Is Water A “Filler” Ingredient?

NOPE. Working in product formulation development I have had the opportunity to learn a whole lot about how products are made. That being said, I’m a consumer as well so I completely understand how one may feel a bit ripped off when purchasing a product with the first ingredient being water.

However, contrary to popular belief, water actually plays an essential role in many beauty product formulations. It’s a universal solvent which means it’s used to dissolve other substances which are often too active to be used on the skin directly. In fact, most active ingredients have a maximum dose that can safely be applied to the skin anyway.

Water also creates emulsions which are a combination of water and oil. That’s how creams, lotions, and eye creams are produced. Even if you don’t see water listed on an ingredient list can you take a wild guess what aloe vera is? It’s often about 98% water mixed with dehydrated aloe powder and listed as aloe vera instead of water! Bottom line, water is in fact, a crucial addition to many beauty products and not just "filler"! Just some food for thought!