A Guide to Eye-Catching Cosmetic Packaging

Over 50% of modern customers make purchasing decisions at the point of sale. In shelves crowded with cosmetic products from different companies, brands cannot afford to be complacent. Great product packaging distinguishes your item as well as your brand, making your offerings stand out from the crowd.

Effective packaging serves the dual function of protecting and promoting your product. Cosmetic brands have a greater onus to attract and retain customers through appealing product packing. A well-designed package helps you sell the product by drawing customers’ attention. At the same time, it also safeguards and contains the item.

Additionally, the packing also has the power to communicate the history and quality of your brand to your consumers. Thus, it hugely impacts the overall success of your product in the market.

Elements of Effective Cosmetic Packaging Design

Various factors influence cosmetic packaging. The following elements result in developing an impressive packaging design for cosmetic products.

Choosing the right materials

A customer’s curiosity is piqued the moment they see a product in eye-catching packaging. So, you must choose the right packaging materials for your product.

For cosmetics, some of the key materials used for packing are:

Metal
Glass
PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate
Polypropylene Plastic (PP)
High-density Polyethylene.

Cosmetics are vulnerable to damage and weather elements. So, it is crucial to have the safest packaging. For example, if you want an ideal cosmetic container, consider what will preserve the product’s properties.

The packaging material should also be environmentally friendly, recyclable, and ergonomic.

Metal cans are highly popular for specific makeup products like liquid tints, glosses, and eye products. Glass is a strong plastic packaging item that imparts a stunning look to your product. You can use vials, bottles, or roller ball applicators for packing.

If your product has alcohol or any solvent, opt for PET containers. But if you want a waterproof and highly moisture-resistant material, go for PP.

Designing for functionality and ease of use

No matter how impeccable the design is, it won’t give the desired results if it isn’t functional. Good packaging material is one that communicates to the customers that the product is made for them and also allows it to travel seamlessly from your facility to the store’s shelves.

For cosmetic products, invest in protective and cute shipping boxes. It is much better than bearing the cost of replacing the damaged items later. In most cases, simple and easy-to-use packaging wins over complex ones. Choose packaging that your customers can open and use easily. It shouldn’t let the product leak or spill.

Always use safe and non-toxic packaging material that won’t react with your cosmetic products.

Incorporating branding and product information

Beauty in cosmetic packaging should always display your brand and have information about the product. Makeup packaging should have essential product information.

According to the FDA’s cosmetic label guidelines, your product package should have the name of the product and its usage.

It should also have an accurate statement of the overall quantity of contents. You must include a list of all materials in the product, ingredients on the information panel, and warning and caution statements.

To distinguish your product from your competitors, include claims such as ‘organic,’ ‘vegan,’ ‘cruelty-free,’ and ‘hypoallergenic’ as per your product’s nature.

Tips for Creating Eye-Catching Designs

Proper branding via a striking cosmetic packaging design makes people grab the product off the shelf. Your packaging design, whether it is white packaging boxes, metal, or glass bottles, should speak loud and clear for your product.

Colors can be a powerful tool that helps customers notice your product, among various others. You can indeed regulate the purchasing behavior of your target audience by selecting the right colors. It is the first thing your target buyers notice, and thoughtful use of color is very effective in drawing them toward your product.

Here are some commonly-used colors in the world of cosmetic packaging. You will usually see them while browsing through a makeup or skincare section at a store or online.

Red symbolizes passion, power, youth, confidence, and energy. Its bolder shades have a luxurious look, while brighter ones give an energetic vibe. You can find this color in various products from Olay.
Yellow denotes innovation, hope, cheer, and youth. Combining it with other colors is key to getting the right customer response. Garnier frequently uses yellow in their packaging with products containing lemon extracts.
Blue is associated with truth, healing, and serenity. Darker hues of this color symbolize strength, while lighter is synonymous with freshness and coolness. A great example of blue in cosmetic packaging can be found in the perfume released by Estee Lauder recently to attract a younger audience.
The color green suggests organic and natural items. This shade has an association with growth, health, and security. Many plant-based skincare products feature this color.

Choosing fonts and typography that complement your brand

The right typography on a cosmetic packaging design sends a powerful brand message and expresses its values. The typeface you choose on the package should be ideal for your brand and its objectives. Use these tips to choose the right font for your package.

The type of font must be as per the age and preferences of your target customers. For example, a serif is a classical form of the font for lengthy passages. It imparts a traditional flair to the packaging design and helps a brand convey its experience and trustworthiness. There are decorative fonts that are elaborate renditions of font types like script, serif, and sans serif. These give an artistic character and convey a specific mood.
The correct font size makes it easy for the buyer to scan the label and understand crucial information. While choosing the font size, consider the package design hierarchy. It means your product features, brand identity, and other necessary communication.
Put only what is necessary on the product packaging. Add enough information as per the space on the box. But do not put excessive information that overwhelms the buyer.

Ask the following questions to yourself while deciding on a particular font category.

What kind of image of your brand do you want to project?
Do you desire your brand to be seen as science-backed?
Do you want your business to be seen as handmade or local?

Designing for visual hierarchy and balance

Every component of design in your packaging sends out a message. In the sphere of design, it is called visual hierarchy. It’s crucial to pay attention to the kind of messages you are sending with the packaging design’s layout.

In simple words, a visual hierarchy is the organization of elements in the design in the order of their importance.

The visual weight of every element tells your buyer what to focus on and in which sequence. It’s particularly useful for brands that want to convey a lot of information via text but have limited space.

The visual hierarchy includes everything from contrast, emphasis, balance, and more. While designing the packaging, ensure that the most important elements are the biggest and visually distinct.

For makeup brands, this translates into the brand name and logo design. It’s essential to use the principle of balance in design. A balanced design is one in which there’s a visible harmony between colors, textures, and visual weights.

A great example of this is Chanel’s minimalistic logos. The brand uses simple fonts and symbols, yet there’s an unmistakable sophistication to the design.

Designing for Sustainability

According to the United Nations report, if the world’s population touches 9.6 billion by 2050, we will need an equivalent of three planets to sustain the lifestyles of modern humans.

Today, customers value ethical businesses, and the cosmetics market is no exception. Most people are concerned about sustainability while buying a beauty product. It continues to be a topic of much discussion in cosmetics and beauty industries.

Here are some latest trends and challenges in eco-friendly cosmetic packaging.

Trends and challenges

Companies adopting sustainable packaging are still in the minority: This packaging is no longer simply a cosmetic industry trend. Although many companies did make sustainability claims, their number is very less. The only positive thing is that some suppliers in the global market are introducing new ways of packaging while considering the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Recyclable packaging can impact the environment negatively: To package cosmeceutical formulas safely, airless pump containers are needed. But a challenge with it is recycling the pump, which combines plastic with metal springs. Sometimes, more sustainable alternatives lead to less than desirable effects on the environment. For instance, recyclable packaging needs to adhere to many requirements to be recycled after every usage. Manufacturers who try to meet these needs are required to need more material and energy while producing the packaging.
Difficulty in developing fully sustainable packaging: Companies are finding that sustainable packaging, such as airtight packaging, premium bottles for perfumes, and cost-efficiency to speed-to-market considerations, are quite difficult to manage.

Best Practices for Eco Friendly Cosmetic Packaging

It’s important to follow the best strategies for eco-friendly cosmetic packaging to reduce your environmental footprint.

Post-consumer recycled packaging – This packaging uses recycled products such as plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, aluminum, and paper. These elements are put in a recycling facility where they are categorized and converted into bales. It’s then used to mold new products into the required sizes and shapes.
Refillable packaging – These are made from Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics. These have a robust and flexible grasp on the items inside. Refillable containers minimize plastic waste considerably.
Aluminum packaging – Aluminum is non-toxic, lightweight, and easy to recycle. It can be used in diverse climates, and recycling it requires very little energy. Aluminum packaging is more durable than glass.
Bamboo – Bamboo packaging does not impact the environment much and is highly durable. It also has a superior strength to other kinds of wood. Bamboo can be recycled and reused and is thus an ideal material for eco-friendly cosmetic packaging.

Bringing Your Cosmetic Packaging Design to Life

To bring your cosmetic packaging design to life, it’s critical to work with the right packaging supplier. Here are some points to check when choosing a supplier.

Selection – Pick a supplier who offers a good selection of options in materials, containers, and finishes. It will set you up for both long-term and short-term packing options if your business scales.
Readily available products – Another consideration is to check whether the supplier has a majority of the items available in stock. It will reduce the time for your product to be released on the market.
Reasonable pricing – Always look out for competitive pricing, which isn’t too low nor too high. Compare the pricing of your prospective supplier with others in the industry.
On-time delivery – You should work with a supplier whom you can trust to deliver on time.
High-quality packaging solutions – Your supplier should provide quality in their products. Packaging is one of the main elements of your cosmetic product, and poor packaging quality adversely affects your brand.
Certified and compliant – In the US, packaging suppliers should have a certification as per the ISO standards. Your supplier should be compliant with appropriate regulatory agencies. It ensures that your packaging is certified for quality.
Work with a graphic designer – A professional graphics designer helps you get the packaging design before or on the due date. A design team has extensive experience in creative designs, guidelines, the latest trends, and good strategies to leverage the item’s designs so you achieve your business goals.

Summing up

The cosmetics and skincare industry has the potential to develop a huge base of die-hard customers. Packaging is the first thing that everyone sees. If it grabs their attention and aligns with what they are searching for, they are highly likely to purchase it. If not, the product will only gather dust on the store’s shelves.

The right packaging and designs bring huge opportunities. At Ucanpack, we design and manufacture various packing materials and offer innovative packaging design solutions to the cosmetics industry. It doesn’t matter how complex your needs are, you can confidently rely on us to offer the best solution on time.