HBA Global Expo Draws 16,000 Participants

From applicators to zero waste, the B2B beauty event provided an incomparable look at the latest industry innovations.

By Jamie Matusow, Editor

Roll-ons are no longer for deodorants only. Viscous hair products can now be dispersed via a wide, fine spray. Plastic canisters need no longer have sides, and lipsticks no longer require a ball bearing for weightiness. Packaging can be made from corn or shoe innersoles, colorings can be derived from insects, you can practically write a book on a label and 3D mockups can be engineered within hours.
  
These are just a few of the packaging developments spotted at this year’s HBA Global Expo & Conference, held September 9-11 at Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. A worldwide crowd of more than 16,000 packaging, marketing and R&D professionals flowed through the aisles and filled the session rooms to learn about the latest advances in the beauty industry. Once again, the event featured a trio of tracks centered on marketing, technical and naturals.
  

Glenn Gehr, RPC Bramlage-Wico says that men’s brand OXY is the first to use RPC’s “magic soft actuator.”

Internationally known dermatologist and author Nicholas Perricone, M.D., opened the event with an engaging keynote on his anti-aging program. Here, too, beauty industry precepts were shattered: While Dr. Perricone spoke about the hazards of cell inflammation and why cosmeceuticals and diet are essential components of his plan, he also predicted that in the not-too-distant future, we may no longer rely on diet and topicals alone to look our best. Instead, he said, we may be turning to the light—light therapy, that is, which holds not only the potential to restore skin health—but mental acuity as well.

Keep Your Hands Off

One notable trend at HBA was the array of applicators that keep your hands free of product. Roll-ons have expanded in popularity and are now the application tool of choice for everything from body creams to fragrance to skin care. In fact, at RPC Bramlage-Wiko, USA, vice president of product development and technical sales Glenn Gehr told me that on the way to the show that day, he’d passed a giant billboard in Times Square featuring the roll-on applicator RPC had developed for L’Oréal’s bestselling Garnier Nutritioniste skin care line. When he stopped at Duane Reade to pick up a sample for the booth, the product was sold out.
  

Kristina Kunkel of Compax pointed out many options, including an injection molded applicator with a comb and a brush.

At Alcan Packaging Beauty, a roll-on topped a cream dispenser—ideal for sunblock or moisturizer. An added feature: less product waste.
  
Applicator tubes are another choice for keeping hands clean when applying products. At HandsFree, Huntington Beach, CA, specialty tubes in three sizes, with more than 20 absorbent and nonabsorbent applicators were offered, with surfaces including gentle sponge, antimicrobial and exfoliator.
  
Perhaps hands-free drew the most attention at Rexam, where the company introduced an innovative solution that protects hands from viscous liquid formulations. If you’re tired of getting sticky gel on your fingers as you scrunch up your bedhead ’do, Rexam’s new turbo insert is the way to go. The component boosts the sprayed application of emulsions, gels and lotions that are up to 100 times the viscosity of water, making it ideal for hair care, body care and sun care applications. What’s more, the insert works flawlessly with existing Rexam emulsion pumps and attachment systems. According to Rexam, it’s the only device of its kind in the industry.

Don’t Take Sides

An impressive package innovation for wipes was unveiled at Jarden Plastic Solutions, Fort Smith, AZ, where Cape Ranken described the company’s separate think tank division dedicated to developing a steady stream of sustainability strategies. In this case, the company found a way to change the whole strategy of wet wipes packaged in blow-molded canisters. Jarden removes all but the skeleton from the

Jonathan Gross, Fusion Packaging, stands beside the company’s custom PET bottles and jars.Beauty Packaging stand before a showc, COO, The Packaging Company

container (40% of the material) and instead, use a shrink sleeve as the outer wall as well as the decoration. The new injection-molded design rates a 10 on Wal-Mart’s sustainability scorecard, as opposed to a score of two for traditional canisters. Since they’re injection-molded, they can be made as rectangles or squares, and even take up less space on shelf. “Any container,” said Ranken, “can be converted to this technology.”

Reach Greener Ground

As the industry continues to find its way to a greener path, solutions range from light-weighting to heavy-weighting. At Clariant Masterbatches, instead of adding an extra component to a package to give it that “weighty” quality, like for instance, including a metal ball bearing to increase the weight of a lipstick tube, the weight is added to the compound, achieving the same effect with less parts—and making it easier to recycle due to the use of fewer materials. The new plastic materials can be made using standard processing methods, simplifying manufacturing and reducing total part pricing,” explained Peter Prusak, head of the North American packaging market segment for the company. “Whereas metal parts can be time-consuming and costly to produce, these new heavyweight compounds offer the best of both worlds.”
  
Clariant also offered a wide array of colorants as did Tarrytown, NY-based Ampacet Corporation, whose Naturblend line of resin colors emanates from natural sources such as insects and decayed leaves. Ampacet’s newly introduced colors such as brushed aluminum, frosted and liquid metal lines lend pizzazz to PLA or PET.
  
At the Italian Leoplast group, the latest products made of Ingeo, a 100% natural corn-based biopolymer from NatureWorks, were on display. Up front was Cargo Cosmetics’ new, blue Plant Love line, with compact, loose powder, eyeshadow and lipstick. Leoplast mixes Ingeo with natural plant colorings such as chlorophyll and curcuma for vibrant hues, and has even developed a sustainable metallic coating.
  

Alcan Packaging Beauty’s creative director    Michel Limongi gives a passionate insight into the company’s development of color cosmetics components, including its brand-new Banana Maker, which gives eye makeup a shaded, spherical effect. Looking on is Isabel Kaiffir, Alcan Packaging Beauty.

In another show of true eco-friendly creativity, Jomo Thermomolding, headquartered in Brazil, displayed innovative structured packaging made from recycled—and recyclable—tires, shoe innersoles, bottles and cotton. Low- and high-relief features are available without additional charge.
  
MWV has taken on sustainability in a big way, John Perkins, vice president Americas, personal and beauty care, told Beauty Packaging, and has even opened a center for innovation in Raleigh, NC. While many of the company’s eco-friendly solutions involve sustainable materials and printing technologies, one of its most fascinating global innovations is its Web-based On-Line Artworking System (OLAS), which enables people at remote locations to work on a project, while allowing a central location to view and edit graphics prior to manufacture. Along with OLAS, digital asset management is used to catalogue, search and distribute data available for multi-purpose use, making the entire process more efficient and cutting down on production costs. MWV also offers solid, 3D model mockups so clients can see exactly what a carton will look like on shelf.
  

Maria Alexeeva (L) and Gina Crespo of McKernan, which is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a “precycler.”

McKernan Packaging Clearing House sees green through a different lens: Instead of recycling, this forward-thinking company, about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is all about precycling. That’s the term it has coined for buying out high-quality surplus packaging components and selling them at a discount price—by the case or the truckload. What’s more, the company will manufacture in order to accommodate a continuous line once the surplus is depleted.

Break the Mold

At 3C Inc., Hawthorne, NJ, Lou Della Pesca pointed out some new serum bottles with a new, double cap. Instead of breaking off the tip, you push the cap down. “It’s a double-click cap that stays on for transportation,” said Della Pesca, “but double-click it down and it breaks the seal for use.”
  
If you’ve been searching for an acrylic, airless bottle that throws a curve, Fusion Packaging, Dallas TX, claims to be the only producer of such a shapely model, called of course, Kurve. With a full in-house engineering department, Jonathan Gross said the company comes up with new prototypes every quarter. A full range of acrylic bottles, caps and jars are offered in a wide variety of colors, with a 5,000 minimum order. The company also offers distinctively shaped PET jars and custom shapes.
  

Jessica Carlin (L) and Jamie Matusow of Beauty Packaging stand before a showcase with this year’s HBA IPDA nominees. BP and Happi magazines are the HBA award program sponsors.

World Wide Packaging had several new innovations, including what it claims is “the world’s first 25mm tube with the convenience of an oriented, snap-on, flip-top closure.” Two new gift-with-purchase items for Mary Kay featured highly decorated five-color silkscreen printing—difficult to achieve on such a small tube.
  
Especially suitable for creams, round stacker jars from Arrowpak come in a wide variety of colors and in sizes ranging from 15- to 50ml.

Brush It Off

Brushes seemed all the rage at HBA, ranging from Alcan’s popular sliding brush to injection-molded brushes from Compax, which featured both a comb and a brush, and were offered in a variety of shapes and colors.
  
Royal & Langnickel highlighted a retractable kabuki in two sizes, perfect for mineral cosmetics or on-the-go applications. The brush is made of high-end shaved goat. Caressa, which sells and distributes a variety of brushes, launched what it touts as a completely new fiber derived by DuPont. The company says it’s the first synthetic brush that will pick up powder without dropping it. The brush can be used wet or dry—and it’s fully washable.

Put It All Together

In an innovative demonstration of the effectiveness of industry collaborations and how the whole packaging process works when each component is sourced through the appropriate expert, packaging supplier BradPak joined forces with fragrance master Givaudan, graphics pro Hirschhorn + Young and label maker Quality Assured Enterprises (who created a seven-page booklet label that adhered to the bottle) to produce custom-packaged perfumes on the spot for lucky HBA show goers.

Look Ahead

The 17th Annual HBA Global Expo (www.hbaexpo.com) will take place September 15-17, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Here's more photos from HBA!

Arrowpak featured a separate display case dedicated to the many types of teen-oriented packaging it produces.

Steven Nussbaum, Dean Lang and Chris Archer of  O.BERK showed off its Masterpieces Collection.

At MWV, John Perkins, VP Americas, Personal and Beauty Care and Alison von Puschendorf, public relations, MWV personal and beauty care, shared the company’s many innovations regarding sustainability.

Jenifer Brady of Brad Pak displayed a wide selection of packaging options.

Lou Della Pesca of 3C presented a variety of packaging options, including a new line of serum bottles.

Jay Gorga, publisher of Beauty Packaging with Jack Gonzalez, former event director of HBA, on opening day.