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Packaging complements innovative ingredients.
June 1, 2018
By: Melissa Meisel
Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to cosmetic packaging. For a new formulation that contains naturals, an exterior package clad in recycled materials can really complete the SKU. A product’s anniversary celebration can be commemorated by limited edition graphics or artwork. Or, by offering sample or TSA-approved sizes, a mailed subscription box membership can really make a shopper’s retail experience ideal for trying and buying. According to market research firm Mintel, this year packaging plays a pivotal role in reducing global food and product waste, online brands reinvigorate their packaging in order to enhance the e-commerce experience, brands who adopt clear and succinct package messaging will be rewarded as shoppers embrace minimalism and contemporary packaging formats will take center stage. “The throwaway culture of today will evolve into one that understands and embraces the role of packaging as a primary means to reduce global food and product waste,” said David Luttenberger, global packaging director, Mintel. “Consumers have long considered packaging as often unnecessary, and ultimately as just waste to be disposed of. But that misconception is changing. A focus on package innovations that preserve ingredient fortification and ensure safe delivery is increasingly benefiting consumers.” According to Luttenberger, beauty brands must act fast by exploiting on-pack communication tools to educate consumers to the benefits packaging can bring to a product. Also, as more consumers embrace online shopping, packaging will play a pivotal role in e-commerce experiences. “Online shopping is becoming increasingly widespread around the globe and is near ubiquitous in some markets,” said Luttenberger. “However, while online shopping’s key advantage is convenience, consumers expect more from their favored brands. When designing packaging to be viewed online, and transit packaging to be opened upon delivery in the home, the experience of e-commerce packaging must reflect consumer expectations from shopping with that brand in-store.” Aiming for packaging designs that enlighten consumers’ purchase decisions, brands will reject approaches that offer too much or too little as they can leave shoppers more confused than informed, added Luttenberger. “Today’s consumers are more informed than ever; however, brands are in real danger of being rejected if consumers feel overloaded with information, leading to the questioning of provenance, authenticity and transparency. The essentialist design principle bridges the divide between not enough and just enough of what’s essential for consumers to make an enlightened and confident purchasing decision. Brands must bring the next generation of clean label to packaging design to provide a moment of calm and clarity for shoppers in an increasingly hectic retail environment,” he said. Get the Look Design intersects with function when it comes to packaging. According to Jenni Olivero, co-founder and COO of gift service Boxfox, Los Angeles, shoppers gravitate toward packaging that is clean and simple because it immediately implies transparency. “An easy to read font, straightforward language and simple lines are all visual cues that suggest trust and ease between brands and shoppers,” she told Happi. Olivero added that quality is key in packaging too. For example, when her beauty subscription service company was first testing samples, it put a strong emphasis on the weight and rigidity of the boxes because it wanted them to feel like a keepsake. Boxfox also strategically chose its signature nude and matte black gift boxes because the neutral colors complement any occasion, from birthdays and new babies to sympathy and celebrations. The company features trendy brands such as Voluspa, Herbivore and Tocca, with products including scented candles, luxe hand creams, nail polishes and more. All items are priced under $50 and arrive hand-packed with a written note from the personalized Build A Boxfox platform. Visual allure can also grab the consumer when it comes to packaging preferences. “Consumers are always looking for a story, things that we buy today are more than just products, and we want brands to reflect our own identity or who we want to be,” explained Amanda Wall, creative director and packaging designer for hair care brand R+Co of Los Angeles. “We all love nostalgia and I think that vintage, even ‘90s nods will continue to appear in packaging. Also products that are designed to be gender-neutral and have a unisex visual appeal.” Clean & Green Sara Scott-Curran, director of merchandising at EO Products, San Rafael, CA, told Happi that when it comes to packaging, shoppers want “mindful simplicity.” “They are increasingly finding value in simplified, utilitarian forms which are honest and rooted in sustainable materials—recycled, recyclable or organic,” she said. “In an increasingly hectic world, consumers appreciate the straightforward functionality that prioritizes ease of use. Some of the creative ways EO Products has diverted waste from ending up in landfills includes recycling hair nets and nitrile gloves used in the manufacturing process. EO even created an onsite composting program, an early adopter of the practice in the US. These efforts enabled EO Products to divert 91.6% of waste into recycling streams; of the 288 tons of waste material generated in 2017, EO recycled 264 tons. Scott-Curran also noted that consumers’ active lifestyles and fast-paced lives dictate that favorite products must be easy to use and easy to transport. EO’s Everyone for Everybody is responding to this growing need through the introduction of portable aromatherapy rollerballs launching in Whole Foods next month. Burt’s Bees’ new Recycle On Us program gives consumers the opportunity to recycle any and all Burt’s Bees packaging, nationwide. In partnership with TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, the program allows anyone to recycle their product packaging through a free mail-in program, regardless of any regional recycling limitations. In addition to preventing recyclables from entering the waste stream, signing up for the program through TerraCycle rewards people for their good deeds: for every shipment over one pound, collectors earn $1 per pound to donate to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. Sustainability is one of Burt’s Bees’ core values, explained Paula Alexander, director of sustainable business and innovation. “Burt’s Bees strives to formulate with natural ingredients and design our packaging with mindful materials, such as post-consumer recycled content, but we don’t stop there,” explained Alexander. “Now, through our partnership with TerraCycle, we can not only minimize the material used to create our packaging, but minimize or even eliminate used packaging entering the waste stream, through nationwide recycling access.” Henkel has partnered with the How2Recycle label program to encourage consumer recycling; as part of the alliance, a selection of Henkel’s laundry and home care products, including Soft Scrub and Purex Crystals, sold at major retailers across the US, will feature the How2Recycle label. Variation in recycling programs, unclear labeling, and inaccurate recyclability claims make proper recycling a challenge. How2Recycle is a US-based standardized labeling system that communicates recycling instructions to the public. The system is a project of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a membership-based group that brings together business, educational institutions, and government agencies to broaden the understanding of packaging sustainability and develop meaningful improvements for packaging solutions. The label was created to provide consistent and transparent on-package recycling information to the public. Henkel said participating in the How2Recycle label program represents a significant milestone in its ongoing sustainability endeavors. “By educating consumers on recyclability, we can help close the loop on the lifecycle of our product packaging. Complex packaging types can make it unclear which items should go in the recycling bin. This labeling system provides proper instruction on package disposal to help divert recyclable items from the waste stream,” said Jessica Fedrigo, packaging engineer at Henkel. ColorProof Color Care Authority recently started to use ColorProof plastic bottles with 10% ocean-bound up-cycled plastic. In partnership with recycling and packaging expert Envision Plastics, this eco-initiative takes plastic at risk of entering the oceans and transforms it into resin pellets that will be mixed with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and molded into ColorProof bottles. Sourcing a portion of packaging from up-cycling plastics at risk of entering the ocean is part of ColorProof Color Care Authority’s corporate social responsibility initiative to act sustainably and provide alternatives to using virgin materials do exist, said the company. Collaborations, Makeovers and More Indie hair brand Amika recently repackaged its entire line. While the brand’s vibrant signature pattern remains intact, all products are categorized by principal benefit and color codified in custom bottles that make it simple for hair stylists and consumers alike to identify products within the collection. “Amika’s signature pattern has been pivotal to the success and differentiation of the brand. It was designed, and has succeeded, to launch an emotional connection with our audience, and has made Amika an instantly recognizable, and an impossible-to-ignore, player in the industry,” insisted Chelsea Riggs, Amika’s brand president, Brooklyn, NY. “However, as the line continues to grow, we looked to design a system which would be easier to differentiate within the line. Realizing the impact our pattern has had on the brand, we sought to strengthen its appeal and positioning.” The entire packaging relaunch was designed in-house by Amika’s creative director Vita Raykhman. She designed custom cylindrical bottles inspired by the baton. With a slimness that fits perfectly within the hand, a baton is suggestive of collaboration, and redolent of the inclusive, approachable nature of the brand—as the name Amika itself means “friend” or “girlfriend” in several languages. “As a brand, experimentation is in our DNA. Amika is always evolving, and we allow it to go where it wants,” said Raykhman. “There were many practical reasons to relaunch the packaging. Aside from the color coding to differentiate our products, adding a variation of palettes and treatments to our signature pattern works to enrich the aesthetic of the brand.” Meanwhile, Moroccanoil debuted a commemorative collaboration with Swarovski. In honor of the brand’s first decade of oil-infused innovation, the partnership reimagines the Moroccanoil Treatment as a glass bottle elegantly adorned with luxurious Swarovski crystals. Each limited edition Moroccanoil Treatment Swarovski bottle has been handmade, featuring nearly a thousand crystals trickling from the cap and bottle neck down to the body of the bottle in the brand’s signature blue color. The limited edition Moroccanoil Treatment anniversary bottles are available now on Moroccanoil.com for $150 while supplies last. “We are thrilled to celebrate 10 years of innovation with Swarovski and create something truly special,” said Moroccanoil co-founder Carmen Tal. “When we first introduced our iconic Moroccanoil Treatment, we revolutionized the beauty industry by pioneering an oil-infused hair care category. It has been such an incredible journey and only fitting that we turn to a partner like Swarovski that embodies heritage and luxury to honor our hero product.” Other packaging concepts offer a spark or a perk to the shopper. Nuest Cosmetics’ new Magical Jelly Highlighter Line offers a small complimentary tote bag for the product itself. And, Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Warming Clay Cleanser, Warming Mud Mask and Single Use Mask all feature new, colorful graphics to catch a fickle eye. Shu Uemura’s 2018 Spring artist collaboration is with Paris-based jewelry designer Yazbukey who helped the brand create the “mattitude collection,” an update of its signature Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks. M•A•C Cosmetics also tapped performer Patrick Starr for Floral Realness, new floral-inspired kits for vibrant summer looks. Nars’ latest collaboration is Erdem for Nars Strange Flowers collection, in which acclaimed fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu brings his signature romance and dream-like narrative to the limited-edition capsule collection. Pop art has been a major source of inspiration for the JinSoon nail lacquer line. Therefore, the company teamed up with Korean artist Hyang-Sook Yun, for its Neo-Pop Collection. Hyang-Sook works with dot matrix, super-imposing pop art colors over silhouette-like iconic images. In Hyang-Sook’s collaboration with JinSoon, the subject is a nail polish bottle in various shades, yielding an Andy Warhol-like result. The nail-inspired art is currently being displayed at the JinSoon Natural Hand and Foot Spa in Tribeca. Besides printing artsy graphics and bedazzling bottles, custom mixing is also a rising trend in packaging. For example, skin care brand Vitabrid’s newest launch at Barneys New York is The Dual Serum. Featuring an innovative Twist-to-Mix bottle, its advanced design allows the two separate skin care serums enclosed in each bottle (one yellow, one clear) to be mixed upon opening. Offering stabilized, active vitamin C and peptides, they are mixed just prior to use to activate the ingredients for optimal results and freshness, according to the company. Future Focus According to Mintel’s Luttenberger, brands will look to contemporary packaging formats to help reinvigorate the center-of-store aisles less visited by younger consumers. “Young shoppers are increasingly shopping the periphery…the use of transparent materials, contemporary design, recyclability, or unique shapes can help draw in younger consumers,” he noted. There has been a rising movement toward green and eco-packaging during the past few years, and Olivero of Boxfox hopes this continues to snowball. “I’m extremely passionate about reducing waste, so I hope that we continue to see brands choosing to package with recycled materials, staying away from plastics,” Olivero told Happi in an interview. “Unfortunately, it’s actually cheaper to create new plastic than to recycle it. Even when we’re recycling in our day-to-day lives, companies have to choose and pay more to reuse it! Ideally in the future, shoppers and companies will both opt for less plastics.” Scott-Curran of EO Products agreed that shoppers will continue to look for on-the-go solutions but will also start to focus on delivery systems and larger formats that will cut down on waste. “Consumers will increasingly consider environmental impact when evaluating packaging which is why honest forms made from sustainable materials will continue to trend,” she said.
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