I will show how packaging can either protect or compromise the quality of a product. I, therefore, am writing about the packaging requirements that do not ignore skincare products. Packaging contributes 30% to a product's success, so it must be right for safety and customer satisfaction.
Packaging requirements that do not ignore skin care products are:
- Light blocking ability: Prevent degradation
- Acid resistance: Avoid corrosion
- Squeezability: Facilitates easy dispensing of products
- BPA-free: Ensure the safety
- Labeling: Meet the legal & regulatory standards
- Design: Reflect the brand
I will give you seven important packaging necessities you should never disregard and always consider regarding skincare products. These steps ensure your products stay fresh, effective, and not damaged. Read more!
Why Packaging Matters for Skin Care Products
From a professional Amarrie Cosmetic, packaging can state that packaging is important for skincare products. Besides storing and transporting your products, it also communicates with your customers regarding the quality and value of your product. I will explain the merits and drawbacks of packaging for skin care products and how Amarrie copes with them. Find 5 Reasons why choosing the right cosmetic packaging is as important.
Some of the advantages of packaging of a care skincare product are :
Protection: This packaging protects the products from physical damage, contamination, light, heat, moisture, and air, which may affect stability, effectiveness, and safety.
Preservation: Packaging preserves the freshness and shelf life of the products to deliver excellent results to its customers.
Information: The packaging contains information about the products, such as ingredients, instructions, caution, date of expiry, and batch number, to guide the customers in making the right choices and using the products safely and appropriately.
Differentiation is created by packaging between the competition, featuring a product with special characteristics and benefits and establishing a unique identification and branded image.
Attraction: Packaging attracts the attention of the customer and is maintained in the interest of the consumer, with an appeal to senses, emotions, and values when choosing the product for purchase and consumption.
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However, packaging also presents some pitfalls for the skin care products:
Cost: The cost of the products increases because of packaging, which impacts profitability and affordability. Creating waste and environmental issues will contribute to the regulatory and social responsibility of the products.
Compatibility: Packaging should also be compatible with the products. The material used for packaging must not react chemically or physically to the product formulation in a way that would degrade the quality and performance of the products.
Compliance: Packaging has to meet the legal, ethical, and broader public requirements of the market in which the products are sold, including labeling, safety, and regulatory aspects of sustainability, which vary from country to country and evolve with time.
Our CEO uses high-quality and robust packaging materials, such as glass, plastic, metal, and paper, that are suited to the type and form of the products and have optimal protection and preservation. We come out with an attractive and informative packaging label that has clear, concise words, graphics that are evocative and relevant in developing the gaze of an eye-catching consumer, and easy-to-read and scan fonts and codes that communicate some key and accurate information about the products and indicate the brand image and values for us. Learn the complete guide to starting a private-label skin care company here. Our CEO follows best packaging practices by using the minimum amount of packaging material, recyclable and biodegradable material, while also giving information on the environmental and social impact of all the packaging that reduces cost and waste on packaging and demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
How to Choose the Right Packaging Material for Your Skincare Business
It's important to set up your business skin care product and determine which packaging material you use for it. Learn more about choosing the right packaging for functional skincare products here. This highly impacts your product's quality, safety, and performance. I learned the selection of the best material for each type as follows according to the basis for its selection:
Product form:
The form and size of the packaging container or bottle will then depend on the product form, whether it is liquid, cream, gel, powder, or solid. In a way, the choice for the closure and the dispensing mechanism will also be based on the product type. Thus, the product ingredients are dominated by different product types. For instance, bottles or tubes for liquid products would be complete with caps or pumps. Solid products would have jars or boxes accompanied by lids or flaps.
Product ingredients:
The product shelf life is also governed by the product ingredients, oils, acids, alcohols, or antioxidants, the chemical compatibility and stability of the packaging material, and the barrier properties and protection level. For example, oil-based products require glass or metal containers, which resist corrosion and oxidation, whereas acid-based products require plastic or paper containers, resistant to leaching and degradation.
Product shelf life:
The product's shelf life, such as 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months, will decide the packaging material's efficiency and longevity and the packaging's freshness preservation. For example, a product with low shelf life demands that its packaging material be easily used and disposed of, while products with long shelf life require rugged and reliable packaging materials. Learn 10 tips to determine the shelf life of skincare products here.
Product usage:
The product usage, including daily, weekly, and monthly, determines the convenience and functionality of the packaging material, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. For example, everyday products require accessible packaging material that can be easily opened and closed, whereas monthly products need packaging material that can easily be stored and transported.
Our CEO uses different packaging materials that fit our products, including glass, plastic, metal, and paper. In addition to this, she uses advanced and smart packaging technologies, which involve airless pumps, vacuum seals, tamper-evident caps, and QR codes. These enhance the functionality and convenience of the packaging for the customer while also providing more information and interacting with them. We continually test and investigate the packaging material for compatibility, stability, durability, and functionality before we use it for our product. We also endorse best practices in packaging, which involve minimum packaging material, recyclable and biodegradable packaging materials, and environmental and social impacts through the packaging that help reduce the cost and waste of packaging and evidence our concern for the cause of sustainability and social responsibility. Learn more about packaging trends for skin care products here.
How to Prevent Skin Care Products Degradation
One of the biggest challenges facing skin care products is prevention from degradation, which contributes to decreased quality, safety, and performance. Skincare degradation is defined as the deterioration or loss of activity of product ingredients resulting from exposure to external factors such as light, acid, and air. Find 5 ways to keep skincare products fresh and sanitary here. I will explain how these factors can degrade skin care products and, more importantly, how skin care products can be protected against this process.
Light:
Light, especially UV light, causes photochemical reactions in skin care products, affecting their color, smell, feel, and durability. For example, vitamin C- an antioxidant commonly used in skin care- can oxidize and turn yellow or brown when exposed to light, which may lead to its inability to perform the expected effects and thus cause irritation to the skin. We use dark tincture or opaque packaging containers, such as amber or cobalt glass bottles, to protect skin care products from light degradation. We always advise our customers to store the product in a cool and dark place, away from the sun's direct rays.
Acid:
Acid, or low pH, is likely to lead to the hydrolysis or decomposition of reactions of products in skin care, which possibly changes the products' molecular structure, solubility, and functionality.
Retinol is a well-known anti-aging ingredient that suffers degradation and loss of activity once exposed to an acidic environment, which compromises the stimulation of collagen formation and the shortening of wrinkles. For example, we provide acid-degradation-resistant product formulations and pH-balanced packaging materials, such as plastic or paper. Other additives include buffering agents, like citric acid or sodium citrate, that maintain the optimal pH level of the products.
Air:
Air, or oxygen, can cause oxidation or free radicals in skin care products, which neutralize active ingredients and shorten the shelf life, and the possibility of microbial contamination is high. Examples are essential oils, one of the most frequently used natural ingredients, which can oxidize and become rancid with exposure to air, lose their fragrance, and all medicinal properties will be reduced or have the potential to trigger allergic reactions.
Our CEO prevents air from degrading skin care products by using pumps or tubes that prevent air from entering a packaging container. We include antioxidants such as vitamin E and rosemary extract, which scavenge free radicals to prevent product oxidation. Therefore, if we know that light, acid, and air can deteriorate skin care products, then we can also ensure the quality of our product in terms of safety and performance to ensure that our customers get the best results and experience by using proper packaging materials and technology.
Labeling Requirements for Skin Care Products
Labeling is one of the mandatory characteristics of skin care products, which provides customers with fundamental information to help them make the correct decision. I know what should be done with labeling skin care products and how to comply with the requirements.
Under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, a direct regulation applied to the manufacture, import, and sale of cosmetics, labeling by the company of skin care products shall include:
- Name of the cosmetic
- Name of the legal manufacturer or importer
- Complete address of the premises where the cosmetic has been manufactured or imported
- Use before date or date of expiry
- List of ingredients, preceded by the word "INGREDIENTS."
- Net quantity of contents
- Batch number or lot number
- Manufacturing license number or import registration number
- Directions for use, if necessary
- Warnings or precautions, if any
Depending on the directives, this information should be included in the product's inner and outer packaging labels or on either of them. It should be clear, conspicuous, legible, and not false or misleading. Learn more about the ultimate 2023 guide to FDA cosmetic labeling regulations.
Our CEO ensures that labeling our skincare products meets the requirements of Cosmetics Rules 2020 and other laws. Our labels are also designed to be attractive, informative, and reflect brand values. Labeling is not only a legal requirement but also a tool for communicating with customers about the quality and value of our product.
How to Design Attractive and Informative Labels for Your Skin Care Products
Designing attractive and informative labels for your skin care products is a creative and strategic process that can help you surpass the competition and connect with your customers. Learn tips and strategies for designing effective labels here. I have learned some tips and examples on designing effective labels for our products. Here are some of them:
Use simple and direct wording:
The language used in your label must communicate and be meaningful to the type of audience you wish to reach. Do not use jargon or technical terms that confuse or mislead the customer. Use clear, simple words in which a product's benefits and features will be clearly stated. For example, instead of writing "anti-aging serum," you should write "anti-wrinkle serum with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.
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Make attractive as well as relevant graphics:
Your label's graphics should be attractive and appropriate for your product and brand. Use colors, shapes, images, and fonts that match your product's and brand's tone and style. Avoid too many or too few elements that may clutter or dull the label; instead, use one with a balanced, harmonious design to highlight and visually impact crucial information. For instance, a simple white paper label with black text can become a colorful event, such as your logo, an image of the product, and a catchy slogan.
Use easy-to-read and scan fonts and codes:
The fonts and codes on your label should be readable and scannable, both for the human eye and the machine. They should be clear, consistent, and large enough to read. Do not use overly fancy, too small, or too identical fonts. Use a highly distinctive and varied font akin to the label's alignment. For example, use a bold and uppercase font instead of the cursive font for your product name. Use one of the following codes, such as a barcode QR code or an identifying number in a batch of similar products: they should be accurate, secure, and readable by devices and machines that read them. Affix it to a visible and accessible location on the label. Do not affix them in a manner that will distort or damage them. For instance, instead of affixing a barcode to the side or bottom of the label, affix it on the front or back.
How to Leverage Your Packaging and Labeling to Boost Your Brand
Packaging and labeling can serve as both functional and strategic tools to help boost your brand identity and customer loyalty. Learn how to boost your brand's visibility through smart product packaging strategies here. I learned that leveraging our packaging and labeling means making a good, tight impression on our customers. Here are some ways to do just that:
Tell your brand story:
Your packaging and labeling should tell your brand story: the unique, authentic, and exclusive narrative that defines who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Your brand story should express your mission, vision, values, and personality related to customers' needs, wants, and desires.
This will show that our brand story is about providing a natural, effective, and affordable skin care system that empowers our customers to feel confident and beautiful in their skin. We tell our brand story through our packaging and labeling with our use of natural and earthy colors, images of plants and flowers, and words like "natural," "effective," and "affordable."
Create your brand identity:
Creating a brand identity that would determine your packaging and labeling of products, and ultimately, the reputation you want to project for your customers and the market, is a highly important issue. Branding should differentiate you from competitors and significantly enhance your unique selling proposition through memory and consistency. For example, our brand identity includes innovation, trust, and focus on the customer. We develop our brand identity through packaging and labeling that is creative and smart packaging technologies, visibly showing our certification and awards, as well as customer reviews and testimonies.
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Develop customer loyalty:
Your packages and labels should cement your customer loyalty, which is a customer's emotional and behavioral link toward your brand concerning repeat purchases and referrals.Find 5 reasons why customer satisfaction is important here. This is an essential aspect of business. It should arise from giving your customers value, satisfaction, and delight above their expectations and needs. For instance, our skincare brand strives to deliver quality, safety, and effectiveness with excellent service and support.
In addition, our CEO offers discounts and free samples for our loyal customers. We make clients faithful by proper packaging and labeling, clear, accurate information, directions, and warnings. We also add personal touches, like thank-you notes, and include loyalty cards and coupons to let them know we value their business.
Final Words
Packaging and labeling are very significant aspects of skin care products, the quality, safety, and performance of the products, and the brand identity, influencing customer loyalty. Based on the following tips, you may create attractive packaging and labeling for your skin care products and hence achieve your business goal.