Bar shampoo and conditioners have been around for decades, with the format finding a solid niche among environmentally conscious consumers.
But now a fresh wave of waterless innovation is not only flowing from growing demands for sustainable beauty products, it is bringing convenience and high performance to hair care too.
Beauty giant Procter and Gamble (P&G) is staking a claim on the category to take it mainstream, debuting Gemz in the US this summer.
14 years in the making, Gemz offers what P&G describes as a first-of-its-kind single dose formula that is activated by water at the point of use. The dissolvable palm-sized tiles deliver a concentrated dose of the shampoo or conditioner, which Lorena Ferreyros, Senior Brand Director of Hair Care North America at P&G, says is “fun and flexible.”
“Consumers can mix and match different shampoos and conditioners based on their hair’s changing needs, without sacrificing performance,” she said, at the time of launch. “Gemz delivers exceptional cleaning benefits while helping reduce excess build-up.”
Not only are the hexagon shaped-discs free from water, they are also made without fillers or waxes. The launch of the brand, which includes five shampoos and five conditioners and is available at Target, is “a science-enabled response to modern consumer needs”, according to John Scarchilli, Director of Hair Care, Scientific Communications at P&G. “Each Gem is made of intricately spun threads, creating a porous, high-surface-area matrix that dissolves and lathers rapidly when water is added in the shower,” he says.
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