Latest Launches
Beauty Brands Go Green
Smashbox’s Green Room Line
Smashbox Cosmetics’ new Green Room cosmetics line debuted this spring in eco-friendly packaging. The line’s compacts are biodegradable, while the tubes are recyclable. Decorating was done using soy-based, cruelty-free inks.
The tubes are dual-chambered. An inner tube contains lip color and an outer chamber houses clear gloss. Both products are dispensed simultaneously. “Our thoughts behind creating the recyclable Green Room tubes were to minimize the impact on the environment by consolidating two tubes in one—and using less material,” says Sylvie Rouaix, vice president of global product development for Smashbox Cosmetics.
Recyclable Tube
Pangea Organics commissioned a supplier in China to create a recyclable high-density polyethylene tube for an exfoliating face scrub.
Developing the tube took 16 months. “Getting the brown color right was difficult,” says Joshua Onysko, Pangea Organics’ founder and CEO. Instead of a label, graphics were silk-screened directly onto the tube.
A biodegradable secondary carton was made from 100% postconsumer recycled (PCR) newspaper pulp with basil seeds mixed in. The seeds sprout when the carton is planted in soil. A printed sleeve made with FSC-certified paper and soy-based inks adorns the carton.
Recyclable Jars
Zia Natural Skincare has repackaged its skin care masks in recyclable jars. Additionally, all of the line’s cartons are made with at least 50% postconsumer waste and manufactured using wind power and soy inks.
PCR Bottles
M&H Plastics (Winchester, VA) provided 250-ml PET bottles made with 100% PCR for Naked Bodycare’s line of hand washes and hand lotions.
“As part of our environmental policy, M&H Plastics has been working for some time on being able to bring to market a range of sustainable packaging solutions that can not only be manufactured in recyclable plastics, but also, material that has been recovered from the waste stream,” says Kevin Spall, M&H Plastics’ UK sales manager. “Naked quickly picked up on the development work we have undertaken and is the first consumer in its product sector to place a bulk order with us for bottles that are manufactured using 100% PCR material.”
Buzz-Worthy
Skin care brand BeeCeuticals Organics chose a transparent PLA secondary case to house its Hive Five personal care travel kit.
“Many companies, including natural and organic ones, use vinyl bags for their kits, even though vinyl is one of the most toxic materials to produce,” says Richie Gerber, president of BeeCeuticals.
For each Hive Five kit sold, BeeCeuticals will plant a pollinator-friendly tree as part of its Trees for Bees program.
Recycled Glass
Sevi Organics has repackaged some of its lotions and bath salts in 100% recycled glass containers.
“Not only is using recycled glass better for the environment than creating new glass, but melting recycled glass requires a lot less energy than it takes to melt the raw materials contained in new glass products,” says company founder Sevi Kay.
The company has also switched to labels made from corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) polymers from NatureWorks PLA.
Loose-Powder Package
Cosmetic brands are always looking for effective ways to package loose powder. This spring, Urban Decay has launched its solution: a custom-designed jar developed by HCT Packaging (Bridgewater, NJ).
The bottom half of the jar contains a chamber in which loose powder is housed. This chamber is connected to a funnel, which widens near the top of the jar. Because the funnel is narrower near the mouth of the powder chamber, it prevents powder from escaping from the chamber.
The jar’s screw-on cap has a brush applicator attached. When the cap is screwed onto the jar, the brush automatically picks up powder from the powder chamber. A TPE stopper on the stem of the brush helps keep powder sealed in the powder chamber when the lid is screwed on.
Airless Dispensers
In February, Lorac Cosmetics launched its Breakthrough Performance Oil-Free Anti-Aging Foundation with SMS Complex and SPF 14. A sleek airless bottle protects the product’s ingredients, which include IP3, atpeptide, and vitamins A and E.
Stacy Simmons, product development manager for Lorac, adds, “The product has silicone, which makes this formula longwearing and contributes to its silky-smooth application and wear. In order to preserve the formula, we wanted to put it in an airless package so that the silicone does not evaporate.”
Murad also chose airless dispensers for its Professional skin care line.
Airless dispensers create an airtight environment to preserve the products and to ensure that the proper dosage is dispensed each time.
Stila’s Newest Pen
Stila’s dispensing pen, first launched for its Lip Glaze, has become a trademark package for the brand. The latest product to debut in the pen is the brand’s new Cherry Crush lip and cheek stain product.
The product’s viscosity had to be altered slightly to flow properly through the pen’s brush applicator, says Jill Tomandl, Stila’s vice president of global product development, package development, and package design.
The pen was supplied by Crystal International (Toronto, ON, Canada).
Sleek Square
The bottle for Calvin Klein MAN epitomizes Calvin Klein’s minimalist style. “We knew what we wanted from the beginning—a design that was sleek and powerful in its graphic simplicity,” says Fabien Baron, who designed the fragrance bottle. “The thin, rectangular bottle feels modern and masculine, and the color palette is pure Calvin.”
The bottle sports black aluminum plates, which were UV-cured to the bottle’s glass walls. The cap was made from PCTA. The outer carton is glossy and black, with chrome accents.
Heinz Glas (Linden, NJ) and Saint-Gobain Desjonquères (New York City) supplied the glass bottles. Northern Engraving (Green Bay, WI) and Qualipac (Wayne, NJ) produced the aluminum plates. C+N Packaging (Wyandanch, NY) and Qualipac provided the caps, and Cultech (Edison, NJ) made the cartons.
Spray Décor
Glass bottle supplier New High Glass (Miami) sprayed gradated shades of blue and green on the fragrance bottle for Tropical Breeze.
New High’s graphic designer helped select the glass bottle and design the product’s logo. The supplier also provided the cap, which was embossed on top with the fragrance’s seagull logo.