'Waterless' Product Spotlight: Olay Cleansing Melts

Waterless and low-water personal care products have been catching on. Fortune Business Insights projects this market in the U.S. will reach US $4.11 billion by 2032. Per the source, drivers include a rise in global travel and fast-paced consumer lifestyle, along with rising awareness of water scarcity and technological advances; e.g., powders, encapsulation, nanofibers, etc. This week's example of a "water" product are Olay's Cleansing Melts.

Olay Cleansing Melts

Olay Cleansing Melts are celebrated as a novel product format for facial cleansing. The small strips of concentrated, water-activated cleanser lather when they are soaked in water and the user rubs their hands together. This velvety "microbubble" lather is then spread onto skin to cleanse, tone and refresh all at once without leaving skin dry or tight. A simple formula comprising just eight concentrated ingredients is packed into each pad (see below). 

Designed for everyday use, the cleansing melts are described as compact yet powerful and great on the go. What's more, with regular use, the products reportedly improve skin feel, tone and texture after seven days.

Additional benefits include:

• Made for all skin types and tones,
• Gentle enough for sensitive skin,
• 100% of test participants felt the melts left skin feeling clean all day,
• 95% of participants felt the melts provided a deep clean
• 91% of participants agreed the melts felt gentle on skin and
• Contains no sulfates, parabens or mineral oil.

The melts are offered in three types.

• Vitamin C - Used to prep skin for a brightening regimen such as Olay's Vitamin C collection; recommended for use in the morning and evening before treatments and moisturizers.
• Hyaluronic - Used to prep skin for a hydrating regimen such as Olay's Hyaluronic Acid collection; recommended for use in the morning and evening, before treatments and moisturizers.
• Retinol - Used to prep skin for a nighttime smoothing regimen such as Olay's Retinol24 collection.

To use the product: 1) cleansing pads are soaked under water for 3 sec; 2) the products is activate by lightly rubbing hands together to create a rich, creamy lather, and 3) microbubbles are massaged onto face, then rinsed. The product is packaged in a 100% recyclable dry, lightweight, resealable pack for easy access.

Ingredients: Olay Cleansing Melts

+Vitamin C: Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Fragrance, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Black 2

+Hyaluronic: Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Black 2.

+Retinol: Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Triethyl Citrate, Retinol, Citric Acid, Black 2.

*Ingredients are listed as shown on Olay's website as of Aug. 29, 2025.

User Reviews: Olay Cleansing Melts

Following are example user reviews (edited for style), selected for their anecdotal insights on product form and function.

• It feels so aromatic and soft but at the same time is a great cleanser; very gentle to the skin, which feels great after using it.
• They melted easily into a very sudsy cleanser and felt so gentle on my face. They would also be perfect for traveling so I don't have to worry about leakage.
• The fragrance was refreshing and the amount of moisture it left on my face was perfect.
• I started using the Olay melts about three months ago and they have done wonders for my skin. My face is now softer and toned.
• I loved how easy it was to use and how my skin felt afterward.
• I was surprised to see that such a small product was so powerful.
• I love this product. Just wish there was a "dispenser" for it. Something like a Pez dispenser that would give one at a time.

Notes on Formulating Waterless Cleansers

Previously, Lionetti, in his Cosmetics & Toiletries column, highlighted the trend toward waterless and water-efficient cosmetics. Regarding cleansers, he advised:

"...[T]he amount of water present in a formula is not easily reduced. The logical way to decrease the water quantity would be to make the product more concentrated. If not adequately formulated, however, the application of the product could be difficult. ... The consumer would then need to increase water use to improve the spreading properties of the product.

"Therefore, the target would be to develop a liquid concentrate but with high spreadability. The challenge is to keep the properties that the consumer demands, including: ease of use, smooth and effective spreading, an agreeable foam, long-term stability, a nice after-feel and safety for skin. 

"To achieve this, first, the viscosity of the product must be reduced in order to facilitate dilution with added tap water. Moreover, the right dose for each shower should be defined via an adequate dispensing system.

"Lastly, the combination of surfactants also should be similar to that of a standard cleanser but in different ratios. Considering an amount of total active matters (AM) of 40-50% — more or less 4× that of a standard cleanser — the ratio of the anionic surfactant cannot be higher than 0.60-0.70. 

"The addition of an amphoteric secondary surfactant at 0.20-0.40 may help to reduce the viscosity and improve transparency. A nonionic surfactant could additionally be used as a modifier at very low ratio (< 0.10)."

See the complete article for more details.