Inside Design: Warming Trends
Bliss’s new sunscreen packages feature the brand’s trademark blue color. Yellow graphics denote that the line is for sun care.
In the sun care market, user-friendly packaging is hot.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorWhen it comes to sun care packaging, convenience of use is a must. Travel-friendliness is important because many customers carry their sunscreen around with them to reapply it periodically throughout the day. And even if a sun care package is used in the home, customers still appreciate one that works well.
More sun care brands are keeping the convenience factor in mind as they design their sun care packaging. “The trends I see today are ergonomic packaging—something that fits in your hand and is easy to use,” says Kenney Tonge, manager of package development for spa brand Bliss, which launched three new sun care products this year. Brands also say using packaging décor to differentiate a sun care line can help customers find the line among other personal care items on the shelf.
Tubes Take the Lead
Tubes remain one of the most common packages for sun care products. “I think that tubes continue to be popular because of their transportability, ease of use, and versatility,” says Jeff Wass, director of package engineering for Avon Products.
Originally housed in tottles (top), Jason Natural Products’ sunscreens were recently repackaged in user-friendly tubes (bottom).
For summer 2006, Jason Natural Products repackaged its entire Sunbrellas line, switching all of the tottles with tubes. “The higher-density plastic tottles made it a bit difficult for the consumer to get out the last portions of suntan lotion,” says Angella Green, associate brand manager for Jason Natural Products. “The tube is much more squeezable and consumer-friendly.” CCL Plastic Packaging (Los Angeles) supplied the new tubes.
The bronze color of Murad’s sunscreen tubes conveys a summery feel.
CCL Plastic Packaging also supplied the tube for Murad’s recently launched Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30. “Sunscreen products are packaged in multiple forms—tubes, bottles, wipes, sprays—but tubes remain popular and travel well,” says Andrea Koons, director of corporate marketing for the skin care brand.
Bliss also went with a tube for its new, first-ever sunscreen product for the face, called Oil-Free Sunban Face SPF 30+. To make the tube even easier for consumers to use, a pump was attached to the top. “We felt that the pump was much more convenient,” says Tonge. “You don’t have to open a flip-top lid and you don’t have to squeeze the tube—you just have to press on the pump. And because most facial moisturizers come with a pump, we decided to stick close to that type of packaging.” The entire stock package was sourced from China. Tonge says he notes a lot more tube companies offering pumps for tubes.
Travel-Sized Bottles
Some marketers are using other types of travel-friendly sun care packages besides tubes. A few years ago, Hawaiian Tropic introduced its award-winning Convenience Pack sunscreen package. (For more information on this package, please see the March/April 2004 issue of CPC Packaging.) The Convenience Pack comprises an 8-oz bottle and a detachable 2-oz travel-sized bottle. This year, the brand’s Kids Sunblock SPF 60+ launched in the Convenience Pack. (Please see the New Formulations column on page 26 for a photo of this package.)
Hawaiian Tropic owns the package’s custom design. The high-density polyethylene bottles were blow-molded and decorated by Empire/Emco Inc. (Getzville, NY). Empire/Emco also supplied the 8-oz bottle’s polypropylene closure, while the 2-oz bottle’s polypropylene closure was supplied by Zeller Plastik Inc. (Libertyville, IL).
“The packaging gives moms the option of using the full-sized bottle when they have space in a big tote or a backpack, or using the smaller travel-sized bottle for quick use on the go,” says Martha Mehegan, public relations advertising coordinator for Hawaiian Tropic. “We have gotten very positive feedback for this package.”
Spray-On Sunscreens
Spray dispensers are another user-friendly component for sunscreen. Sprayers aid customers in applying sunscreen on hard-to-reach spots such as the back. “In terms of addressing the trends for ease of use and easy application in the sun care category, spray-on sunscreens fit the bill,” says Bliss’s Tonge.
Aerosol cans, like the one used for the Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray sunscreen, are becoming popular in this category, especially in the mass market. This year, Neutrogena launched its first aerosol spray sunscreen called Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock.
Neutrogena’s Fresh Cooling Mist Sunblock joins the growing number of aerosol-spray sunscreens on mass-market shelves.
“Neutrogena encourages customers to reapply sunscreen every couple of hours, depending on how active they are. The aerosol spray format provides a convenient way for them to apply and reapply sunscreen,” says Mark Yoshimoto, creative director for Neutrogena. “In this case, the cooling feeling of the aerosol can and the fine-mist spray also reinforced the marketing positioning of the Fresh Cooling Body Mist.”
An aerosol can allows Banana Boat customers to spray this sunscreen on while holding the can at any angle.
Banana Boat also recently launched a new line of sunscreens in aerosol cans. The new line is called UltraMist. On its Web site and on the packaging, Banana Boat touts the benefit of the aerosol’s continuous-spray feature, stating that the sunscreen can be sprayed on when the can is held at any angle, even upside-down.
Instead of aerosol cans, some brands choose bottles with sprayers. Part of Bliss’s sunscreen launches this year included two spray-on sunscreens: The Big Screen and Ray of Hope. Both products are housed in the same stock plastic PET bottle, which is sourced from Europe. Bliss has used the bottle for other products in its personal care line, including a hair spray. The stock sprayer is from Rexam Dispensing Systems (Purchase, NY).
“At first, we looked into using aerosol cans for these products, but the suppliers’ minimums were too high,” comments Tonge. “In the end, we liked that the bottle is more environmentally friendly than an aerosol can.”
Hawaiian Tropic is another brand using pump technology for spray-on sunscreens. Some of the company’s packages feature a trigger-sprayer dispenser. The sprayer is not only easy to use; its unusual look is also attention getting. Most recently, this trigger-sprayer was used for the brand’s Baby Faces & Tender Places Sunblock Spray Lotion SPF 50, which launched for summer 2006.
Hawaiian Tropic’s Mehegan says that the nonaerosol format also allows some formulation benefits. “Some aerosols require the use of alcohol in the sunscreens, which can dry out the skin,” she says. “Our sprayer allows our nonalcoholic lotion formulas to spray on.”
Getting Some Color
Choosing good packaging components isn’t the only way to make a sun care line consumer friendly. Package decoration, especially a package’s overall color, can also play an important role in helping customers differentiate a brand’s sun care line and the rest of its personal care products. “It’s easier for the consumer to understand what the product is intended for if the packaging is a little more segmented,” says Mehegan. “I think anything that can take the guesswork out of buying sun care products, or any product for that matter, is the best for both the retailer and the consumer.”
“Historically, it seems that bronze colors are used for serious adult tanning and sunscreen products,” says Avon’s Wass. “Primary colors like yellow and blue are often used to signify products for children. Products for babies and toddlers move toward pastels, especially pink.”
To separate their sun care lines from their personal care lines, many brands use packaging colors such as bronze, orange, and yellow. For its sun care line, Murad mostly uses metallic-bronze tubes, as it did for its new Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30 tube. “Most sun care packages are yellow or orange, so the bronze color provided distinction in the marketplace,” says Murad’s Koons. “The metallic also helped communicate a prestige look.”
For its repackaged Sunbrellas line, Jason Natural Products chose gold tubes. “The gold stands out quite a bit from the rest of the Jason packages, which are mostly a pearlescent ivory color,” says Jason’s Green. “And the gold seems a little more in-line with sun and tanning. It pretty much conveys the look of what you would imagine a sun care line would have.”
Brands That Shine
When it comes to sun care packaging, remember that user-friendliness is key. “Good packaging is just another way for a brand to say that we have consumers’ interests in mind,” says Hawaiian Tropic’s Mehegan.