the recyclability of the paper, it can break down into microplastics when composted, adding to the microplastic crisis affecting both our oceans and the soil. Given the waterless nature of these products, a vegetable wax-based coating would be a more sustainable option and will not compromise use.

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Dew Mighty

WHAT WE SAY:

Removing water from a beauty product has myriad benefits. It makes the product more potent and therefore more effective. It reduces its weight and size, facilitating better storage and reducing shipping emissions. And perhaps best of all, the product can be packaged without plastic.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Water is quickly becoming known as ‘blue gold.’ Reserves are dwindling and care must be taken to preserve water wherever possible.

Removing water from beauty products is more than possible, and waterless products range from solid bars to powders. The result is a lighter and smaller product, increased efficacy and, more often than not, packaging that is not plastic.

Dew Mighty replaces water as an ingredient with a plethora of natural, plant-based ingredients, such as blue chamomile oil, hibiscus seed oil and spirulina platensis powder. Both products are activated by water at the point of use, but contain none in their formulations.

That is not to say, however, that water is not used throughout the production process and, of course, to grow all those natural ingredients. Waterless products do not mean a waterless supply chain.

The formulas are also cruelty-free, vegan and Leaping Bunny-certified, and the brand does not sell into China due to animal testing mandates.

Following opening, both products are stable for 24 months. This is double the stability time of the average skincare product, which should be used within 12 months of purchase and six months of opening, according to skincare founder Joanna Vargas.

Dew Mighty ships its products carbon neutrally through certified offset programmes. It also offset the company’s entire footprint in 2020 and 2021 by donating to the building of a hydroelectric plant in India.

Dew Mighty products are available globally, and start at USD 40 for the Immaculate Duo (Lucid) Starter Kit and USD 52 for the Dynamic Duo Starter Kit (Bloom). Refills are USD 16.50 and USD 45 for Lucid and Bloom, respectively.

Tiffany Buzzato - Founder, Dew Mighty - as quoted in Los Angeles Magazine

Key Design Considerations:

Choosing the right products to make waterless

Lifespan of permanent packaging

Paper coatings

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