Is Water Free Skincare the Key to Long Lasting Hydration? Neve's Bees' Natural Formulas

At Y.O.U Underwear, we love to celebrate independent businesses working to do better for people and the planet, which is why we’re bringing back our Mates of the Month series where we highlight the brands we’re loving at the moment.

One of our all time favourites is Neve’s Bees, the skincare brand making a range of natural products from their base in the Oxfordshire countryside. We spoke to Founder Julie Macken to learn more about her business - and natural skincare. 

Neve’s Bees was built on the idea that skincare could be simple, nourishing and natural, as well as supporting the planet and saving the bees. Julie Macken left behind her 20 year career in pharmaceutical marketing to focus her energy on developing genuine products that support healthy skin rather than selling poor quality and overpriced items that have a negative effect on the environment.

The beauty industry's dirty secret

Setting up Neve’s Bees meant entering into a highly saturated market worth hundreds of billions of pounds per year. In recent years, the skincare industry has grown and grown as younger consumers become increasingly interested in skincare with social media marketing driving much of the boom.

Julie explained that these days, skincare marketing is increasingly presented from a scientific perspective - responding to increased consumer interest and scrutiny in the ingredients contained in their products. This has led to a rise in ‘active’ formulas, presented as science backed miracle ingredients designed to reverse ageing and transform skin.

Aside from this, the so-called active ingredients in skincare may in fact be having a negative impact on your skin. Trending ingredients like hyaluronic acid might work at first and give the impression of hydrated, plump skin, but over time it may start to have the opposite effect, creating a cycle of ‘problem-solving’ purchases. And whilst these ‘frankenstein’ molecules do undergo testing for their impact on the skin, sadly they are not required to undergo the vigour of a drug trial and so the health impact of those that do penetrate the skin’s barrier are unknown - resulting in the subsequent issues we’re now seeing with previously-believed ‘safe’ molecules such as parabens, phthalates, BHP, phenoxyethanol, dimethicone…and many others.

What is the purpose of water in skincare?

Most moisturisers are made up of a mixture of oil for hydration and water to dilute the oil enough to spread it onto your skin. Water is not a moisturiser - it simply evaporates. To mix the two together, an emulsifier must be added as well as preservatives to prevent bacteria from growing in the water. This often means most of the oil doesn't reach the skin - leaving behind dry skin and a feeling of tightness.

On top of this, the emulsifiers and preservatives being added can have negative effects on the skin’s natural barrier leaving it dehydrated and exposed to irritants.

What is water free skincare?

Did you know, almost all the skincare you buy (whether natural, organic or petrochemical based) is mainly water and processing chemicals? Typically a face cream, body lotion or hand cream will be 65-90% water and processing chemicals - you can tell by checking to see if the first ingredient is water ‘aqua’.

At Neve’s Bees, skincare is designed to maintain and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, hydrating and restoring our body’s biggest organ. Made from only natural and plant derived oils, seeds, and butters, combined with their own beeswax, they choose not to dilute their formulations, this eliminates the need to include emulsifiers and preservatives, leading to a stripped back list of ingredients which can actually hydrate and support your skin. 

If the winter weather has left your lips and hands feeling dry and cracked, give Neve's Bees Gardener's gift set a go for effective, natural hydration in invigorating citrus scents.

Why is water free skincare better for the environment?

Neve’s Bees water free skincare is not only better for your skin but also significantly reduces the impact on the environment. By removing the water, the need for chemical processing and synthetic ingredients is removed as well as overall production costs. Thanks to the more concentrated formulas, a small amount of product goes a long way, meaning less packaging and reduced transportation impact.

How to use water free skincare

Switching to water free skincare might be just the boost that your skin is crying out for. Rather than relying on a 10 step skincare routine, you can get reliable and long lasting hydration with powerful natural oils. 

Give water-free a go with the Flower Lovers lip balm gift set. Combining the best selling scents: Lavender, Rosey, and Honey Vanilla to soften and moisturise your lips with 100% natural ingredients.

Applying the product to damp skin means you can use the residual water to spread the product into the skin and allow the oil to absorb without leaving behind a greasy feeling.

Better for skin, better for the planet

Similar to how organic cotton supports the planet through reducing pesticides & fertilisers and promoting soil health, water free skincare reduces chemical processing and promotes natural ingredients.

With Neve’s Bees skincare, the impact goes even further. They donate 10% of their profits to wildlife causes dedicated to preserving nature reserves and restoring wildflower meadows across the UK. They regularly work with local nature groups to support the bees through promoting healthy and diverse natural spaces as well as educating people on the importance of protecting these natural pollinators.

Keep reading to find out more:

Discover the story behind Neve's Bees and how they're supporting wildlife

The impact of organic cotton - how does it use less water?

Get to know Bare Kind with our Mates of the Month series