Joanna Cosgrove, Contributing Editor12.07.15
Whether it’s metered dispensing for prestige skin care creams, environmentally conscious aerosols for salon-quality hair sprays, or imperceptible dip tubes for high-end fragrances, dispensing technologies continue to evolve in ways that heighten the user experience and underscore the benefits of the products they dole out.
One of the biggest current trends in dispensing echoes the hot trend in packaging: airless. “Though airless pump technology is hardly a new concept, we’ve seen more demand for it from brands whose customers are, in turn, demanding it from them,” says Lesley Gadomski, business development officer for Fusion Packaging, Dallas, TX. “Across the board, consumers are catching on to the benefits of airless and the value it adds to the products in which they invest.”
She says, “Not only do airless packages dispense out more of the product (Fusion’s pump technology can achieve nearly 100% product evacuation in most cases), but it also protects formulas from outside contaminants like air, light and moisture, to keep products performing to their full potential.” Gadomski adds: “As the demand for more natural, preservative-free ingredients continues to rise, so does the need for more high performance packaging to preserve and protect.”
To that end, Fusion recently partnered with Drunk Elephant to refresh the packaging for its T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum and C-Firma Day Serum. “The brand needed an airless packaging solution to protect its additive-free ingredients, so they opted for the AmeriStar and WorldStar award-winning STU airless bottle,” Gadomski says. “This square twist-up package features a unique turn-to-lock actuator that eliminates the need for an over cap for added on-the-go convenience.”
The STU’s squared silhouette and pop-up locking actuator provide a distinctive look and feel, while its double-walled design allows for a diverse range of decorating capabilities—including silkscreen, hot stamp, vacuum metallization and custom sprays.
Drunk Elephant, a skin care company that believes in using clean, additive-free ingredients, carried its signature color palette into the STU bottles’ design, opting for vibrant neon orange and hot pink actuators to set the packages apart at retail. “The 30ml bottles are injected a crisp white with clear matte spray to give the packages a more tactile effect, paired with simple yet colorful silkscreened brand art,” says Gadomski.
In addition to its piston-driven airless bottles and airless tube technology, Fusion recently introduced Allure Airless, featuring the company’s first airless bag delivery system. The Allure bottle was previously offered as an atmospheric-only package. Allure Airless achieves the same look in an airless format, combining an acrylic outer bottle and barrier-resistant EVOH inner bag to shield ingredients from environmental contaminants and ensure products deliver their promised results until the last drop.
In new product news, Fusion recently translated its Direct Effect Airless dispensing applicators into a line of bottle-based, piston-driven direct applicators with its Direct Effect Airless collection. “This Fall we launched the Oval Tip Airless applicator to this collection, which features a teardrop-shaped design to more effectively target the delicate contours of the eyes and face,” Gadomski says. “Oval Tip is available with either the Smooth TPE tip—which offers a silky, non-porous surface to evenly apply product without causing any micro-tearing—or the Stimulating TPE for a gentle massaging effect to help improve circulation and product absorption.”
Customized Dispensing
The collective, on-demand connectivity of global consumers is another factor influencing the evolution of dispensers in packaging.
“Globalization has allowed for the spread of ideas and values, which, along with the prevalence of social media, has led to a culture of increasing individualization and strong sense of self-identity often expressed through brand and product loyalty,” says John Ferro, vice president of home and beauty marketing, WestRock, Richmond, VA. “Today’s customer is looking for something tailored uniquely for them [and] we want to help brand managers create beautiful products that make customers feel a certain way when they interact with them, whether that’s confident, sophisticated, romantic or youthful.
To meet this demand, WestRock introduced Creative Studio for Fragrance, a suite of customization capabilities for its Melodie fragrance pump, which include: decorative elements, such as overtubes, to allow for more design options and a differentiated look to help set brands apart; WestRock’s NoC invisible dip tube, a technology that does not interfere with the design elements of the overtube and works cohesively with the rest of the pack; and WestRock’s Melodie Clikit technology which allows the finished elements to be delivered to brand owners as a one-piece, pre-assembled unit. In a nutshell, the Creative Studio for Fragrance ensures that a top quality product is delivered in an optimized, efficient manner to get brands to market quickly.
“We study how consumers interact with packaging,” says WestRock’s Sandy Gregory, associate marketing director of global fragrance and the European beauty market. “We know from our insights work, which helped launch the Emotions of Spray Collection, that consumers notice, appreciate and feel connected by the nuances of the total fragrance experience: the way the spray touches their skin, the sound it makes as they spray and, of course, the overall look that will remind them of the magic of the story behind the fragrance. All of these elements come together to create a memorable experience with each use.”
Similarly, WestRock’s Pearl Deco collection is a suite of customization options for its Pearl airless dispensing line. This collection allows for a fully customizable application of decorative elements to the overcap, pump and bottle. It’s comprised of traditional techniques like silk screening, hot stamping, metallization and coating, in addition to a new technique called “sleever” that allows for the combination of colors and textures to create an infinite number of possible looks.
“With the Creative Studio for Fragrance, we pair dispensing design elements in an easy, efficient way, based on the brand needs, what they want to communicate and how they want their consumer to feel when they interact with the product,” Ferro says.
“Elements like decorative overtubes, collars and actuators allow for endless design options, which is really exciting, and our patented NoC invisible dip tube technology is the perfect complement to Creative Studio elements since it doesn’t interfere with the designs.”
Pressurized Advancements, Dispensing Benefits
When it comes to pressurized packaging, the granddaddy of them all is the aerosol container. But aerosol dispensing has come a long way in recent years.
“The key trends we see are the move to compressed aerosols and, concurrently, packaging premiumization,” comments Philip Brand, international marketing director at the Lindal Group, which is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
Brand says this trend is evident in the proliferation and acceptance of deodorants and antiperspirants in new “compressed can” formats, pioneered by major brands in Europe. “According to our customers, the smaller cans last as long as the old product, use 50% of the propellant, are half the size and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the product through 28% less aluminum and further transportation and stocking gains (e.g., more packs stacked per pallet),” he says.
Brand adds that consumers today also expect superior ergonomics, functionality and aesthetics. “It’s got to perform, look and feel good and exude quality. “No longer is pack premiumization found only in the luxury market sector,” he says. “Consumers of all types of personal care products expect innovative, quality packaging.”
With an eye on premiumization, Lindal Group’s range of aerosol dispensing solutions was recently expanded to include the availability of a spray version of its Neo actuator. This new incarnation delivers flexibility and increased capacity, as well as an appealing and cost-effective alternative for makers of deodorants and antiperspirants, hair care products and more.
The full Neo range is designed to appeal to sophisticated consumers of products in a wide range of personal care subcategories, including cosmetics (both powder and non-powder products), creams, hair mousse and shaving foam, and self-foaming gels (for male and female valves). “It’s a real brand-builder,” Brand says. “Its sleek and ergonomically appealing design incorporates a customizable finger pad, widening actuator design possibilities and enhancing brand characteristics.”
At Luxe Pack Monaco this past October, Airopack expanded its standard cylindrical range with the launch of a “free of shape range” comprised of customizable, organic looking “male- and female-shaped” pressurized dispensers. With sizes spanning from 50- to 200ml capacities, Airopacks are suitable for sprayable products such as hairspray, deodorant, body-spray and self-tanner products. Its patented, powered-by-air system is also suitable for dispensing creams, gels and high viscosity formulations.
Airopack’s dispensing technology offers a safe, all-plastic, pressurized dispenser that is environmentally friendly, with no inhalation risks and no chemical propellants. “No matter how the dispenser is held, it gives the same, easy, 360 degree utilization, making Airopack suitable for all market segments where dispensers are being used,” explains Sandy Goes, manager marketing, Airopack Group, Waalwijk, The Netherlands. “Generally speaking, it’s fair to say that distinctive shapes for metal aerosols are still very limited, but now Airopack is bringing new freedom of shape to the world of pressurized packaging.”
Goes maintains that the freedom of shape, coupled with strong graphic design, is key to an enhanced shelf impact. The Airopack dispenser’s ability to deliver a strong, consistent product flow from start to finish, even at an angle or upside down, conveys added ease of use that consumers will always appreciate. “Last but not least, Airopacks are transparent so, depending on sleeve design, customers can actually see if their dispenser is nearly empty or not, which can lead to an increase of repeat purchases,” Goes says.
Today’s consumer expects a lot, not just of the cosmetic and personal care products they buy but also of their products’ packaging. The advancements made in dispensing technologies in recent years dovetail well with the upswing in personal care spending. According to Philip Brand, it’s safe to say the ongoing demand for well-designed, performance-oriented dispensers bodes well.
“[Demand is] very strong, worldwide, with the advent of more disposable income in emerging markets, the growth of the men’s market, and the desire for brands to differentiate themselves and offer a quality end-user experience,” he concludes.
One of the biggest current trends in dispensing echoes the hot trend in packaging: airless. “Though airless pump technology is hardly a new concept, we’ve seen more demand for it from brands whose customers are, in turn, demanding it from them,” says Lesley Gadomski, business development officer for Fusion Packaging, Dallas, TX. “Across the board, consumers are catching on to the benefits of airless and the value it adds to the products in which they invest.”
She says, “Not only do airless packages dispense out more of the product (Fusion’s pump technology can achieve nearly 100% product evacuation in most cases), but it also protects formulas from outside contaminants like air, light and moisture, to keep products performing to their full potential.” Gadomski adds: “As the demand for more natural, preservative-free ingredients continues to rise, so does the need for more high performance packaging to preserve and protect.”
To that end, Fusion recently partnered with Drunk Elephant to refresh the packaging for its T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum and C-Firma Day Serum. “The brand needed an airless packaging solution to protect its additive-free ingredients, so they opted for the AmeriStar and WorldStar award-winning STU airless bottle,” Gadomski says. “This square twist-up package features a unique turn-to-lock actuator that eliminates the need for an over cap for added on-the-go convenience.”
The STU’s squared silhouette and pop-up locking actuator provide a distinctive look and feel, while its double-walled design allows for a diverse range of decorating capabilities—including silkscreen, hot stamp, vacuum metallization and custom sprays.
Drunk Elephant, a skin care company that believes in using clean, additive-free ingredients, carried its signature color palette into the STU bottles’ design, opting for vibrant neon orange and hot pink actuators to set the packages apart at retail. “The 30ml bottles are injected a crisp white with clear matte spray to give the packages a more tactile effect, paired with simple yet colorful silkscreened brand art,” says Gadomski.
In addition to its piston-driven airless bottles and airless tube technology, Fusion recently introduced Allure Airless, featuring the company’s first airless bag delivery system. The Allure bottle was previously offered as an atmospheric-only package. Allure Airless achieves the same look in an airless format, combining an acrylic outer bottle and barrier-resistant EVOH inner bag to shield ingredients from environmental contaminants and ensure products deliver their promised results until the last drop.
In new product news, Fusion recently translated its Direct Effect Airless dispensing applicators into a line of bottle-based, piston-driven direct applicators with its Direct Effect Airless collection. “This Fall we launched the Oval Tip Airless applicator to this collection, which features a teardrop-shaped design to more effectively target the delicate contours of the eyes and face,” Gadomski says. “Oval Tip is available with either the Smooth TPE tip—which offers a silky, non-porous surface to evenly apply product without causing any micro-tearing—or the Stimulating TPE for a gentle massaging effect to help improve circulation and product absorption.”
Customized Dispensing
The collective, on-demand connectivity of global consumers is another factor influencing the evolution of dispensers in packaging.
“Globalization has allowed for the spread of ideas and values, which, along with the prevalence of social media, has led to a culture of increasing individualization and strong sense of self-identity often expressed through brand and product loyalty,” says John Ferro, vice president of home and beauty marketing, WestRock, Richmond, VA. “Today’s customer is looking for something tailored uniquely for them [and] we want to help brand managers create beautiful products that make customers feel a certain way when they interact with them, whether that’s confident, sophisticated, romantic or youthful.
To meet this demand, WestRock introduced Creative Studio for Fragrance, a suite of customization capabilities for its Melodie fragrance pump, which include: decorative elements, such as overtubes, to allow for more design options and a differentiated look to help set brands apart; WestRock’s NoC invisible dip tube, a technology that does not interfere with the design elements of the overtube and works cohesively with the rest of the pack; and WestRock’s Melodie Clikit technology which allows the finished elements to be delivered to brand owners as a one-piece, pre-assembled unit. In a nutshell, the Creative Studio for Fragrance ensures that a top quality product is delivered in an optimized, efficient manner to get brands to market quickly.
“We study how consumers interact with packaging,” says WestRock’s Sandy Gregory, associate marketing director of global fragrance and the European beauty market. “We know from our insights work, which helped launch the Emotions of Spray Collection, that consumers notice, appreciate and feel connected by the nuances of the total fragrance experience: the way the spray touches their skin, the sound it makes as they spray and, of course, the overall look that will remind them of the magic of the story behind the fragrance. All of these elements come together to create a memorable experience with each use.”
Similarly, WestRock’s Pearl Deco collection is a suite of customization options for its Pearl airless dispensing line. This collection allows for a fully customizable application of decorative elements to the overcap, pump and bottle. It’s comprised of traditional techniques like silk screening, hot stamping, metallization and coating, in addition to a new technique called “sleever” that allows for the combination of colors and textures to create an infinite number of possible looks.
“With the Creative Studio for Fragrance, we pair dispensing design elements in an easy, efficient way, based on the brand needs, what they want to communicate and how they want their consumer to feel when they interact with the product,” Ferro says.
“Elements like decorative overtubes, collars and actuators allow for endless design options, which is really exciting, and our patented NoC invisible dip tube technology is the perfect complement to Creative Studio elements since it doesn’t interfere with the designs.”
Pressurized Advancements, Dispensing Benefits
When it comes to pressurized packaging, the granddaddy of them all is the aerosol container. But aerosol dispensing has come a long way in recent years.
“The key trends we see are the move to compressed aerosols and, concurrently, packaging premiumization,” comments Philip Brand, international marketing director at the Lindal Group, which is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
Brand says this trend is evident in the proliferation and acceptance of deodorants and antiperspirants in new “compressed can” formats, pioneered by major brands in Europe. “According to our customers, the smaller cans last as long as the old product, use 50% of the propellant, are half the size and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the product through 28% less aluminum and further transportation and stocking gains (e.g., more packs stacked per pallet),” he says.
Brand adds that consumers today also expect superior ergonomics, functionality and aesthetics. “It’s got to perform, look and feel good and exude quality. “No longer is pack premiumization found only in the luxury market sector,” he says. “Consumers of all types of personal care products expect innovative, quality packaging.”
With an eye on premiumization, Lindal Group’s range of aerosol dispensing solutions was recently expanded to include the availability of a spray version of its Neo actuator. This new incarnation delivers flexibility and increased capacity, as well as an appealing and cost-effective alternative for makers of deodorants and antiperspirants, hair care products and more.
The full Neo range is designed to appeal to sophisticated consumers of products in a wide range of personal care subcategories, including cosmetics (both powder and non-powder products), creams, hair mousse and shaving foam, and self-foaming gels (for male and female valves). “It’s a real brand-builder,” Brand says. “Its sleek and ergonomically appealing design incorporates a customizable finger pad, widening actuator design possibilities and enhancing brand characteristics.”
At Luxe Pack Monaco this past October, Airopack expanded its standard cylindrical range with the launch of a “free of shape range” comprised of customizable, organic looking “male- and female-shaped” pressurized dispensers. With sizes spanning from 50- to 200ml capacities, Airopacks are suitable for sprayable products such as hairspray, deodorant, body-spray and self-tanner products. Its patented, powered-by-air system is also suitable for dispensing creams, gels and high viscosity formulations.
Airopack’s dispensing technology offers a safe, all-plastic, pressurized dispenser that is environmentally friendly, with no inhalation risks and no chemical propellants. “No matter how the dispenser is held, it gives the same, easy, 360 degree utilization, making Airopack suitable for all market segments where dispensers are being used,” explains Sandy Goes, manager marketing, Airopack Group, Waalwijk, The Netherlands. “Generally speaking, it’s fair to say that distinctive shapes for metal aerosols are still very limited, but now Airopack is bringing new freedom of shape to the world of pressurized packaging.”
Goes maintains that the freedom of shape, coupled with strong graphic design, is key to an enhanced shelf impact. The Airopack dispenser’s ability to deliver a strong, consistent product flow from start to finish, even at an angle or upside down, conveys added ease of use that consumers will always appreciate. “Last but not least, Airopacks are transparent so, depending on sleeve design, customers can actually see if their dispenser is nearly empty or not, which can lead to an increase of repeat purchases,” Goes says.
Today’s consumer expects a lot, not just of the cosmetic and personal care products they buy but also of their products’ packaging. The advancements made in dispensing technologies in recent years dovetail well with the upswing in personal care spending. According to Philip Brand, it’s safe to say the ongoing demand for well-designed, performance-oriented dispensers bodes well.
“[Demand is] very strong, worldwide, with the advent of more disposable income in emerging markets, the growth of the men’s market, and the desire for brands to differentiate themselves and offer a quality end-user experience,” he concludes.
