Packaging may not be the superstar of the personal care world, but the value that innovative design can bring to a brand can be limitless. In an age where ‘unboxing’ videos are tops draws on Instagram and YouTube, a product’s container is no longer a component, but rather a necessary tool for a successful launch.

Great packaging can reinforce ideals, champion social causes, and define a standard for every other company to follow. Successful innovation has put brands into the Zeitgeist, and poor execution has lead to epic flops.

It is not often the first thing a customer thinks of, but package design still affects every use, every connection, and every attitude we have towards the brands that fill our shelves. Take a look at some companies that are leading the way forward in packaging design.

Helmm lays claim to being the world’s first refillable deodorant, providing a functional applicator that reduces plastic waste by 60% per unit. Deodorants and antiperspirant packaging has long been seen as one of the industry’s biggest waste products, owing to the amount of plastic to product ratio needed for the stick to work.

Even if a product’s components are recyclable (most aren’t) there is still an excessive amount of packaging that’s left over once the stick is gone. Instead, co-founders Zach Groffsky and Taylor Lane focused on designing a well-crafted (and stunning) piece of art that just so happens to live in your medicine cabinet. The inserts themselves are recyclable, with the deodorant’s formulation made from eco-friendly and natural ingredients.

Helmm hopes to not only reinvent the product category but use its packaging to reinforce a modern aesthetic and reimagine what prestige means for today’s man in personal care.

Keeping in the spirit of reducing waste, most beauty and personal care products rely heavily on plastics, due to the material’s low cost and easily moldable format. However, all of that plastic adds up — 70% of all U.S. plastic packaging waste ends up in landfills (not to mention what percentage gets lost in the ocean).¹

So Seed Phytonutrients put their team to work and created a fully-compostable post-consumer cardboard container. Mixed with chalk (a natural antimicrobial) the package is water-resistant and designed to be used in the shower.

The L’Oreal-incubated brand worked with Ecologic Brands to design the unique packaging, working off of an initial pouch-in-paper-shell concept (the bottles are fitted with recyclable plastic liners and airless pumps). The container’s two halves are then pieced together through glueless, interlocking tabs.

Water-resistance is achieved through the mixture of minerals and paper, with heat pressure binding the paper fibers together. To top it all off, a package of seeds is inserted in between the cardboard and liner, so consumers are reminded to give back to the earth once the shampoo is gone.

As we’ve seen, interchangeable refill packs can help a brand’s packaging in sustainable ways, but they can also double as a sales strategy for the masses. Take, for example, fragrance warehouse Scentbird, who offers a subscription-based model for keeping a person well-stocked in cologne or perfume.

For about $15 a month, customers get an 8 mL refill shipped directly to them, and the online tools to manage scents, shipment frequency, and add on supporting beauty care products. Customers can choose from the company’s catalog of more than 500 designer names, all of which are customized to fit into their slimline atomizer.

Every aspect of the product — from purchasing to packaging is designed for an on-the-go approach, reinforcing the notion that fragrance isn’t a chore, but a self-indulgence we can have anywhere.

The universal refillable premise not only contributes to reducing waste but expands Scentbird’s consumer base, targeting those who are less committed to fragrances. With each bottle designed for only a 30-day supply, customers do not have to make long-term commitments to any particular brand or scent.

The cases — which come in colors like bronze, burgundy, and electric purple — are almost as fun as waiting for the month’s scent to arrive.

Packaging can usher into a new industry concept, as seen in Kao’s product launch, MyKirei. The brand was inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Kirei, which focuses on an aesthetic of beauty, cleanliness, and sustainability.

The name is not only apropos for its product line, but also the packaging it comes in — patented flexible film containers that use air pockets to shape the bottle into place and stand it upright. The bottles use 50% less plastic than comparable products and are recyclable via TerraCycle.

The flexible packaging also provides a water-tight design to prevent contamination, which incidentally leads to less product waste. The inner bag pulls itself inward as the package empties, allowing for more product to be used. (Traditional bottles can leave up to three times as much product behind.)

What’s more, the company offers the MyKirei product line in refill packs, so consumers can reuse the hard plastic pump. Kao hopes that this AFB — air in film bottle — technology can be further applied to more products in the future.

Innovative packaging can be used to address a consumer need as well, as seen in LBK Nails’ line of vegan nail polish. The unique caps contain a hinged PCTG plastic nail painted with actual LBK polish. Consumers can slide their finger under the synthetic nail to see how the color will look in real life.

What’s more, each nail is painted with the exact polish that’s in the bottle. By doing so, LBK helps to address the nuances and variations that can be seen between batches. The company’s manufacturing process is capable of painting one tip every two seconds as the bottles come down the line.

The cap also provides a sanitary benefit, as customers do not need to unscrew the cap to inspect the color inside the bottle. What’s more, the company believes it is providing retailers an extra layer of savings. Tony Kemeny Jr., founder of Kemeny Designs and LBK Nails, believes that stores lose up to 2% through maintenance costs related to customers damaging displays with polish or contamination through opening the container.

The company works with VEM Tooling for the molded caps and paints the nail tips in their Anaheim, California facility. They utilize proprietary robotic technology to create an efficient mass-produced packaging operation.

Packaging that goes beyond a functional use, and into one’s brand representation can be highly effective in driving sales. KKW Beauty found that to be true in their Body fragrance.

Kim Kardashian West — The brand’s principal and public face — chose a shapely glass bottle designed from a mold of her actual body. Leaning into her famous physique, the company designed a bottle that reminded one of ancient Greek or Roman statues.

“My home has all these sculptures in it,” West told Allure magazine in 2018.2 “We have these two big angels that are similar to the bottle as they’re just torsos with no heads.”

Although there has been a long history of perfumes in female-shaped bottles, KKW’s was a pioneer for it’s ability to so clearly blend their celebrity with seriousness in perfumery. The glass bottle includes a 100 mL satin silver XD11 pump and the outside is texture-coated to feel and look like sand.

Even the secondary packaging adds to the visual appeal. A collapsable paper box cradles the perfume and mimics a museum’s pedestal when unwrapped.

Packaging That Moves Us

Our industry will always be an execution of art and formulation, one that uses packaging to drive beauty and personal care forward. From our early industry leaders and apothecary roots, package design has always presented a unique face to our personal care routines.

Companies find value in creating something that more than just a container, but something that inspires us, reinforces a brand’s uniqueness, and allows us to consider what’s possible for future brands.

While the global pandemic has affected us all in profound ways, the beauty and personal care industry has been uniquely transformed. The routines we have, the brands we’re loyal to, and the priority we assign to self-care will forever be defined in ‘before and after’ terms.

As the market continues to adjust to a new normal, brands are taking steps to assess the consumer landscape, solidify brand loyalty, and evaluate how shoppers interact with and buy their products. Even though the personal care industry has historically been resilient when it comes to recessions, this pandemic caused extreme hardships for many of us. Still, some brands were in a better position to adapt to retail changes that were on the horizon even before the virus hit.

Despite lockdowns bringing most industries to a halt, the personal care market was able to see faster rebounds. This suggests that the losses brands will experience might be short-lived. In February 2020 for example, China’s personal care market declined 80% year-over-year, but only dipped 20% year-over-year for March’s numbers.¹

A lot of what factored into the success or failure of a brand depended on how it was sold, and what type of personal care product it was. Many direct-to-consumer brands were able to continue unabated, whereas products distributed through salons and barbershops were forced to find novel ways to keep customers in stock.

Emerging brands that started on the internet were able to leverage an infrastructure that was already quarantine-friendly. Many of those companies upped digital ad buys and evaluated their warehouses and shipping policies for safety or efficiency improvements. The rest of the industry tried to follow suit, with some brands doing better than others.

This in turn added jet fuel to the already expanding lead eCommerce had gained over traditional retail. Over the last decade, online purchases grew faster than their in-store counterparts by a measure of 2 to 1. For personal care specifically, in-store sales grew by 184% in ten years but paled in comparison with a 432% growth online. That growth was largely fueled by the world’s largest online drugstore — Amazon — which saw a 1,045% increase in sales over the same 10-year period.²

It’s obvious that eCommerce is in a boom, but as we dig deeper into the numbers, it’s apparent that traditional brick-and-mortar stores have a deep influence on consumers (even those who eventually purchase online).

From the Baby Boomers to Gen-Z, completely in-store purchases (shopped in-store, bought in-store) dipped by 42 points. Fully online purchases only increased 7 points. Most of the swing — a 292% increase — went towards a combination of shopping in-store and buying online (or vice versa).

The purchasing of personal care products is still deeply reliant on the physical store connection. While we’re apt to embrace digital commerce, we still crave the ability to discover beauty products by touching, feeling, and smelling. We value expertise in helping us find the right products and we are enamored by the shopping experience’s mise en scène.

The brands we have previous loyalty towards do not require the same sensory experience, and shifting a portion of those purchases online would not be as disruptive. However, for many emerging brands, a completely digital experience misses out on an important customer connection. If this shift towards online purchasing has indeed been fast-tracked by the pandemic, it will cause ripples throughout the industry.

The $64,000 question is whether or not this shift will be permanent, completely subside, or result in a mix between the two. Many consumers who have changed their behavior in how they bought personal care products will continue with their new normal. These numbers have potential, with eMarketer reporting that in a 1-month timespan during the height of the pandemic, U.S. adults who shifted their purchases from physical to online stores increased by 68%.³

Therefore, if brands want to find new audiences, they are at a minimum going to have to figure out how to bring the sensory experience to a digital world. Subscription services — which have grown in popularity by 890%⁴ — are tailor-made for the customer experience. Brands that have sophisticated social media and influencer followers can easily provide digital word-of-mouth.

Still, how personal care shopping might change in the short- and long-term is likely going to depend on the type of product we’re talking about. We’ll take a look at three basic categories:

Expanding Options for Basic Necessities

Our most essential personal care products were not impacted as much by the pandemic as other product categories. While the onset saw a lot of out-of-stock signs, grocery stores and online retailers were able to resupply inventories. With some looking to stock up on staples, sales in this category actually increased.

The biggest change for this category was not if consumers purchased their product but how. Before lockdowns and stay-in-place orders, essentials were often bought at grocery stores, pharmacies, and big-box stores. Brand loyalty was extremely high, and consumers’ source-of-supply was predictable.

The lockdowns forced the closure of many stores — and while some were allowed to remain open, consumers were not confident in the safety of in-store shopping. Consumers were forced to look elsewhere for the basics, and Amazon, online retailers, and direct-to-consumer brands filled the void.

After discovering that going online for essentials offers some convenience (price comparison, automatic refill shipping, bulk purchasing of shelf-stable products) this category may maintain more of its online gains. The Benchmarking Company released a survey that found 35% of respondents plan to continue automatic online ordering for personal care supplies.⁵

Out-of-the-Box Marketing for Prestige Care

For all the brands we use because they go above and beyond the basics, it’s unclear how they might survive if department stores and boutique retailers suffer in the long term. While we still seek to indulge ourselves, brands with higher price points or those that provide a supplemental benefit will likely feel the pinch the longer a recession drags on.

Retail stores and salons found success with out-of-the-box ideas like curbside pickup and DIY kits. These may be the key to weathering a recession or surviving a permanent shift in purchase behavior. Businesses without an online component should add one (and should regardless of pandemics) since younger generations are always more connected online.

Building a Sales Strategy for The Unknown

The most unpredictable outcomes for a rapid shift in consumer behavior will likely fall to the discovery of new brands. (This category also includes prestige beauty and basic goods we haven’t yet discovered.) If in-store foot traffic remains quiet, brands will have to shift marketing strategy or lose market share.

As we’ve mentioned before, it’s unlikely that a shopper’s desire to buy in person will disappear altogether. There is a therapeutic element to browsing the aisles, but the waters will still be shaky. Local businesses may fall to larger chains, and brands will need to increase exposure across all channels.

Influencers will likely yield more star power, serving as an important conduit between ‘the problem’ and ‘the solution.’ People find value in a store’s expert advice, and Instagrammers have large followings that can offer authentic opinions (even if they’re backed by advertising revenue).

We may see some regression in manufacturing processes that have driven our industry forward over the last few years. Products designed for small carbon footprints, for example, might be less desirable than packaging-heavy (but more sanitary) products. Brands with large portfolios of SKUs or on-demand inventories may have to consolidate product lines and manufacturing runs. Contract Manufacturers may take precedence over the installation of long-term upgrades. Consumers may even gravitate towards multi-issue products (like hand sanitizers that moisturize or sunscreen with anti-aging properties).

The most rational assumption is that no matter what, brands will need to evaluate their successes and failures and be prepared to adapt business strategy quickly if needed.

Charting a Path Forward

There is still so much we do not know about how consumers (including ourselves) will behave in a post-COVID world. During the pandemic, our digital connection with each other emerged as a savior for a lot of what we did. Work, education, socializing, and yes, shopping, took new meaning and structure online.

We may look back in a year and see that the numbers were temporary and we’ve reverted to a world that more resembles 2019. Perhaps. The truth is, no matter how long there was a shift, or how things did or didn’t change, we’re always going to be moving towards a marketplace that looks more digital and connected. Brands must strive to reinvent themselves in new ways, and the pandemic just bumped that up in priority.

Some of what we have in our bathroom cabinet has been routine for a long time. While our industry is always innovating, developing new formulas and using superior ingredients, the basic concept of what a product is, how we use it, or what type of process we use to make it largely stays the same.

That’s changing in a lot of aspects of what we do, and especially for some brands who instead of improving upon an idea, prefer to change it from the ground up.

Here we have five brands who have taken a look at common toiletries and proposed revolutionary changes.

What’s more, being an active person, playing sports, or even showering has no effect on Nuud’s ability to neutralize bacteria and work in concert with our sweat glands’ natural processes.

In trying to create an armpit revolution, Nuud is puttng a spotlight on our pits and the science behind traditional antiperspirants (whose aluminum mixes with sweat, clogging pores). In fact, the product’s chemistry is unique enough that they recommend all users undergo an armpit ‘detox’ while they transition to a new way of life ­— fresh armpits worldwide.

Field-Tested Innovation

Founded in 2018 by industry veterans Benjamin Bernet and Justin Guilbert, Bravo Sierra has made tenets of the armed forces tentpoles of their brand.

When the pair decided to venture out into their own (Bernet ran men’s skin care at Kiehl’s and L’Oreal, and Guilbert ran marketing operations for Garnier, and Maybelline) they looked towards the military as an ideal model of personal care.

Not only did servicemen fit their outlook on personal care, but they represented a core brand personality Bravo Sierra could wrap themselves around.

“They are people who have each others’ backs, no matter where they are from.” said Guilbert. “We thought it an appealing, positive, almost progressive unifying message.”

Marketing to army vets is nothing new — companies have been doing it for decades. However, Bravo’s approach is much more than slapping a we support the troops bumper sticker on the bottle.

The products are designed for active duty — be it in Gold’s Gym or in Afghanistan — and everything is field tested through their Active Duty Field Development & Testing program.

Their chief innovation is in how they make the product. Through a network of proprietary tools and social channels, Bravo collaborates directly with consumers on product feedback and ideation. They call it social manufacturing and believe it’s the next frontier in product development.

The company was rewarded last year with $6.7 Million in venture capital funding, and keeping to their philosophy on personal care, Bravo donates 5% of its sales to Army,  Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.

A Day & Night Approach to Oral Care

Toothpaste isn’t known as being the rock star of the medicine cabinet, but it has its moments. It’s the most commonly used personal care item in the U.S. (97% of all Americans use it)² but our routines about it are largely set in stone.

In other parts of the world, habits are different, less so, or even non-existent. That’s what motivated founding brothers Julian and Cody Levine to partner with Lenny Kravitz, and evolve brushing into a ritual, rather than a chore. In the process, they could provide access to dental care to those without it.

Twice’s mission is simple: create an experience people can look forward to, and provide them with the tools they need to commit to a healthy oral care routine. At the same time, use their partnership with world organizations to provide that experience to those who don’t have a steady regiment. The company believes that a healthy smile can be a life-changing experience.

Twice toothpaste is sold in bundles — a wintergreen and peppermint flavor to wake you in the morning, and calming vanilla and lavender for nighttime brushing. Both formulas are naturally-sourced, vegan-friendly, and free of SLS, PEGs, parabens, and gluten.

Naturally, the company gives back to the communities that inspired them. Partnering with the GLO Good Foundation, 10% of all profits are donated to provide funding for more missions around the world. As they note in their promotional materials, whoever said a smile can’t change the world, clearly wasn’t using the right toothpaste.

Laying a Foundation, 5% of the Time

Set to debut in the Summer of 2020, Procter & Gamble’s newest gadget is approaching blemishes in a whole new way. Part computer, part ink-jet printer, Opte digitally scans your skin, analyzes your complexion, and dispenses a layer of foundation specific to individual spots and blemishes.

If an area has no blemishes, Opte does nothing. If a spot has some tonal imperfections, Opte prints picolitre droplets of their proprietary Spot Optimizing Serum.

Every blemish is individually analyzed, allowing for the precise amount of serum to blend in seamlessly with the rest of your skin. The serum also works to reduce blemish visibility over time.

The device made its debut at CES 2019 and began turning heads immediately. Since then, the company has improved performance, processing images 30% faster and making it 70% less expensive.³ The internal camera captures 200 frames per second and uses an algorithm to detect imperfections even beyond what we can see with the human eye.

Face Masks for the Common Man

The personal care segment for men is one-quarter the size for women,⁴ and the Wolf Project trying to challenge misconceptions that face masks are strictly a women’s issue. Founder Francesco Urso was in Asia and noticed he saw far less stigma there around men and face masks. Surprised how much he enjoyed it himself, he set out to create a superior product the Average Joe would use.

Their line of charcoal face products are designed specifically for the differences in a man’s skin (including a 20% thicker layer of dermis, higher oil levels and increased pore size). They boast the same rejuvinating effect touted by the best women’s-focused brands in the industry.

Wolf is out to promotes their core philosophy: that having good skin doesn’t have to compete with a man’s priorities. After all, you can easily take thirty minutes for a fresh face before you take the Harley out for a spin.

An Innovation Reboot

Advancements in personal care go beyond new ingredients and breakthrough formulas. At times, we need to take a new approach to the everyday products that built this industry. Good brands are soliciting feedback, testing products, and coming up with novel ideas for taboo topics.

Companies will continue to grow beyond the basics and challenge what we do in personal care. Are we reinventing the wheel? In some cases, yes. In others, it’s a natural progression of an industry that’s full of ideas.