Trends in cosmetic packaging
The development of the cosmetics industry is not only dictated by innovations in the context of advanced formulations.
It is worth bearing in mind that user experience is also influenced by packaging. So what trends are we seeing in the cosmetic packaging market?
Concern for daily skincare has taken on a new meaning. Nowadays, the mere use of specific products for the face and body is too general a definition of taking care of oneself - today's consumers also pay attention to the many secondary suggestions of manufacturers. So what, apart from ingredients and efficacy, is so important? The appearance of the packaging also deserves attention, since it can greatly enhance the positive experience of using a given cosmetic.
The multitude of brands available today satisfies most tastes and needs of increasingly educated and demanding customers. Effective ingredients, realistic promises of results from manufacturers, clear communication based on dialogue and listening to the needs of the consumers, refined packaging - all these create the conditions for increased sales. We will focus here on this last aspect, i.e. packaging and labelling.
Ecology
Concern for the environment is increasingly high on the agenda of both consumers and manufacturers. More and more customers before making a purchase verify that a cosmetic has not been tested on animals. Packaging and labelling also have added value, if, for example, they have been produced using FSC-certified raw materials. Another symbol that catches the attention of consumers is the pictogram of a rabbit with the caption reading “cruelty free” or “not tested on animals”.
Minimalism
Following the example of many US brands, domestic cosmetics manufacturers are also moving towards minimalist label and packaging designs. Highlighting ingredients and usage suggestions on the label is giving way to graphics.
This transparent strategy is mainly used by those brands that emphasise in their communication with customers the raw materials used in the spirit of “nothing to hide.” The see your skin brand, for example, is an illustration of this approach.
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source of the photo: see your skin
Refinements
The purchase of polymers, printing forms or printing plates sometimes represents an additional investment of time and money when refining packaging and labels. In order to reduce the need to produce these, it is worth choosing alternatives that will make the product stand out on the shelf just as effectively. An example of this is exploiting the potential offered by the properties of specific printing substrates.
The above design for bath gels was created as part of a collaboration between Stara Mydlarnia and digital self-adhesive label printer Unilogo Digital Printing. The limited edition labels were produced on holographic film. Digital 3D varnish cured with UV light is responsible for the visible and tactile relief. Such innovative solutions generate real savings. The preparation of the graphic file did not require any specialised procedures either - it was enough to deliver the design as in the case of the selective varnish order.
Personalisation
One of the main aspirations of marketers is to gain the attention and interest of consumers. Personalisation is an effective strategy here. In the context of cosmetics, this is expressed, for example, in offering a product line that has been developed to meet the expectations of a specific skin type or to remedy a selected problem. This product uniqueness can also be supported by a prior skin analysis as part of an online survey developed by dermo-consultants. As a result, the customer receives a suggestion of products that are dedicated just for them.
The role of packaging is then, among others, to ensure that the product lives up to the promises resulting from this diagnosis. Thanks to digital printing technology, it is also possible to produce unique labels for each product packaging. The aforementioned aspects are among the repertoire of the most common trends in packaging design for the cosmetics industry. This, in turn, will open the hearts and wallets of customers.
