Innovation in water-free hair balm formulation
The Sinagua brand claims to be unique in the market because of it’s strategy in formulating exclusively water-free products, the word ‘Sinagua’ meaning ‘free from water’ in Spanish.
The elimination of water from the ingredients is said to have both positive effects on the scalp and the environment, qualities which make it well-suited to today’s natural, ethical and environmentally driven market.
The company claims that removing water from the products helps prevent risks of bacterial and fungi proliferation, allergic reactions or irritation.
Mintel’s Nica Lewis told Cosmetics Design that there are currently a few other brands on the market, such as Bakel and Lexli, that promote water-free formulas.
Completely water free
However, she said that Sinagua remains unique for its complete elimination of water from all of the active ingredients, whilst the products of these other brands still contain some water in them.
Sinagua claims that the water-free formula of the product allows the choice to use the product in its ‘pure’ state, which it claims to be three times more efficient than with water, or to reconstitute it in a cream or milk by adding water afterwards. This would triple the quantity of the hair balm.
The second major advantage of formulation without water, according to Sinagua, is that it allows the use of a higher percentage of active ingredients and smaller containers, reducing the overall environmental impact of the packaging. It claims to use three times less packaging than other water formulated brands. This will also decrease the brand’s transport costs.
Sinagua was also keen to emphasise its use of Ecocert certified organic ingredients. It claims that 100% of the total ingredients are from natural origin and 85% are from organic agriculture. The advantage of using ingredients in their raw and natural state, say Sinagua, is that it improves the absorption of the product onto the skin, restoring ‘scalp health’.
Emblematic of ‘Nu Natural’ trend
In combining natural products with ethical sourcing, Ms Lewis told Cosmetics Design that this product was emblematic of the latest trend in the cosmetics industry: ‘Nu Natural’. This refers to new cosmetics brands that are ‘focused on producing products that are free from formulations, taken to the extreme, whilst also embracing ethical and sustainable activism.’
This new hair balm is therefore indicative of a broader change in the cosmetics market, in emphasising that it is free from water, paraben, preservatives, silicone, PEG and many more synthetic ingredients.
It also satisfies the consumer demand for ethically sourced ingredients in supporting the ‘Ephyla Concept’, an association that contributed to sustainable and ethical development in cooperation with small producers in countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
