Clinical Packaging: Branding Trump Card Held by Skincare Industry

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In a world that has thousands of brands, all ready to prove how they excel, it is imperative to decide how your business will stick out. 

An essential part of the solution is the packaging. 

Well, while the packaging is a part of it all, it is a rather important part. It is an important factor to help build a clear and structured brand identity, draw in new clients, and keep faithful clients excited for new products. Moreover, in a cutthroat market, such as skincare, the packaging is far beyond setting your product in a dull container, it’s a chance to overawe your customers! With effective packaging, you could make opening your skincare product an aesthetic experience. Showing your clients that you went the extra mile will establish an extraordinary connection. This should be possible in little yet noteworthy ways, for example, a note to say thanks, or making an eye-discovering packaging.

Also, read: Importance of Product Packaging in Marketing

The Basics of Skincare Products Packaging

Products are no longer just cold means to increase sales. It is the collection of your products that will help you create an irresistible brand portfolio. However, your job as a skincare brand does not end as you stand certain about your cosmetics and skincare product quality. In order to let your target audience become acquainted with your products – and eventually, buy the same – it is important that you convey your product’s quality through a medium that reaches them before the product: packaging. 

Therefore, it is crucial that all the essential factors are in check while selecting skincare packaging material: 

Durability: 

Skincare products could spend some time on a shelf, it is important that your selected packaging material is strong enough to protect the product (and packaging containers as well) from external as well as internal elements. For instance, as customers carry skincare products with them, it is important that your packaging material should have durability which would keep the product safe from the heat. On the other hand, it is also required to remember that products with fruit extractions can cause some containers to corrode, so those should be a big no. Along with these, make sure that the packaging material is checked for squeezability and potential spoilage risks. 

Eco-Friendliness 

While it is important to use containers and packaging material with light-blocking capacity and the ability to withstand all types of ingredients in the product, throughout the expected duration, it is even more important to try and rule out plastics. If you are an aspiring skincare company and are looking for ways to create a buzz that is not limited to time, all the while connecting to the customers, an eco-friendly packaging strategy is the best way to cover it all. Thus, packaging materials such which are biodegradable and recyclable should have your eyes on those. Nevertheless, if you absolutely have to use a plastic container for your skincare products, consider using the ones which are BPA-free. 

Considering the above factors, here are some of the best packaging materials for skincare packaging:

• PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): Available in several color choices, this packaging material can be used for cosmetic bottles which are semi-rigid and flexible. Also, with its resistance to chemical compounds, it is perfect for cosmetics with high fruit extractions or acids. 

• Glass: Giving the product a luxurious and elegant appearance, glass has made its place in packaging containers for skincare products for a while now, and has worked excessively well. Moreover, with its recyclability, glass is a good alternative to plastic packaging material. If you do not mind a bit of extra shipping cost, which is usually covered as the customers start to form an opinion about your product, glass should be on top of the list of packaging materials for skincare products.

• Metal: Many customers are now inclining towards containers that are sustainable and durable, and metal is just that. With a bit of extra effort, metal can be used just as aesthetically as any other packaging material. Be that as it may, as a metal has all kinds of properties which may or may not with the ingredients of your product, it is essential to get it checked before landing on this packaging material. 

Read more: Skincare Packaging Basics: Choosing the Right Material for your Product

Underlying and Updated Basics of Skincare Products Packaging

Yes, aesthetics and durability play an essential role in packaging skincare products. However, it shall be more than a bubble wrap stuffed into a cardboard container. It should be more like a gift. However, it should also cover the basic need that is associated with product packaging: protection. 

Furthermore, with skincare being one of the fastest-growing industries – statistically, by 2025, the worldwide skincare market is estimated to be 189.3 billion U.S. dollars –  it is expected to manage to take it up a notch.

Unfortunately, in the past, many customers have come across counterfeit skincare products. Be it due to lack of knowledge, or false advertising, or a combination of both. As luck would have it, that has turned out to be helpful for people who invest time into skincare routines. Not only now customers have higher standards as to which ingredients they prefer to use on their skin, but they also have gotten selective concerning product quality in its entirety. 

Understanding the same, a leading skincare company, Clinique has found a way to provide it all to their customers on a silver plate. With customers inclining towards skincare products that are medically safe, Clinique offers products that would be loved by dermatologists. Moreover, implementing the clinical element from the “Clinique” name itself, the brand uses packaging to its advantage by giving its products a medicinal appearance. Through medicinal yet aesthetic packaging, the brand promises authentic skincare products for happy skin. 

Other skincare and cosmetics brands showing their association with dermatology, such as The Ordinary and Cerave, have certainly set a path and raised the bar for budding skincare companies. Also, there are companies that assure the quality of their products through taglines as well. For instance, The Byzzer platform, powered by NielsenIQ CPG data, shows Cerave, whose tagline is “developed with dermatologists,” is number 1st in facial care. Whereas, La Roche-Posay, which promotes a commitment “to make dermatological skincare accessible,” is number 5th in the same category.

With most of the companies using plastic or glass for packaging their skincare products, it is important (and about time) to show customers that skincare products are not merely an aid to the skin, but an element to a healthier lifestyle. And it starts by both, changing the inside (product), as well as representing that change from the outside (product packaging).