Background
Creaholic is a company based in Switzerland, and a significant proportion of our team spend their spare time on mountains. One reality that most mountain enthusiasts discover quite quickly, is how wet you can get in a mountain mist. This recognition, combined with a bit of thoughtful reflection, led us to consider whether it’s possible to shower in a mist, and if it is, can the principle be used to save water?
Our first challenge was how do you create a mist. After much research into producing microdroplets, our team started to work with the same technology used in combustion engines i.e. impinging jets. When two high speed jets of liquid collide, the liquid is atomised into fine droplets, and the size of these droplets can be fine tuned by the nozzle geometry and the speed of the liquid.
Now we had an interesting technological approach, but we were still a long way from knowing whether it’s possible to shower in a mist. We had to find out if we could use the technology to create a viable and desirable user experience, while still being able to satisfy the strict safety requirements of the sanitation world.
Development
So, we headed down to our basement and built a full-sized shower prototype. Which we used to test technical aspects, such as temperature gradients and water/power efficiency, as well as sensory factors, such as skin feel and sound. In parallel, we conducted further research and experiments to ensure the safety of the product, exploring details such as droplet size to make sure there were no potential health issues.
Based on the results from the above, we set ourselves the goal of delivering a viable and desirable shower experience with just 2 litres of water per minute. Which was about 3 times less than the best eco-showers at the time, and approximately 10 times less than a standard Swiss shower system.
With this proposition and our proof of concepts, we teamed up with a development partner from within the B2C sanitation domain. However, when we started to talk with potential customers we quickly realised the impact of installation was more of hurdle than expected, and unfortunately didn’t gain the traction needed to continue. However, all was not lost, after going back to the drawing board we recognised there was still potential for the technology in B2B markets.
Current Status
The impinging jet technology we had developed to deliver the mist was also ideal for the inline mixing of ingredients such as soap. This was the start of our conversation and collaboration with L’Oreal. By mixing shampoo directly in the water stream, both the volume of water and shampoo can be greatly reduced, without jeopardising functionality and results.
Gjosa, until 2024 a Creaholic spin-off, and L’Oréal launched this innovation at the CES in Las Vegas in 2021 to much interest. It was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the top inventions of 2021 and awarded an Honoree award at the CES 2022.
Awards are of course wonderful recognition, but we are more proud of the resources the product is able to save while not compromising on quality or experience. Keep your eyes open for new developments!
For more information check out the Gjosa website.
Are you facing a similar challenge?
Does this case study speak to you? Would you like to discuss a similar collaboration?If yes, then reach out to our experts!
