‘Dehydrated’ moisturizer that looks like confetti could revolutionize the beauty industry — and lighten your toiletry bag, researchers claim
Toiletry bags may become a lot lighter after researchers turn ‘dried out’ moisturizer into a confetti-like disc.
A small package contains a flat circle of material the size of a pound coin. The product, made of a thin material that feels like paper, only needs a drop of water to become moisturizing – because the product is mostly water.
A process called electrospinning was used to remove oil and water. It means that a month’s worth of moisturizer could fit into a bath about 3 cm in diameter.
The product would no longer need preservatives if it were made in this dry form.
Professor Sheng Qi, who prototyped the moisturizer at the University of East Anglia, said the technology could be used for sunscreen, shampoos and conditioners, among others.
A new ‘dried out’ moisturizer in the form of confetti can revolutionize your toiletry bag
She said, “You could carry this moisturizer in a little paper bag like you normally carry a breath mint in your purse or handbag.”
“It only takes one drop of water to rehydrate and become a moisturizer.
“Most cosmetics and toiletries contain up to 95 percent water, which leads to heavy volume units and bulky packaging.
‘Every year 120 billion pieces of cosmetics and toiletries are packaged and shipped worldwide, so the industry has a huge environmental footprint.’
The researcher said that unlike other anhydrous beauty products currently available, the technology used to dehydrate the moisturizer does not contain heat, meaning that proteins, peptides and other “delicate” ingredients are well preserved.
Because the water is removed from the day cream, no chemical preservatives are needed, because without water there is less chance of the growth of moisture-loving bacteria.
Researchers originally created the product for pharmaceutical and drug delivery, but found it could be useful for beauty products and cosmetics.
