Jamie Matusow , Editor-in-Chief09.01.22
Cosmoprof North America, known as the leading B2B beauty exhibition in the Americas, wrapped up its 19th edition July 12-14, 2022. This year the event took place at Las Vegas Convention Center, rather than the previous venue of Mandalay Bay Convention Center. A new two-hall format provided Cosmopack North America, the only event in the Americas fully dedicated to the entire beauty supply chain, with its own dedicated hall for the first time.
The larger of the halls focused on finished products, which were divided into 4 categories (hair care, skincare & makeup, nails, and natural products) and special areas including Discover Beauty, Discover Green and country pavilions.
Organizers reported that throughout the three-day event, 32,000 retailers, distributors, investors, beauty brands, suppliers, and the press connected with over 1,100 exhibiting brands to discover new product launches and facilitate business.
Talk on the show floor ranged from the 115-degree heat outside the Convention Center to inflation, manufacturing costs, stocked/made in the U.S./NA (see the article on Made in USA/NA suppliers on page 38 of this issue), turnkey production, mono-materials, lead times, factory expansions, personnel hiring, the need for more education for consumers and brands regarding sustainable packaging—and more. Spotted frequently: Claims of sustainable packaging, with options from recyclables and refillables to flexible pouches with various dispensing/applicator heads.
Following is a selection of exhibitors and packaging that caught our eye.
SamHwa presented a recyclable and/or refillable tube through a relationship with Kolmar. Paper is on the outside with LDPE laminated plastic on the inside. Paper is simply peeled away—so both parts can be recycled.
SP Beauty Group, headquartered in Totowa, NJ, presented a “total beauty service,” featuring sustainable primary and secondary packaging and turnkey services for makeup and skincare—in primarily paper-based composites. Sustainable packaging options included a paper PP series, a paper tube series and a coconut series. A jar on display was made of 51% paper and PP.
Federal Package revealed 24 new formulations at the show, defining themselves as a turnkey contract manufacturing company. Melissa Niebes, chief commercial officer, said that activity at CPNA had been centered around packaging, but about 70% of their work now encompasses formulas, filling and contract manufacturing. Their new High-Performance Skin Care Formulas are clean and range from serums, to facial moisturizers, to body lotions and creams. Everything is Made in the USA, in Minnesota. Niebes told Beauty Packaging: “With an in-house chemistry lab, we can do anything a brand wants. The customer can provide the formula—or our in-house lab can get you through the process.”
“In-stock in the U.S.” is key at New High Glass, according to Oscar Baez, COO, pointing to glass bottles and jars from Italy, which are frosted and decorated in the U.S. “By standardizing the neck on all of our bottles, and offering dip tube cutting in-house, we are able to stock a wide variety of dispensing closures which can be mixed and matched regardless of bottle shape or size. Glass jars and metallized caps in various sizes are also in stock in the U.S. as are an assortment of eco-friendly fragrance bottles with screw necks that can be easily refilled or recycled because of the removable sprayers.”
At Olcott (part of Pretium Packaging), Julie Perilla, vice president of sales, personal care, Pretium, told Beauty Packaging, “Domestic sourcing is driving about eighty percent of the conversation.” The first thing that attendees to the booth ask, she said, is: “Do you guys make these things in the U.S.?”
In addition to its deluxe deodorant/stick packaging—which includes a mono-material design for recycling—Viva introduced its Made in North America, Legacy jar system with refill pods. The thick-wall jar (made of up to 100% recycled content) can be re-used “endlessly.” Just easily remove and recycle the empty refill pod. Melanie Gaudun, manager business development, Viva, told Beauty Packaging: “Made in North America is definitely a selling point.”
At McKernan Packaging Clearing House, Brenda Peirce, marketing/advertising manager, told Beauty Packaging, “Returning to Cosmoprof for the first time in a few years, it was exciting to be a part of this show again. There seemed to be many new businesses visiting the show. We were able to meet quite a few new customers who were just starting out in beauty, hair care and personal care. While it was interesting to hold two separate sections for Cosmoprof and Cosmopack, it was a little bit frustrating because of the distance between the two venues. We felt that many people were unaware of the packaging side or did not have enough time to see both. Since this is a business to business event, this separation hindered the interaction between both the beauty and packaging companies, and if the venues were closer in proximity to each other, similar to previous years, we feel that there would have been more foot traffic between both sides of the show.
While at the show, Peirce noted a large emphasis on sustainability. She said McKernan has always been at the forefront of sustainability with their Precycle program, where “we take unused and unbranded packaging components and reintroduce them into the market, keeping them out of the landfills.”
In addition to their Precycle program, Peirce announced that they will be offering a line of PCR jars, bottles and closures. Coming this Fall, a select group of amber and black PCR jars and bottles and black-and-white closures will be in stock in McKernan’s warehouse and ready to ship within 24-48 hours from a customer order. More sizes and colors will be offered in the near future or will be available for special order.
The Zero Remnant Stick and Zero Remnant Auto Dropper are both designed for complete evacuation and usage of product as well as recycling at end of use, providing wonderful eco conscious solutions. The Twist Up & Down Refillable Dispenser Pump is also a sustainable component, and takes an innovative twist as it allows for easy one-handed use.
NF Beauty Group has been working toward rebranding themselves since their name change. Andrea Greff, design manager, explains, “This gives us the opportunity to focus on our customers in the U.S. and further expand to global offerings in Europe and other opportunities with vendor partnerships.” Because of this, she says they have also been focusing on revamping their turnkey offerings, expanding the catalog to include not only skincare with certified clean credentials, but also to bring in exciting new color cosmetics with unique textures.
“Our packaging continues to highlight sustainability and bring refillable packaging and the use of recyclable or post-consumer materials to the forefront,” says Greff.
One such product is the Frame Pouch pump. The Frame Pouch’s reusable frame gives this package a long life and circular life-cycle, according to Greff. Keeping the frame gives the inner pouch structure when ready to replace. A large frame surface also provides unique opportunities for artwork to coordinate with the pouch artwork.
NF Beauty Group’s Refillable Rollerball adds a new spin to the typical body roller. Ideal for body care, body cosmetics and fragrance, this roller is both recyclable and easy to customize for various scents, formulas, or products, explained Greff. The base removes to replace the formulation pack, while maintaining the rollerball as a keepsake, or for future ease of disassembly for recycling.
Allstar Packaging was highlighting a refillable airless line and a PCR line in a full range of sizes. Also on display: Mono-material lipsticks.
FusionPKG introduced its next generation of airless pump engines at Cosmoprof NA. Focused on sustainability, the all-new 100% polyolefin mechanical pump engine features an all-plastic spring and has received APR Meets Preferred Guidance Recognition, meaning the component is considered Preferred according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability. The new technology integrates into FusionPKG’s existing lineup of award-winning airless packaging, offering a new generation of mono-material airless designed for recycling compatibility.
Precise Cosmetic Packaging featured various refillable packaging options, including jars and airless pump packages. Cynthia Ellis, sales associate at Precise, agreed with what others at the show had said, when she commented that, “One of the most common requests during this trade show is what we have available as far as sustainable packaging.” She said there is a noticeable increase in requests for packages that are eco-friendly or biodegradable, which coincides with the ‘Clean out the landfills’ focus among brands and consumers.
SeaCliff’s Mono-Material Airless System Packaging is made from 100% of the same resin: polyethylene (PE). This metal-free packaging solution allows for easy recyclability to help reuse and reduce plastic waste. By using only one resin (PE), it allows for easy disposal, collection and recycling. The Mono-Material airless system packaging is also available in Green PE (sugarcane).
Amanda Deak, SeaCliff’s senior marketing manager, told Beauty Packaging, “Our mono-material tubes are offered with revolutionary airless systems that protect and enhance your formulas. These airless systems provide a superior user experience while also being easily recyclable.”
Seacliff Beauty has also partnered exclusively with Tide Ocean SA to introduce ocean plastic packaging in the beauty industry. The CA-based supplier is using #tide’s premium material to create high-quality packaging made from 100% ocean-bound plastic. The final PET, PP, HDPE, and LDPE outputs are fully customizable and can be applied to a great variety of skincare, cosmetics, and hair care products. Deak says testing has shown that #tide ocean material is “a perfect replacement for virgin plastics.”
At North America-based Plastube, Stéphane Beauchemin, vice president of sales & marketing, NA, spoke about one of the company’s latest innovations. COEX Tubes are now available with 50% PCR resin. Also, a new high-gloss finish to make your tubes stand out on the shelf is now available with their digital press (low MOQ starts at 5,000 units).
The larger of the halls focused on finished products, which were divided into 4 categories (hair care, skincare & makeup, nails, and natural products) and special areas including Discover Beauty, Discover Green and country pavilions.
Organizers reported that throughout the three-day event, 32,000 retailers, distributors, investors, beauty brands, suppliers, and the press connected with over 1,100 exhibiting brands to discover new product launches and facilitate business.
On the Cosmopack Show Floor
Beauty Packaging focused on Cosmopack North America, as mentioned, now in its own hall. Here, exhibitors provided solutions for the entire beauty supply chain featuring raw materials and ingredients, private label and contract manufacturing, primary and secondary packaging, machinery, and other solutions for the beauty industry. While foot traffic seemed lighter in this hall, many exhibitors reported that they were having a great show with lots of good interest and qualified leads.Talk on the show floor ranged from the 115-degree heat outside the Convention Center to inflation, manufacturing costs, stocked/made in the U.S./NA (see the article on Made in USA/NA suppliers on page 38 of this issue), turnkey production, mono-materials, lead times, factory expansions, personnel hiring, the need for more education for consumers and brands regarding sustainable packaging—and more. Spotted frequently: Claims of sustainable packaging, with options from recyclables and refillables to flexible pouches with various dispensing/applicator heads.
Following is a selection of exhibitors and packaging that caught our eye.
Paper Please
A look around the show floor revealed an influx of paper/plastic packaging combos, from tubes to bottles.SamHwa presented a recyclable and/or refillable tube through a relationship with Kolmar. Paper is on the outside with LDPE laminated plastic on the inside. Paper is simply peeled away—so both parts can be recycled.
SP Beauty Group, headquartered in Totowa, NJ, presented a “total beauty service,” featuring sustainable primary and secondary packaging and turnkey services for makeup and skincare—in primarily paper-based composites. Sustainable packaging options included a paper PP series, a paper tube series and a coconut series. A jar on display was made of 51% paper and PP.
Sleek & Classic Glass
At Baralan, two new families of small bottles for nail- and skincare had “just arrived” from Italy. Jeff Carbone, sales manager, South Region, showed Beauty Packaging the Penelope and Marina lines, pointing out the mix of round and square edges that make these sleek and skinny bottles stand out. Penelope is round with a square base, while Marina is totally square with a softer, rounded edge—basically a classic bottle with a modern shape. They are available in 10-, 12- and 15ml. The Italian manufacturer also introduced new large capacity 150- and 200ml glass jars for skincare.Full Packaging/Turnkey Sourcing
Connecticut-based QRS Packaging focuses on matching brand customers in the U.S. “with the best qualified suppliers the world has to offer” for full packaging or turnkey sourcing. They do all the vetting, production and scheduling so the customer can focus on development. Jennifer Corey, director of business development says the QRS team holds years of experience on both the brand and supplier sides, which helps to ensure a smooth project start to finish.Federal Package revealed 24 new formulations at the show, defining themselves as a turnkey contract manufacturing company. Melissa Niebes, chief commercial officer, said that activity at CPNA had been centered around packaging, but about 70% of their work now encompasses formulas, filling and contract manufacturing. Their new High-Performance Skin Care Formulas are clean and range from serums, to facial moisturizers, to body lotions and creams. Everything is Made in the USA, in Minnesota. Niebes told Beauty Packaging: “With an in-house chemistry lab, we can do anything a brand wants. The customer can provide the formula—or our in-house lab can get you through the process.”
Taking Stock/Domestic Sourcing
ABA Packaging continues to draw interest with its wide selection of in-stock packaging, including their popular aluminum cans for brands of all tiers and sizes. At Cosmopack NA, the team introduced the ability to add Braille to the aluminum—for expanded inclusivity. A foamer dispenser is also now available.“In-stock in the U.S.” is key at New High Glass, according to Oscar Baez, COO, pointing to glass bottles and jars from Italy, which are frosted and decorated in the U.S. “By standardizing the neck on all of our bottles, and offering dip tube cutting in-house, we are able to stock a wide variety of dispensing closures which can be mixed and matched regardless of bottle shape or size. Glass jars and metallized caps in various sizes are also in stock in the U.S. as are an assortment of eco-friendly fragrance bottles with screw necks that can be easily refilled or recycled because of the removable sprayers.”
At Olcott (part of Pretium Packaging), Julie Perilla, vice president of sales, personal care, Pretium, told Beauty Packaging, “Domestic sourcing is driving about eighty percent of the conversation.” The first thing that attendees to the booth ask, she said, is: “Do you guys make these things in the U.S.?”
In addition to its deluxe deodorant/stick packaging—which includes a mono-material design for recycling—Viva introduced its Made in North America, Legacy jar system with refill pods. The thick-wall jar (made of up to 100% recycled content) can be re-used “endlessly.” Just easily remove and recycle the empty refill pod. Melanie Gaudun, manager business development, Viva, told Beauty Packaging: “Made in North America is definitely a selling point.”
At McKernan Packaging Clearing House, Brenda Peirce, marketing/advertising manager, told Beauty Packaging, “Returning to Cosmoprof for the first time in a few years, it was exciting to be a part of this show again. There seemed to be many new businesses visiting the show. We were able to meet quite a few new customers who were just starting out in beauty, hair care and personal care. While it was interesting to hold two separate sections for Cosmoprof and Cosmopack, it was a little bit frustrating because of the distance between the two venues. We felt that many people were unaware of the packaging side or did not have enough time to see both. Since this is a business to business event, this separation hindered the interaction between both the beauty and packaging companies, and if the venues were closer in proximity to each other, similar to previous years, we feel that there would have been more foot traffic between both sides of the show.
While at the show, Peirce noted a large emphasis on sustainability. She said McKernan has always been at the forefront of sustainability with their Precycle program, where “we take unused and unbranded packaging components and reintroduce them into the market, keeping them out of the landfills.”
In addition to their Precycle program, Peirce announced that they will be offering a line of PCR jars, bottles and closures. Coming this Fall, a select group of amber and black PCR jars and bottles and black-and-white closures will be in stock in McKernan’s warehouse and ready to ship within 24-48 hours from a customer order. More sizes and colors will be offered in the near future or will be available for special order.
A Range of Refillables
HCT by kdc/one showed new innovations from their partner Pumtech. HCT is Pumtech’s exclusive partner for North America, EMEA & UK. Standout packages included the Zero Remnant Dropper, Zero Remnant Stick and Twist Up & Down Refillable Dispenser Mist Pump.The Zero Remnant Stick and Zero Remnant Auto Dropper are both designed for complete evacuation and usage of product as well as recycling at end of use, providing wonderful eco conscious solutions. The Twist Up & Down Refillable Dispenser Pump is also a sustainable component, and takes an innovative twist as it allows for easy one-handed use.
NF Beauty Group has been working toward rebranding themselves since their name change. Andrea Greff, design manager, explains, “This gives us the opportunity to focus on our customers in the U.S. and further expand to global offerings in Europe and other opportunities with vendor partnerships.” Because of this, she says they have also been focusing on revamping their turnkey offerings, expanding the catalog to include not only skincare with certified clean credentials, but also to bring in exciting new color cosmetics with unique textures.
“Our packaging continues to highlight sustainability and bring refillable packaging and the use of recyclable or post-consumer materials to the forefront,” says Greff.
One such product is the Frame Pouch pump. The Frame Pouch’s reusable frame gives this package a long life and circular life-cycle, according to Greff. Keeping the frame gives the inner pouch structure when ready to replace. A large frame surface also provides unique opportunities for artwork to coordinate with the pouch artwork.
NF Beauty Group’s Refillable Rollerball adds a new spin to the typical body roller. Ideal for body care, body cosmetics and fragrance, this roller is both recyclable and easy to customize for various scents, formulas, or products, explained Greff. The base removes to replace the formulation pack, while maintaining the rollerball as a keepsake, or for future ease of disassembly for recycling.
Allstar Packaging was highlighting a refillable airless line and a PCR line in a full range of sizes. Also on display: Mono-material lipsticks.
FusionPKG introduced its next generation of airless pump engines at Cosmoprof NA. Focused on sustainability, the all-new 100% polyolefin mechanical pump engine features an all-plastic spring and has received APR Meets Preferred Guidance Recognition, meaning the component is considered Preferred according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability. The new technology integrates into FusionPKG’s existing lineup of award-winning airless packaging, offering a new generation of mono-material airless designed for recycling compatibility.
Precise Cosmetic Packaging featured various refillable packaging options, including jars and airless pump packages. Cynthia Ellis, sales associate at Precise, agreed with what others at the show had said, when she commented that, “One of the most common requests during this trade show is what we have available as far as sustainable packaging.” She said there is a noticeable increase in requests for packages that are eco-friendly or biodegradable, which coincides with the ‘Clean out the landfills’ focus among brands and consumers.
Mono-Materials and More
SeaCliff Beauty, which offers packaging and full-service turnkey, highlighted their commitment to sustainability through a number of packaging options, including innovative mono-materials, refillables and ocean plastics.SeaCliff’s Mono-Material Airless System Packaging is made from 100% of the same resin: polyethylene (PE). This metal-free packaging solution allows for easy recyclability to help reuse and reduce plastic waste. By using only one resin (PE), it allows for easy disposal, collection and recycling. The Mono-Material airless system packaging is also available in Green PE (sugarcane).
Amanda Deak, SeaCliff’s senior marketing manager, told Beauty Packaging, “Our mono-material tubes are offered with revolutionary airless systems that protect and enhance your formulas. These airless systems provide a superior user experience while also being easily recyclable.”
Seacliff Beauty has also partnered exclusively with Tide Ocean SA to introduce ocean plastic packaging in the beauty industry. The CA-based supplier is using #tide’s premium material to create high-quality packaging made from 100% ocean-bound plastic. The final PET, PP, HDPE, and LDPE outputs are fully customizable and can be applied to a great variety of skincare, cosmetics, and hair care products. Deak says testing has shown that #tide ocean material is “a perfect replacement for virgin plastics.”
At North America-based Plastube, Stéphane Beauchemin, vice president of sales & marketing, NA, spoke about one of the company’s latest innovations. COEX Tubes are now available with 50% PCR resin. Also, a new high-gloss finish to make your tubes stand out on the shelf is now available with their digital press (low MOQ starts at 5,000 units).
