5 Ways to Save Water in Your Beauty Routine

Happy World Water Day! Today, we should all reflect on how important water is to our livelihood, communities, and every day routines. It’s a resource that is easy to take for granted, because it always seems to be available for us in the first world.

However, the reality is that not only is water not as accessible in other parts of the globe, but we have our own water crisis here on home turf— especially in my home of California. I’ve felt the effect of the drought first hand in seeing the environment change around me, and it’s not pretty.

Quick Water Facts to Know:

• Water is a finite resource—even though about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, less than 1 percent is available for human use.
• Each American uses an average of 100 gallons of water a day at home.
• Forty out of 50 state water managers expect water shortages under average conditions in some portion of their states over the next decade.
  (Source)

Drought or no drought, it’s time to be more conscious about how we use water. I didn’t realize until I really paid attention how much water is a part of my own beauty routine. I’ve been working hard to make small adjustments so I can conserve without giving up my favorite regimens. Keep reading to discover ways you can save water in your beauty routine and make a difference.

1. Spot Clean Your Brushes More

I always suggest being diligent about spot cleaning your brushes between each use. Not only will this keep bacteria from running rampant on your brushes (and in the makeup you use them with), but you’ll be able to deep clean them much more easily and quickly, thus saving water. I’ve ben using the Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner for a couple years now, and it’s great at preventing makeup from building up from day to day. When deep cleaning, using a tool like the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette will also help conserve water by getting deep into the bristles and needing less water to lather your cleanser of choice.

2. Turn Off the Tap

Turn the water off when you don’t need it. Seems straight forward enough, but it has been the tip that is the most difficult for me to remember. This tip can be exercised when you’re…

• Washing your face
• Exfoliating your skin
• Brushing your teeth
• Deep conditioning your hair
• or Lathering your body wash

Being more aware of unused running water can save gallons!

3. Swap Out Your Shower Head

Since showering might be what uses the most water in your daily beauty routine, its the biggest area of potential improvement when it comes to water conservation. The obvious tip to follow would be to shave minutes off of your shower, but I know that’s easier said than done.

Swapping out your shower head can make a huge difference. At home, I use the Delta Hydrafall Showerhead, which has five different water flow options: Full Body, Full Spray with Massage, Massage Spray, and a pause feature to reduce water to a trickle when you don’t need it, or when you’re waiting for the water to warm up. The H2Okinetic technology shoots the water in a wave pattern, which gives the feeling of more water without actually using more. I also thought it was cute that it comes with a travel size bottle of my favorite Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash in the package!

4. Shave Separately

Shaving your legs can take up a large chunk of shower time, especially when you like to take your time to exfoliate and moisturize like I do. By shaving separately from your normal shower routine, you can just switch on the water when you need to rinse your razor and skin, instead of letting it flow the entire time. If you prefer to do everything at the same time, turn off the water completely (or use the pause setting on your shower head) to stop the water flow until you need it to rinse.

5. Dry Shampoo is Your Best Friend

Are you washing your hair multiple times a week? Add an extra day between washes by keeping your hair fresh with dry shampoo. You can totally pull off third (or… fourth?) day hair, lending for quicker showers when you just need to rinse off the day. The best dry shampoos are lightweight, and leave your hair feeling and smelling great. I’ve been using the Dove Dry Shampoo; I love that it applies invisible and doesn’t leave any noticeable residue– so important!

This year, World Water Day is specifically focusing on how water effects our country’s jobs. Did you know half of all workers everywhere are employed in water-related sectors? Learn more about the power of water on the World Water Day home page.