REDUCE water consumption during hairwashing while enhancing the effectiveness of hair care: that's the claim being made by beauty giant L'Oréal with its Water Saver, a technology developed with Swiss start-up Gjosa. Presented at the virtual 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the innovation, which has already been used in select hair salons in the US will soon head to France, followed by a global rollout.
Over-consumption of water is a major environmental issue, and while many surveys have shown that the inhabitants of several countries are trying to cut their water waste on a daily basis, people are now turning their attention to new technologies to respond to the urgency of the situation. At CES 2021, which started on Monday January 11, L'Oréal presented a new green technology, called L'Oréal Water Saver, designed to reduce water consumption by nearly 80% when washing hair.
"We believe it is our responsibility at L'Oréal to do our part to preserve the earth's natural resources. Every drop of water is precious, and our new technology makes every drop of water count. L'Oréal Water Saver represents the next phase of our beauty tech ambition-one that delivers an exceptional personalized beauty experience while embodying our commitment to sustainability in every aspect of our business," explained Nicolas Hieronimus, Deputy CEO, L'Oréal Group.
Developed by L'Oréal's Tech Incubator, in collaboration with Gjosa, this technology promises to not only make it possible to considerably reduce water consumption - by up to 80% - but also to reinvent the application of hair care products. The "high-powered water-optimizing technology" was directly combined with specially designed L'Oréal Professionnel and Kérastase products that flow directly into the water stream.
The technology, which applies the principle of fractioning used in rocket engines to water flows means that "[water droplets collide according to a defined direction and uniform distribution. This reduces their size and accelerates their speed, ensuring every drop of water is used in the hair washing and rinsing process while making shampoos, conditioners, and other treatments easier to rinse," says the cosmetics giant. This would allow, among other things, to use only two liters of water per minute, compared to an average of eight liters per minute for a home shampoo at present.
Already available in a selection of salons in New York, L'Oréal Water Saver will arrive in some Parisian salons next February, before being deployed internationally between 2021 and 2022. Professionals should also benefit from a dashboard providing data on savings in water and energy consumption, and a history of the treatments used. Individuals won't be left out since L'Oréal has announced that an at-home shower device "will be launched at a later date." – ETX Studio, January 12, 2021
