Personal Care Feature: Look Good, Fare Well
Vastu Shastra (Indian feng shui) influenced the packages for BODY BISTRO, dictating the shape of the bottles and where the text and logos could
Image-oriented packaging can help therapeutic product companies find their niche.
By Ursula JonesTen years ago, therapeutic personal care products were limited in number and were found in few retail environments. But today these products are just about everywhere: in spas, in upscale boutiques, and in high-end department stores. This growth continues as consumers become more educated about how different ingredients and scents can improve their overall sense of well-being. It has also become apparent that consumers are willing to pay a premium for these products.
Because therapeutic products are often sold at a higher price point, the packaging should be designed accordingly. Upscale containers and closures convey an image of luxury and refinement. And because therapeutic products are often made with natural or even organic ingredients, the packaging should reflect that as well.
Image Is Key
When Wild Earth (Lake Bluff, IL) was developing its Inara line of organic aromatherapy body care products, the company spent a great deal of time developing the brand's image. And central to that image is the packaging, which was designed to reflect the indigenous origins of the products and their ingredients.
The candles, which come from a centuries-old family business in Mexico, are wrapped in the bark of the Amaté tree. The bark acts as a lantern for the flame as the candles burn down. The handcrafted soaps, which are made from ingredients supplied by a Brazilian women's cooperative, are also packaged in a natural-looking paper wrap. Other products are packaged in metal tins, ceramic crock pots, and glass bottles. Each package is then hand-finished with fabric, twine, or a wooden spoon.
In Fiore's image—natural and luxurious—is communicated through amber- colored glass bottles and jars and a logo of a flower in fiore (Italian for "in bloom"). "We have these very exotic, expensive ingredients on the inside, so we didn't want to have inexpensive packaging on the outside," says Anne Dolbeau, managing director of Wild Earth. "To command a middle to high-end price point, you need to deliver the packaging that goes along with it." It seems to have paid off, because the company beat out more than 6000 entries when it received the 2001 Mobius Advertising Award, Best in Show, for excellence in package design.
Using upscale packaging components certainly costs the company more, but Dolbeau says it's worth it. "It would be great if we could make the packaging less expensive," she explains. "But when you're establishing a brand and taking a premium position, you can't cut corners. It's not fair to the consumer, and it's not fair to the brand."
Since the products' glass and ceramic containers aren't necessarily ideal for use in the bath, the company is working on developing alternative containers for travel-sized versions of their products. "That's the next hurdle for us to overcome: how to maintain the integrity of the brand and find a more bathroom-friendly container," Dolbeau says.
The packages for Inara are designed to reflect the indigenous origins of the products and their ingredients. Another company whose packaging was designed very carefully to reflect the products' image is BODY BISTRO (Beverly Hills, CA). The company makes botanical skin-care formulations that are based on the Ayurvedic concept of doshas, the three metabolic types found in the human system. Users select products according to which category they fall into on a given day. The formulas are designed to help restore, rejuvenate, and nurture the skin and to help users find their perfect balance.
Selecting the right containers and applicators was critical, says Carina Chatlani, president and founder of BODY BISTRO. She wanted to make sure the packaging adhered to Vastu Shastra (Indian feng shui), which governed the shape of the bottles and where the text and the logos could be placed. "The bottles are free of any sharp edges to ensure optimum energy flow," Chatlani says. Each package is also color-coded according to the product's dosha category. The products come in either frosted glass bottles manufactured by ABA Packaging (Holtsfield, NY) or PET bottles supplied by Silgan Plastics Corp. (Penn Yan, NY).
Natural, Yet Upscale
Packages that incorporate earth-toned colors, recyclable bottles, and old-fashioned closures, for example, suit the natural qualities of many therapeutic products. At the same time, however, these products are also luxury items, and their packaging should reflect that as well.
Aromaland's aluminum containers paired with pumps help prevent contamination of the product by people's fingers and minimize the need for preservatives. This was important for San Francisco-based In Fiore, a manufacturer of body oils and balms designed for use as daily moisturizers. "I wanted a line that was pure and natural, the idea being that natural products are the ultimate in luxury and pampering," says Julie Elliott, president of In Fiore. "It was very important that the packaging convey that image."
Thus, Elliott selected stylish amber-colored glass apothecary bottles with screw-on caps that incorporate a cone for preventing leakage. The labeling was also designed to reflect the natural, yet luxurious image of the product. In Italian, the words in fiore mean "full flowered" or "in bloom." Elliott explains, "I wanted a logo that would express that feeling: beautiful, decadent, and sexy."
Creating a natural-looking package was also a priority for Stephanie Profitt, who recently developed a line of coffee-based body care products for her company, Stephka's Collection LLC (San Francisco). She got the idea for BODYCOFFEE after visiting a Russian bathhouse where coffee grounds are used to exfoliate the skin. The BODYCOFFEE line includes body polish, lotion, soap, body balm, and lip balm.
Because the products are being marketed to upscale boutiques and spas, the packaging had to reflect an image of luxury and efficacy, says Profitt. "We wanted something that captures the earthiness of products made with quality natural ingredients." The amber-colored bottles, black jars, and tins are accented with bold graphics and a coffee bean motif rendered in warm, organic tones. "We chose packaging that speaks to the intensity and sensuality of coffee," says Profitt. "Like our products, the packaging appeals to both men and women."
Selecting the Right Material
The essential oils that are often found in aromatherapy products are very active substances, so not every material is a suitable container. Glass works well in terms of its compatibility with essential oils, and as such is a popular option.
Vetrerie Bruni USA (Pompano Beach, FL) is a supplier of old-fashioned-looking glass containers. The jars feature a glass lid with a metal clip that gets pulled down to seal tight. The jars are clear, but they can also be frosted or painted. "A lot of people like our medic jars," says Annie Reyes, sales for Vetrerie Bruni. "They're old fashioned and homey looking. But they also have a natural look, which makes the jars more upscale," Reyes says.
New Organic Labeling Regulations to Take Effect
Time is running out for cosmetic and personal care companies to comply with the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for organic products. As of October 21, 2002, manufacturers that label their products "organic" must follow the rules laid out by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) and must acquire certification by an accredited certifying agent.
"The organic personal care industry was taken a little bit by surprise [when] the NOP restated its scope to make it much broader than [expected]," says David Gelula, director of business development for Wild Earth and a member of the Organic Trade Association's Personal Care Task Force, a group working to develop its internal industry standards. According to Gelula, many in the industry were initially under the assumption that personal care products would not be subject to the rules simply because they are not consumed in the same way that food products are. But the USDA soon made it clear that "consumption" applies even to products absorbed by the skin.
There are three steps to achieving the organic designation. First, all raw ingredients must be certified organic. Second, such raw ingredients must be handled carefully to prevent "contamination" from other non-organic ingredients. And third, the manufacturer must then produce the final product in a way that does not jeopardize its organic integrity. "What that means is, [manufacturers] can only combine the ingredients via a physical methodology; the ingredients cannot undergo any artificially induced chemical change," explains Gelula. In order to gain certification, he says, companies must develop an "organic plan" outlining how it will ensure the organic integrity of their products according to these three steps.
For more information on the new regulations, visit the National Organic Program's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
But glass is not always ideal for use in bathroom environments where slick, wet surfaces make safety an issue. Plastic bottles can be better suited for bath products, but the essential oils can affect the integrity of the material. Sometimes, the coloring of the bottle can be affected, and in more extreme cases, the bottle can start caving in on itself.
Boulder, CO–based Bella Mama considered such issues when packaging its natural aromatherapeutic products for pregnant women and new mothers, including belly oil, foot salts, nipple salve, herbal sitz bath, and a rejuvenating face and body spray. The products are packaged in cobalt blue PET bottles. "Because it's a bath product and because many pregnant women also have small children, we needed to create something that would be safe," says Aimee Snow, cofounder of Bella Mama. The colored bottles also help to preserve the oils, keeping them out of the light and preventing them from deteriorating.
Rosie Warda, vice president, sales and marketing, at Aromaland (Santa Fe, NM), a maker of hundreds of aromatherapy products, says that PET is the only plastic that won't react to essential oils. But, she says, the material does restrict the design possibilities. "We use PET for all our bath salts," says Warda. "But PET is limiting in its design options, and it's often clear, which is not ideal for essential oils that need to be kept away from the light."
Some of Aromaland's products are packaged in aluminum ampules supplied by O. Berk Co. (Union, NJ). The insides of the containers are coated so that the product doesn't come into contact with the aluminum housings. "Our customers say they prefer the fresh pack containers over glass because they're better suited for use in the bath," Warda explains. "They're very lightweight, they don't shatter, they travel well, and people perceive them as more modern and hip."
Thinking Outside the Box
Sometimes the most unique packages can have the most impact. Instead of using bottles, some companies are turning to things like round paperboard containers. Chicago Paper Tube & Can Co. (Chicago) supplies such packages, which have been used for a variety of therapeutic products including essential oils, candles, and bath salts. The containers can be supplied with foil, glassine, or polycoated liners to help protect the essential oils in the product.
Cobalt blue–colored bottles for Bella Mama help to preserve oils in the products by shielding them from the light. "Our screw-cap container used to be solely an industrial product used mainly for shipping," says Chrissy Dudlak, sales manager for Chicago Paper Tube & Can. "But now, people who want a different, somewhat industrial look for their product are taking that metal screw cap and putting it on a designer container," Dudlak says. "It really sets it apart from other packages out there. It's not your usual rectangular or square box."
Another packaging supplier that has come up with an innovative way to help market therapeutic products is IBC/Shell Packaging (Lake Success, NY). The company can take a product's scent and place it directly on a surface of the package, a process reminiscent of the scratch-and-sniff technique of years past.
"Aromatherapy affects mood and therefore affects your overall sense of health," says Norman Kay, president of IBC/Shell Packaging. "A marketer that can combine an item with the right aroma gets another sense involved and helps to create a sense of well-being."
The product, Celessence, can be adapted to a variety of substrates, including paperboard, brochures, labeling, or even cloth. Kay says the process doesn't add very much to the overall cost of the product. It can be spot-placed on certain parts of a package, or it can even be applied to the inside of a box so consumers get a burst of scent when they break the seal of a carton.
Feel-Good Products Must Look Good, Too
To compete in the therapeutic products market, manufacturers need to set themselves apart from the competition. Those with a well-defined brand image that's reflected in the packaging, like the companies discussed in this article, will find it easier to carve out a niche in this fast-growing field. *