Why water should not be part of, but part of, care

About two-thirds of our body is made up of water and you are constantly reminded of how important it is to drink a lot for your well-being. So if your moisturizer is high in water, that can only be a good thing, right? are you standing up Then please sit down, because now comes a surprise: It's not.

Creams with water need a lot of excipients

Water never comes alone. Creams with H2O need a lot of additives. A look at the INCI list for most care products reveals that the No. 1 ingredient is water . Great, you think, it's healthy. You test the cream: a nice consistency, there is a fresh kick as soon as you apply it and it also absorbs quickly.

Feel-good factor vs. skin health

While ointments were still used in grandma's time, the trend today is towards light textures. Sounds progressive, but it's just a step towards wellness, not skin health. This is not due to the water itself, but to the many side effects that the necessary additives cause. Below I present the most important ones:

1. Water needs preservatives

Water contaminates within a few days because microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi thrive in it. Therefore, every cream with a water content automatically contains preservatives.

Natural cosmetics companies usually use alcohol because it has little allergenic potential and, as a broad-spectrum preservative, protects against a whole range of germs. However, it is not suitable for sensitive skin because it irritates and dries it out.

Conventional products rely on a combination of preservatives for a wide variety of germs. That means even more substances that stress your skin. Some of these can cause allergies.

2. Water and oil can only be turned into a cream with emulsifiers

Because oil and water don't mix, water-based creams need emulsifiers. They combine both substances with each other - in the pot and on your skin. When fat and water have long since moved in, the emulsifiers remain there. If new water is added from outside, they combine it with the skin's own fats.

There is a washing-out effect in which your skin is stripped of an important part of its protective layer, namely the skin's own fats, the so-called lipids. It is becoming drier and more susceptible to bacteria and the like. You can find out more about this in our article on emulsification .

3. No creamy texture without consistency enhancers

There are also substances that ensure the right texture. Think of your favorite jam. It consists of many water-containing fruits that are mixed with a gelling agent so that the jam does not remain liquid but maintains its delicious consistency. Creams with H2O need similar stabilizers. So even more what your skin has to deal with.

4. Water requires substances that balance pH

The skin is surrounded by a protective acid mantle. Their pH is therefore in the acidic range of 4.5 to 5.75. Water has a pH of 7 and other ingredients have their own values. In order not to disturb the protective acid mantle, the pH value of the care must be adjusted to that of the skin. The more ingredients, the more complex the pH adjustment.

Conclusion: Free from water means free from many additives

With our most popular product, the FIVE Shea Cream , we don't use water. That means a whole range of ingredients less that stress your skin. But where does the moisture come from? You can either make it easy on yourself and use water from the tap, or you can use our FIVE facial serum as a basis, which contains rose petal hydrosol, hyaluronic acid and glycerin with moisturizing and moisture-binding ingredients and thus hydrates your skin even more intensively and, above all, for longer.

Simply moisten your skin with water or with the facial serum and apply the Shea Cream to the still damp skin . So it absorbs well and your skin is well cared for.

Since FIVE products do without a bulky ingredient that flows cheaply out of the tap, they are highly concentrated. Even a small amount is enough. This is not only good for you, but also for the environment. Because the low consumption is also reflected in packaging and transport.