Words by Smiley Team
Lockdown could end as late as February in the UK, so we can expect a backlog of Brits hoping for a haircut by the time businesses reopen. One positive environmental impact of your longed-for cut and dry, is enormous water wastage, with over 45 gallons of water contaminated each time a stylist washes their client’s hair. But thanks to L’Oréal’s new washbasin, hairdressers can now save up to 80 per cent of their usual water usage. The product comes with a data dashboard, helping salons to track water, energy and cost savings.
The personal care company unveiled its new product at CES 2021, the international event for the launch of new technologies. L’Oréal Water Saver is a sustainable haircare system and the first of its kind, developed in partnership with the environmental innovation company, Gjosa.
To optimise water use, the system transforms traditional hair-washing with high-powered technology that involves a similar method to that used in rocket engines which need to eject water with force. The device sends water droplets flying so that they collide from a specific angle, accelerating their speed and reducing their size.
This highly economical technique ensures every droplet goes towards the washing and rinsing process and makes it easier to rinse the hair.
Nicolas Hieronimus, deputy CEO of the L’Oréal Group, said: “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.”
Responsible for driving the product forward is Guive Balooch, Head of the L’Oréal Technology Incubator, who said: “Our work at the L’Oréal Technology Incubator for the past decade has been committed to merging beauty with technology. Our goal is to challenge ourselves to reinvent the beauty experiences we know to create better, more efficient, and more personalized results for our consumers.”
Balooch’s partner in this endeavour, Amin Abdulla, co-founder of Gjosa said: “L’Oréal Water Saver is the result of an exemplary exclusive partnership, which joins a century-long legacy of innovation in haircare with cutting edge technology. It represents a new type of sustainable experience for consumers, and one we look forward to seeing activated around the world.”
L’Oréal salons in New York and Paris are the first to benefit from this device, after which L’Oréal will roll out the product internationally throughout 2021 and 2022. They hope to introduce it to thousands of salons over the next few years, by which point they expect to have developed it further so that it can save up to one billion gallons of water per year.
By incorporating environmental sustainability into new products, companies can do their bit to help sustain our planet. L’Oréal is particularly proactive in this area, with ambitious sustainability goals for 2030. Faced with a climate emergency, if others follow their example we can hope for a safer and greener future.
