I had Lucy bring me back some Gemz, the Proctor & Gambol owned waterless shampoo and conditioners, from her trip to the US (hence the wonky box!). P&G are betting hard on these interwoven thread matrix designs – I’ve previously written about the Olay Cleansing Melts, also owned by P&G. Behind the scenes, all the big corporations have been chasing this technology but it seems like P&G have won the race to be first.
While I quite liked the Olay Cleansing Melts because they did the job of melting down to a somewhat globulous liquid that will give your skin a perfectly adequate cleanse, my predominant feeling after using Gemz is that they’ve launched too soon. To use, you just add a small amount of water and the hexagon, with its large and porous surface area, dissolves into a creamy liquid that feels slightly heavier than a liquid shampoo.
When I tried both the Gemz shampoo (Perfect Air Dry Shampoo) and the conditioner (Light As Air Conditioner), I found that they don’t dissolve either easily or evenly. I had glutenous blobs in my hand that felt resistant to melt down while I became ever closer to that very thing. I hate to have a wasted hair wash because it’s my least favourite beauty chore.
In effect, Gemz are concentrated products made without filler or water that bypass so many personal care inconveniences, such as bathroom clutter, packaging waste and travel. In reality, my hair didn’t feel properly clean after washing and the conditioner took almost forever to rise out fully, and I’m not even sure I have because my hair is floofy and heavy feeling, rather that swishy and light.
The scent reminded me of laundry washing powder. I’m in a hard water area and I suspect that Gemz might fare better in softer circumstances, but I’m not a convert to this first iteration of waterless shampoo and conditioner, especially as no build up is a key brag from the brand. The other irksome thing is that the packaging for the hexagons, once the product is out, looked a lot like litter in my shower and my bottles don’t.
To recycle the packaging for Gemz, you need to join the scheme, collect your hexagons and send them to Terracycle in a free envelope and I’m just not sure how well that will go – plus you’re handing over your data by joining. It feels like exchanging one level of clutter for another. Gemz are interesting to try, that’s for sure, but they need a better breakdown ability and easier rinseability before I’d try them again. The mixed box of 11 (come on – 11??) costs $14.99 at Target HERE.
