From protecting your products to enticing consumers and eliciting strong emotions, cosmetic packaging has a variety of functions to fulfil. That’s why it’s important to understand the different solutions available, and which is best suited to your business. Balancing cost, weight, design, material choice, and usability is essential in order to make sure your packaging is fit for purpose.
Established in 2011, Fillcon manufacture and fill sachets, bottles, tubes, and more with all sorts of liquid products. We work across a range of sectors, and even provide eco-friendly material options.
In this blog, we provide an overview of cosmetic packaging and explain how to choose the right option for your business.
When we talk about packaging, there are three different layers to consider. The primary and secondary product packaging, alongside the packaging used to ship the product to the consumer or Point of Sale (POS).
The term cosmetic packaging is generally used to refer to just the primary and secondary layers. That is, the packaging that is actually in contact with the product, and the layer which houses this primary packaging (e.g., the box for a tube of lipstick!).
Cosmetic packaging is used for products that are intended to improve and enhance the appearance without structurally altering the face or body. Packaging of this kind is important to get right, as it has to balance three important functions. It needs to protect and adequately contain the product, offer convenience to customers, and assist with the marketing of its contents.
Cosmetic products have specific requirements when it comes to packaging. They will be used for months at a time and so the packaging needs to be robust and convenient to use at time of purchase, but also over long periods of time.
The marketing of cosmetic products often appeals to positive emotions and aspirations. That’s why the design of cosmetic packaging is crucial, and important to get right.
Read more: Beauty Marketing Ideas and Inspiration
Sachets
Sachets can be used to contain small, single dose quantities of products, making them the perfect solution for cosmetic sampling. A variety of liquids, gels, and creams can all be contained in sachets, and they can even be manufactured using recyclable materials. Available printed in a variety of colours, they even come with an open tear notch making them incredibly easy to use.
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Tubes
One of the most popular cosmetic packaging types, tubes can be used for a range of different products. Generally made from aluminium or plastic, they are lightweight and provide consumers with more control over the quantity dispensed. That makes them ideal for gels, creams, and other products that will be used in small doses each time. Their flexibility also provides added convenience to customers as they can get every last drop out of the packaging.
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Bottles
Ideal for liquids, bottles can come in a variety of materials and sizes and even include pumps or sprays to facilitate usability. From tiny 2ml fragrance vials all the way to 500ml shampoo bottles, they are perfect for a range of product types. Depending on your target market, there are also many options when it comes to materials. Whilst glass bottles provide a feeling of quality and luxury, recyclable plastic can also work well for many liquids, gels, and creams as it is lightweight and highly robust.
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Pouches
Pouches are essentially large sachets, and are increasingly popular in the cosmetics market. They make the ideal receptacle for things like face masks, bath salts, and makeup products. Flexible and lightweight, they can help minimise shipping costs and are available in a variety of materials. If sustainability is important to your business, they can be made using a multi-layer laminate that properly protects and contains the product whilst minimising the plastic used.
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Jars
If you’re looking to package cosmetic products that don’t pour well such as creams, lotions, and cleansing products, jars can be a great solution. They can come in a variety of sizes and materials including glass, plastic, and aluminium. They can be supplied with highly visual printed labels to attract consumers, and screw top lids to help protect the product from air and contamination.
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Tins
Tins are made from aluminium and are perfect for small sized products like lip balms or glosses. Aluminium can be easily recycled without degradation, which is why it is proving such a popular material choice for a range of cosmetics. They are lightweight and available with screw top lids, making them good for travel and highly convenient.
Materials
One of the most important factors when it comes to cosmetic packaging is material choice. Whether it’s plastic, aluminium, glass, or even bioplastic, it needs to be suitable for the product in question, and not degrade whilst in contact with it.
More than that, the material needs to be highly durable as (unless it’s sample sized) the product is likely to be used over a long period of time. It therefore needs to be robust enough to handle regular handling and protect the product from heat, UV light, and air which can affect smell, texture, and colour, making it unusable.
The material you use also needs to appeal to your target market. For example, if you’re selling high end products, a material like glass or aluminium will provide a greater feeling of luxury than plastic.
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Environment
A recent survey by Deloitte found that 61% of consumers had limited their plastic use in 2021, and 34% chose to buy from brands that had environmentally sustainable values and practices. That’s why the environment is an increasingly important concern for businesses when it comes to product packaging. Choosing recyclable or recycled materials for your packaging means you’ll still appeal to this significant portion of the market.
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Design
People buy cosmetics not merely for their function, but also because of beauty and lifestyle aspirations, styles, and trends. That means cosmetic packaging needs to evoke specific emotions in consumers if it is to prove effective, making good design even more essential. The industry is also highly competitive, with many different brands vying for attention on the physical or digital shelves. That means your packaging needs to be tailored to your brand identity with a distinctive look and feel to ensure it draws the eye.
Read more: 9 Luxury Packaging Ideas to WOW Customers
Usability
A cosmetic packaging solution is not a solution if it offers a poor user experience. Cosmetics are often used daily over the course of many months. That means your packaging needs to be convenient to use and dispense the product, and sustain this convenience over the entire course of its life.
Consider the product you want to sell. Generally, it’s intended use and viscosity will inform the type of packaging you choose. For example, thick formulations are better suited to jars, whereas liquids and thinner gels, creams, and lotions can work well in bottles and sachets. You may also want to consider whether you need something like a pump, spray nozzle, or screw top lid to provide added functionality.
Tips for Choosing the Right Packaging for Small Businesses
Fillcon are a specialist filling company based in Bristol, providing leading cosmetic sampling solutions that hit the mark time after time. We fill a range of receptacles with a range of products, from 2ml samples to much larger volumes. Able to organise design, production, and labelling through our partners, we’re the first choice for some of the UK’s most exciting brands.
Talk to us today about your project!
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See more: Switching to Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Packaging
For more information black glass cosmetic jars, please get in touch with us!