Counting on Cosmeceuticals

Down to Earth chose to partner with Berlin Packaging for its packaging line because of the alignment in business cultures. The packaging had to provide functionality and elegance, while also ensuring a distinctive brand identity and delivering value to the customer.

The scientific marketing savvy behind beauty products with benefits has proved to be a shot in the arm for the industry’s global health.

Written by Jamie Matusow, Editor

As one who follows popular culture might expect, the Kardashians are right on trend. Following on the heels of Kim’s runaway, eponymous fragrance launch, the sisters, three of the most photographed women in Hollywood, have revealed their No. 1 beauty secret. PerfectSkin, described as a “revolutionary 3-step skin care system developed for and used exclusively by Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian,” is not available in stores, but with a website and the launch of a June infomercial, women everywhere now have access.

The brainchild of Perfect Science Labs’ chemist and skin care scientist Dr. Ron DiSalvo, the line touts a patented “breakthrough 3D BioRepair Complex,” which contains a mix of vitamins, antioxidants and “a newly discovered exotic plant enzyme” to help combat harmful free radicals that attack and damage healthy skin. The sisters tell us it’s the only product they rely on to achieve their enviable complexions.

PerfectSkin can be described as a cosmeceutical—a personal care item or cosmetic that goes a step further than traditional beauty products by providing an added health benefit. Most often, a supplemental, scientific ingredient activates anti-aging, wrinkle or acne reduction, skin or hair moisturization or SPF protection.

The Kardashians’ new skin care line promises multiple beauty benefits.

Earl Trout, director of marketing for MWV’s Personal and Beauty Division, explains further: “Cosmeceuticals are a blending of traditional cosmetic products (foundation, facial skin care, etc.) and/or cosmetic applications (eyes, face, mouth, etc.) with additional healing or correcting formulation. Where cosmetics are about covering up or enhancing facial features, cosmeceuticals are about improving, healing or reversing the impact of age, environment and exposure on the face.”

Jon Jeffery, sales manager at Berlin Packaging (which recently acquired All-Pak), defines cosmeceuticals as a marriage of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, “mostly topical products labeled as anti-aging creams or moisturizers.” He believes that the term was developed in order to create a new market—“something that’s innovative and different.” Jeffery voices no complaints about the strategy, saying, “About 25-30% of our growth has come from this newly created market—it has truly added excitement.”

While definitions vary in this unregulated territory, all signs point toward global growth. Beauty and personal care products that carry convincing pharma-like modifiers, such as cosmeceuticals, nutracosmetics and cosmenutrients, continue to gain attention, shelf space—and market share—at retailers from CVS to Nordstrom to GNC. Direct sellers, too, are boosting their profits with dual-benefit offerings that promise to turn back the clock, by restoring aging skin to a more youthful state.

But with ever-more-wary consumers, the better a brand can back its claims, the greater the sales results. For example, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.’s ageLOC family of skin care products, which it says are clinically proven to begin improving the appearance of eight signs of aging after just seven days of use, has greatly increased its recognition and taken the anti-aging specialty firm to new financial heights. During Nu Skin’s global distributor convention in October 2009, the company sold $17 million of ageLOC products—exceeding any previous convention product launch by more than 200%. Products range in price from $125-$287.

A Growth Market

Cosmeceutical formulations have been on the rise for some time, and many marketers thank aging baby boomers for the continued growth in this category. But as evidenced by the Kardashian sisters, women of all ages are acting sooner rather than later to achieve beautiful skin and prolong the effects, therefore contributing to the industry’s latest uptick. According to a report in MarketWatch, the U.S. cosmeceutical market is expected to reach $7.6 billion in sales in 2010.

A study released late in 2009 by management consulting firm Scientia Advisors, reports that the global market for cosmeceuticals is growing nearly twice as fast as the overall cosmetics and toiletries market. Scientia found that skin care is the largest and fastest growing cosmeceutical sub-segment, driven mainly by anti-aging products designed to meet the demands of an aging population, worldwide. Europe and Asia-Pacific, according to the study, account for over 70% of this market.

The challenge, says Harry Glorikian, managing partner, Scientia, is in sustaining the growth. In order to do so, he says, “Manufacturers and brand owners must fill a relentless demand for new ingredient concepts in a context of changing government regulations, market dynamics and cultural trends.”

Packaging Is Integral

The “right” packaging is also essential for continued success. Trout of MWV, acknowledges that cosmeceuticals are at the leading edge of formulation in development right now, and says that packaging plays a key role in sales. “We frequently see a tendency for cosmetic products to go to market with a pharma or para-pharma approach,” he says. “Not only have the formulations become more effective in providing more benefits, but also the packages themselves tend to look more like a pharmaceutical as a way to further distinguish the product in the marketplace.” Trout has observed that specifically in Europe, there’s a growing demand for organic products. “Consumers are more and more concerned about the nature of the ingredients the cosmetic products contain,” he says.

A Perfect Blend Skin care may dominate the cosmeceuticals market, but there are other niche areas as well. Emmy-award winning, celebrity makeup artist Eve Pearl has combined cosmetics and nutrients to create a line of luxurious products she has named CosmeNutrients. From eyes to lips to cheeks, these items combine a blend of vitamins, minerals, proteins, peptides and antioxidants into multifunctional cosmetic formulations. Pearl says the luxurious makeup provides a light, non-greasy, smooth application, allowing skin to breathe, while the nutrients nourish and help protect, restore and renew skin’s texture and elasticity, thus reducing the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles. AstaREAL, the key ingredient in Pearl’s Cos-meNutrient complex, is “a potent antioxidant,” naturally harvested from the micro algae, Haematococcus pluvial—a single cell plant at the very beginning of the food chain.

Anthony Gentile of Xela Pack agrees, noting, “One trend we have seen is that companies are developing products with benefits to the user by using natural ingredients rather than drug ingredients. It seems as though this trend is picking up steam and will continue.”

Packaging for cosmeceuticals must be designed for maximum delivery and performance as well as maximum appearance, whether pharma-like or other. Products are housed in a range of components, including bottles, jars, tubes, samplers and monodose packs—glass to plastic; apothecary style to floral designs.

Berlin Packaging’s Jeffery says that many formulations can be housed in single-layer tubes.“The product is tested for compatibility,” he says. “More stringent products that are aggressive on resin require EVOH (multi-layer) tubes.”

In fact, Jeffery says there’s been strong interest in using tubes for cosmeceuticals. “The big thing lately is series of tubes,” he says, “especially for multi-layer marketing purposes [such as Nu Skin].”

Oriflame selected Rexam’s Prodigio airless dispenser, which is also 100% recyclable, for its North For Men Total Age Control Cream.

He also notes an overall trend in switching from glass to plastic for ecological as well as economical reasons.“Tubes,” he notes, “can be more recyclable as certain kinds of glass are not accepted as recyclables; tubes are also less expensive and easier to use because they’re portable, and you can just throw them in your purse.”

Berlin offers a complete range of packaging options—from plastic to glass. Jeffery says, in general, there’s a perception of glass as a higher-end product. “More prestige products often use glass with screen printing with a matte silver or gold shroud over the pump for a more luxe look and feel. They also use airless pumps,” he says, “as airless offers a better shelf life, and releases every last bit of product.”

Airless Pumps It Up

While not one particular package defines cosmeceuticals, the category has propelled the use of airless packaging, and companies are enhancing dispensing products in order to meet demand.

Virginie Lemeunier, global product manager-facial care, Rexam Personal Care Division, which serves the cosmeceutical channel, says, “As the formulations grow more sophisticated, they require equally advanced packaging protection—airless solutions in particular. “These days,” she says, “it’s all about formula protection, with the rapid transition to very sophisticated ingredients.”

The demand for airless solutions has been significant. “I’ve seen estimates for international airless packaging growth at 15% annually,” says Lemeunier. The change has also been somewhat rapid. “Not so long ago,” she says, “lotions and creams were dispensed through atmospheric pumps with a dip tube. Today’s highly viscous lotions require dispenser designs that deliver product without clogging, and that protect the formula. Consumers like the feel of high-viscosity products [the texture and sensation is great], but it’s really tough on old-generation packaging solutions.”

Lemeunier says the traditional lotion pump with a stainless steel spring and ball, for example, has been progressively supplanted by neutral pumps, with glass balls to replace the stainless steel, and with springs designed outside of the closing chamber.Self-sealing actuators prevent product drying and caking at the orifice of the actuator and designs such as Rexam’s Clean Point technology mechanically close the orifice at the exit point to eliminate drying, drips, clogs and contamination.

Recently, Rexam provided its Prodigio dispenser for the BioTrade line of cosmeceutical products, which includes a whitening cream and facial mask. In another launch, for a bio/organic company, Oaskin, the Rexam Sof’Airless 2ml, a mini-piston package well suited for skin treatments, was employed. In addition, Oriflame selected the Prodigio, which is also 100% recyclable, for its North For Men Total Age Control Cream. Rexam’s latest solution for this market, says Lemeunier, is its Nea Airless, “which is neutral and airless and thus designed for the most fragile and sensitive skin care products.”

MWV has also been active in creating new solutions in airless packaging, particularly in the anti-aging category.

Trout notes that anti-aging is one of the few categories that showed growth throughout the recessionary period of late 2008 through early 2010, and says brand extensions, rather than new brand launches, accounted for the majority of that growth. “In particular,” he says, “airless packaging was the most requested packaging option because airless packages ensure that the consumer is able to get everything out of their anti-aging purchases. We are also seeing more extensions into specialized cosmeceuticals—not just anti-aging, but anti-aging for the eyes or hands, for example.” MWV has also seen a growth in more nutrient-based formulations for hair care.

MWV developed packaging to support Olay’s anti-aging line, which includes dispensing systems for Olay Total Effects, featuring MWV’s Pearl Airless and Pearl Mini Airless.

According to Trout, the company’s Pearl, Pearl Mini, and Aria Airless dispensing systems are designed for product integrity, greater efficacy, improved product evacuation and inverted performance (with Pearl and Pearl Mini). MWV developed the packaging to support Olay’s anti-aging line, including dispensing systems for Olay Total Effects, which feature Pearl Airless and Pearl Mini Airless.

Trout says, “As we see products migrate to more natural and organic approaches, additional packaging enhancements such as our valve seal option for Aria provide a barrier to air exposure at the point of dispensing. Certain formulations, like those that are Retinol-based, require that extra protection to prevent discoloration. Packages that provide the benefit of a total oxygen barrier are also requested,” he adds.

Gentile of Xela Pack says his company’s packaging options also offer great barrier capabilities for cosmeceuticals and more. “Because we offer sample packaging of liquids and viscous products as well as pills, powders and small solids, the Xela Pack is ideal for many of these product types. Our sample’s inner lining is a poly/foil combo that offers excellent barrier capabilities compared to other types of packaging, which also makes it a great vehicle for many of these products that have active ingredients and are sensitive to light, moisture and oxygen.”

Plastic Bottles and Jars

While packaging for cosmeceuticals can be quite complex, it can also be straightforward, too.

Marny Bielefeldt, marketing manager, Alpha, has noticed an emphasis on cosmeceutical companies’ choice of classic packaging styles of plastic bottles and jars—such as tall Cosmo Rounds, Boston Rounds and straight-sided jars—which are then decorated with a consistent graphic across a single brand. Usually, she says, the company tries to use one particular color for its packaging (such as all amber bottles and jars) to unify the brand. Different products within the line are then defined with the color schemes of the decorating, so each “flavor” of a product has a different highlight color.

As many of the products are light-sensitive, Bielefeldt says amber PET plastic is a common choice for those that need UV protection. Other dark colors, such as cobalt blue PET, can also provide some protection. And, because most of the companies that make organic products also want packaging that is environmentally responsible, there is a lot of interest in recycled (post-consumer) plastic for cosmeceuticals.

Bielefeldt points to Bodhichitta Botanicals, “a company that has done an excellent job of taking stock packaging—in this case, our 4- and 8-oz. amber PET Cosmo Rounds—and making it look original with artistic label designs for their four primary scents.” Each of the four product lines uses a different color scheme to represent the different scents, and different products utilize pumps and other dispensing closures depending on the product use.

“Companies in this category often have regional distribution, with relatively low sales volumes,” says Bielefeldt, “but they can still achieve brand consistency by choosing stock colors for their packaging, then developing graphics that take advantage of that color.” For example, all of Alpha’s PET bottles and jars are available in six stock colors—clear, white, cobalt blue, dark green, light amber and dark amber—in small quantities, so even companies that are just starting out can choose a unique color for their packaging.

With all these packaging options for cosmeceuticals, beauty companies large and small should have no trouble keeping up with the Kardashians.