In short: In most creams and lotions, water is the largest ingredient – often 60 to 80 percent or more. You can tell because Aqua or Water comes first in the ingredient list (INCI). Water isn’t bad, but it isn’t an active ingredient either.
How much water is in a cream?
Most creams and lotions are emulsions: a blend of water and oil held together by an emulsifier. Water almost always makes up the largest share. Natural cosmetics makers state 50 to 80 percent water for conventional skincare. Light products such as cleansing foams or toners can contain even more: one manufacturer lists 87.3 percent water for its cleansing foam. For moisturisers, the average is around 80 percent, according to the German consumer magazine Öko-Test.
How to spot the water content in the INCI
Every cosmetic product in the EU carries a list of all its ingredients, the INCI. It is sorted by amount: what comes first is present in the largest quantity. Ingredients below one percent may be listed at the end in any order.
- Aqua / Water first: water is the main ingredient.
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice first: aloe vera juice forms the base.
- Oils only (e.g. Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil for jojoba oil): a water-free product.
The exact percentage isn’t printed on the pack. But the order tells you what makes up most of it.
Is water in skincare bad?
No. Water makes a cream light, helps it spread and dissolves many ingredients. But it has two sides: it adds no caring ingredients of its own. And where there is water, microbes can grow. That’s why products with water need a preservative system. Water-free oils and balms can often do with less.
What does “no added water” mean?
It means the INCI lists no Aqua as a separate water phase. In many Dr. Förster formulas, that place goes to organic aloe vera juice (not from concentrate). To be honest: aloe vera juice is itself mostly water. But it brings the ingredients of the aloe plant with it instead of just adding volume. Every product page shows whether a formula has no added water, together with the full INCI.
Examples from our range
- Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Serum: carefully selected organic aloe vera juice as the base, no added water.
- Anti-Aging Day Cream: thoughtfully formulated, with aloe listed first in the INCI.
- Jojoba Oil Gold: a pure, precious oil with a single ingredient in the INCI.
- Bioactive Herbal Oil: 101 fine essential oils and plant extracts, carefully composed, no added water.
Every detail matters. So does every ingredient. Committed to quality since 1927.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a cream contains a lot of water?
Look at the first position in the INCI. If it says Aqua or Water, water is the largest ingredient.
Does the pack have to state the percentage of water?
No. Only the order by amount is required, not a percentage.
Is a cream without water better?
Not automatically. What matters is what replaces the water and whether the texture suits your skin. An aloe-based formula or a pure oil brings more plant ingredients than a water base.
Sources: EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Art. 19 (labelling of ingredients); Öko-Test, average for moisturisers; manufacturer data on water content in natural cosmetics. As of October 2026.