Marie Redding, Associate Editor11.30.16
Not too long ago, most brands with a mission to use natural or organic ingredients chose only brown kraft cartons and the simplest bottles and jars — without any decorative elements. Now, more natural brands are choosing more colorful looks, high-tech packages and flashy decorations.
See the slideshow above for a look at the unexpected design choices these brands, mentioned below, have made.
Natural Looks Vs. Colorful Designs
NPD’s Karen Grant, a member of Beauty Packaging’s advisory board, says that all the design cues that consumers typically associate with ‘natural’ are still popular. “Natural elements such as recycled paper and glass packaging are appealing to consumers that are seeking natural products,” she says.
More brands, however, are promoting the use of natural and organic ingredients - and their packaging looks anything but “natural.”
Juice Beauty’s signature color is matte silver for its high-tech airless jars, aluminum tubes and airless bottles that feature applicator tips for its skin care collection. The brand’s makeup is designed to match, with compacts and lipstick cases in shiny silver.
Goop by Juice Beauty - and Gwyneth Paltrow - is an organic skin care line that has a minimalist, modern aesthetic for its packaging, with lots of black and white.
Beautycounter, known for its long Never List of ingredients it doesn’t use in any of its formulations, has a makeup line that features a high-tech, flash-gold concealer pen, shiny gold lipstick cases, and compacts decorated with a gold and black striped pattern.
MyChelle has a stand-out look with its white bottes and tubes, accented with splashes of modern hues that include turquoise and tangerine.
Acure, a brand that touts its “plant + food based formulas” recently launched Purifying Fruit Peel & Brightening Vegetable Peel, in squeeze tubes with its signature swirl design. The brand uses lots of white packaging with splashes of color. Acure’s products are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colors.
John Masters Organics recently launched hydrating Hand Creams and nourishing Lip Calms, formulated with certified-organic ingredients, in tubes that feature three soothing colors -- mauve, moss green and a walnut shade.
See these brands in the slideshow above.
Finding a Balance Between Natural & Synthetic Formulations
In addition to stepping out of the box and using colorful design elements, many brands are finding a balance between formulations inspired by “nature and science,” as some brands say. These brands might eliminate the most controversial ingredients, with marketing claims such as “paraben-free,” but at the same time, they don’t claim to be all-natural.
Glo Minerals by Glo Professional is a cosmetic line that states its products are paraben-free and talc-free, but not all-natural. “We incorporate a variety of natural ingredients in our products, while also recognizing the importance of the ‘experience’ of using a product,” explains Anna De La Cruz, the company's senior product brand manager.
The ‘experience’ De La Cruz refers to is a product’s look, feel and aroma. “This needs to be consistent, and synthetic ingredients help to deliver this,” she says. “For this reason, we choose to combine nature and science - seeking out the finest ingredients available, both natural and synthetic,” she explains.
Glo Minerals packaging features lots of sleek, black compacts and palettes - plus the Suede Matte Stick lip color and Jeweled Eye Crayon Box shown in the slideshow above. The company also doesn’t test on animals. (De La Cruz tells Beauty Packaging a little bit about PETA's Leaping Bunny certification process in the Online Exclusive, Support A Cause & Connect More Deeply With Consumers.)
'Green’ Packaging
Besides knowing what is in a product, consumers want to know that a brand cares about the planet - and is using recycled materials in packaging. “Consumers are increasingly aware of the negative impact on the environment of boxes and cartons,” Grant says.
For this reason, some experts say that beauty brands might want to better communicate the ‘green’ features of its packaging, if it has any. (See the latest in eco-friendly designs and environmentally responsible packaging in Beauty Packaging’s feature published in April 2016, Simply ‘Green’ Packaging.)
The ‘Natural’ Trend is Set To Grow in 2017 & Beyond
As the demand for natural products is expected to grow in the coming years, we will no doubt continue to see more brands incorporating the use of natural ingredients in formulations, as well as more ways to convey “natural” through the use of certain design elements in packaging.
Euromonitor International’s survey manager Eileen Bevis states in a blog post dated October 23, 2016: “All natural” product claims matter to 50% or more of green-minded buyers in all markets, while other green features, like water efficiency, 100% organic, or botanically-derived ingredients, exhibit regional appeal even to buyers who prioritize green product features.”
Bevis continues to write that nearly six in 10 green buyers prefer products made with natural or botanical ingredients, even when it means paying more, according to this Beauty Survey conducted by Euromonitor International.
Consumers are shopping for more organic and natural products overall, but especially in the skin care category. A report by Grand View Research shows that the demand for organic and natural products is a major factor that will continue to contribute to rising sales of skin care products, through 2024.
As more natural products launch, we look forward to seeing more unexpected looks for natural products, perhaps combined with traditional ‘natural’ design elements.
Click the arrows above to see the photos in the slideshow.
‘Read More
Taking a Holistic View of Beauty: An Online Exclusive by Elmwood's Samantha Barbagiovanni and Ning Juang
Refillable Packaging: A slideshow that features eco-friendly designs.
Eco-Friendly Products, Outside & In: A slideshow featuring brands that have ‘green’ packaging and natural formulations.
See the slideshow above for a look at the unexpected design choices these brands, mentioned below, have made.
Natural Looks Vs. Colorful Designs
NPD’s Karen Grant, a member of Beauty Packaging’s advisory board, says that all the design cues that consumers typically associate with ‘natural’ are still popular. “Natural elements such as recycled paper and glass packaging are appealing to consumers that are seeking natural products,” she says.
More brands, however, are promoting the use of natural and organic ingredients - and their packaging looks anything but “natural.”
Juice Beauty’s signature color is matte silver for its high-tech airless jars, aluminum tubes and airless bottles that feature applicator tips for its skin care collection. The brand’s makeup is designed to match, with compacts and lipstick cases in shiny silver.
Goop by Juice Beauty - and Gwyneth Paltrow - is an organic skin care line that has a minimalist, modern aesthetic for its packaging, with lots of black and white.
Beautycounter, known for its long Never List of ingredients it doesn’t use in any of its formulations, has a makeup line that features a high-tech, flash-gold concealer pen, shiny gold lipstick cases, and compacts decorated with a gold and black striped pattern.
MyChelle has a stand-out look with its white bottes and tubes, accented with splashes of modern hues that include turquoise and tangerine.
Acure, a brand that touts its “plant + food based formulas” recently launched Purifying Fruit Peel & Brightening Vegetable Peel, in squeeze tubes with its signature swirl design. The brand uses lots of white packaging with splashes of color. Acure’s products are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colors.
John Masters Organics recently launched hydrating Hand Creams and nourishing Lip Calms, formulated with certified-organic ingredients, in tubes that feature three soothing colors -- mauve, moss green and a walnut shade.
See these brands in the slideshow above.
Finding a Balance Between Natural & Synthetic Formulations
In addition to stepping out of the box and using colorful design elements, many brands are finding a balance between formulations inspired by “nature and science,” as some brands say. These brands might eliminate the most controversial ingredients, with marketing claims such as “paraben-free,” but at the same time, they don’t claim to be all-natural.
Glo Minerals by Glo Professional is a cosmetic line that states its products are paraben-free and talc-free, but not all-natural. “We incorporate a variety of natural ingredients in our products, while also recognizing the importance of the ‘experience’ of using a product,” explains Anna De La Cruz, the company's senior product brand manager.
The ‘experience’ De La Cruz refers to is a product’s look, feel and aroma. “This needs to be consistent, and synthetic ingredients help to deliver this,” she says. “For this reason, we choose to combine nature and science - seeking out the finest ingredients available, both natural and synthetic,” she explains.
Glo Minerals packaging features lots of sleek, black compacts and palettes - plus the Suede Matte Stick lip color and Jeweled Eye Crayon Box shown in the slideshow above. The company also doesn’t test on animals. (De La Cruz tells Beauty Packaging a little bit about PETA's Leaping Bunny certification process in the Online Exclusive, Support A Cause & Connect More Deeply With Consumers.)
'Green’ Packaging
Besides knowing what is in a product, consumers want to know that a brand cares about the planet - and is using recycled materials in packaging. “Consumers are increasingly aware of the negative impact on the environment of boxes and cartons,” Grant says.
For this reason, some experts say that beauty brands might want to better communicate the ‘green’ features of its packaging, if it has any. (See the latest in eco-friendly designs and environmentally responsible packaging in Beauty Packaging’s feature published in April 2016, Simply ‘Green’ Packaging.)
The ‘Natural’ Trend is Set To Grow in 2017 & Beyond
As the demand for natural products is expected to grow in the coming years, we will no doubt continue to see more brands incorporating the use of natural ingredients in formulations, as well as more ways to convey “natural” through the use of certain design elements in packaging.
Euromonitor International’s survey manager Eileen Bevis states in a blog post dated October 23, 2016: “All natural” product claims matter to 50% or more of green-minded buyers in all markets, while other green features, like water efficiency, 100% organic, or botanically-derived ingredients, exhibit regional appeal even to buyers who prioritize green product features.”
Bevis continues to write that nearly six in 10 green buyers prefer products made with natural or botanical ingredients, even when it means paying more, according to this Beauty Survey conducted by Euromonitor International.
Consumers are shopping for more organic and natural products overall, but especially in the skin care category. A report by Grand View Research shows that the demand for organic and natural products is a major factor that will continue to contribute to rising sales of skin care products, through 2024.
As more natural products launch, we look forward to seeing more unexpected looks for natural products, perhaps combined with traditional ‘natural’ design elements.
Click the arrows above to see the photos in the slideshow.
‘Read More
Taking a Holistic View of Beauty: An Online Exclusive by Elmwood's Samantha Barbagiovanni and Ning Juang
Refillable Packaging: A slideshow that features eco-friendly designs.
Eco-Friendly Products, Outside & In: A slideshow featuring brands that have ‘green’ packaging and natural formulations.
