Seven years ago, the cover of the January/February issue of Beauty Packaging belonged to L’Oréal, as our readers had voted the world’s largest beauty company “Beauty Company of the Year: Excellence in Packaging.” As is evident this month, Urban Decay has earned the coveted title this year; coincidentally, the edgy beauty brand is part of L’Oréal’s expansive portfolio, following its acquisition in 2012.

While Beauty Packaging frequently covers L’Oréal’s ongoing packaging achievements, on this seventh anniversary of their Beauty Packaging title, I got in touch with Pierre-Gilles Bouvier, Global Director of Packaging Innovation, and Philippe Bonningue, Global Director of Sustainable Packaging & Development (and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors)—to check in on some of the company’s latest feats.

My overriding takeaway is that collaboration between internal teams and brands is key when it comes to designing a package at L’Oréal. Whatever the starting point, whether formulation, spray, sustainability or package, all must be developed in a cohesive manner to guarantee success.

Starting Point

So how does the process begin for developing an innovative or sustainable package—or one that meets both criteria? Where does the inspiration come from?

Both men agree that, above all, packaging is the key identifying feature for a brand, the very first recognition of the DNA of a brand for the consumers. They say that beyond its protective and informative functions and purposes, packaging plays a key role in consumers’ product value perception as far as ergonomics, ease of use, increasing product performance and formula efficacy, visual appeal, and a strong vector for innovation.

Not surprisingly, the process involved in developing the “right” packaging is complicated.

Packaging raises several key issues at the product development phase, explains Bonningue. “Our objective is to design packaging that respects the identity of each brand and give our consumers what they want while at the same time integrating the criteria included in our Packaging & Environment policy,”

It is with this goal in mind, according to Bouvier, that L’Oréal’s teams (Product Development, Technical Packaging and others) together with all 32 of the Group’s international brands, strategically design and co-develop innovative packaging that is increasingly personalized, made to impeccable standards of quality and safety, and that address environmental aspects toward higher perceived value and consumers’ involvement.

“For our technical packaging teams,” says Bouvier, “the biggest challenge in creating packaging is blending the emotional and sensorial with the rational, in finding the perfect combination of attractiveness and optimal performance.”

Color is the most visible marker for consumers, says Bouvier. Then the shape/design, materials and finishing touches come into play. In products’ development process, some diverse yet indispensable elements need to be aligned. The brand’s brief, industrial techniques, consumers’ expectations, business considerations as well as competitors’ approaches are all taken into account. The formula itself can serve as the starting point, such as how to highlight it and make it pleasurable, how its effects can be boosted by packaging.

The teams are also as diverse as the requirements they need to respond to: They are either creative people (from Experience Design and Packaging Innovation) or experts in their fields (Product Development, Technical Packaging, Design Engineering, Quality Control, Sourcing), and their collaboration with the brands is “absolutely key” according to Bouvier.

Once developed, maintaining rights to the technology is critical. L’Oréal filed more than 80 packaging patents in 2015.

Innovative Packages

One product L’Oréal is especially proud of is its patented Deoz technology (10 patents) that’s used for Mixa and Garnier deodorants.

The objective here, says Bouvier, was to improve the sensory experience for sprays that were not as popular with some women because they felt too cold, too aggressive. Five years of research and development were needed to find the best diffusion system.

The result, says Bouvier: a renewed experience and perception of the sprayed formula, with the sensation of a light mist.

The La Roche-Posay UV Patch, “a connected beauty service,” is another example of innovative packaging, says Bouvier. Used alone or connected to a mobile application, the patch lets the user know the dose of UV rays absorbed by the skin and monitors changes in sun exposure. He says it is “an innovative service that also responds to increasingly meaningful well-being concerns all over the world.”

For the new sun cream Idéal Soleil Bronze Vichy, a cap-less bottle and a patented on/off switch were developed, making the package completely sand-proof and waterproof.

The Lancôme Grandiose Mascara packaging is another good illustration of innovation, according to Bouvier. The stem bends in three directions, for an easier application (a combination of the Swan Neck stem, high tech wiper, and a next generation elastomer brush).

Brand-Supplier Relationships

I asked Bouvier and Bonningue about the importance of collaboration between brands and suppliers.

Bonningue tells me that Purchasing, R&I, Product Development and Technical Packaging teams “are constantly collaborating with our suppliers to develop innovative beauty products: co-development, open innovation, open development…” He says some specific “marketplaces” are also organized on a regular basis to present suppliers’ innovations to their brands’ marketing teams.

“These collaborations are key to anticipate, capture trends and develop products that will satisfy our consumers,” says Bonningue.

More globally, Bonningue says, “We select our suppliers in compliance with our sustainable procurement policy and we pilot their performance according to five criteria based on their ability to innovate and respond to our requirements in terms of quality, service, social and environmental responsibility and economic competitiveness.”

He explains that this policy enables them to control the traceability of raw materials and packaging components used for finished products, and to ensure secure and steady supply chains, as well as compliance with international labor standards and the respect for human rights.

Among these criteria, Bonningue says CSR [corporate social responsibility] is essential for L’Oréal. “For our suppliers, the group is known as one of the most demanding regarding, for example, the use of PCR (post-consumer recycled) glass or plastic.

For example, Bonningue points to laminate tubes, such as those for L’Oréal Paris Casting Crème Gloss and Garnier Nutrisse. He says these “represent a significant technological advance in the world of permanent at-home hair coloring because it greatly improves user experience thanks to a more pleasant feel, a more contemporary look and the infinite range of decorative effects possible.” Laminate tubes are the result of six years’ joint development between R&I, L’Oréal Operations and one of its main suppliers in the field, Albéa. Laminate tubes also present a low-carbon footprint thanks to a reduction in the consumption of raw materials.

Responsible Packaging

According to Bonningue and Bouvier, innovation and sustainability are both priorities for L’Oréal, to offer consumers a new beauty experience in tune with current trends, while guaranteeing uncompromising product quality, safety, performance and honoring corporate sustainability commitments.

In 2007 L’Oréal implemented a “responsible packaging policy” integrating an eco-design approach aimed at reducing the environmental impact of packaging by optimizing its weight and volume and using materials from renewable sources. This approach is based on the “3 Rs”: Respecting the consumer and the environment; Reducing packaging volume and weight; and Replacing materials with lower impact ones. As part of its commitment to sustainable development under the Sharing Beauty with All program, L’Oréal began stepping up its efforts to optimize its packaging in 2014.

Following are some examples of sustainable packaging from L’Oréal, provided by Bonningue and Bouvier:

—Kérastase Fusiodose: A tailor-made, in-salon hair care treatment. For its packaging, L’Oréal moved from a single-dose glass jar to a multi-dose plastic bottle (made with 25% recycled PET), saving 60% in packaging weight per application.

—Flowerbomb refill fountain, Viktor&Rolf: The concept of refillable perfume is a way of optimizing the use of resources while at the same time making customers more aware of the need to consume sustainably. At the point of sale, empty 50- or 100ml Flowerbomb bottles (a special unscrewable bottle) can be refilled directly from the perfume fountain. This innovative offer is part of the Viktor&Rolf brand’s sustainable development policy.

—Biotherm Biosource range: In 2015, Biotherm rebranded its Biosource range. The new, pump-action bottle has an optimized design and incorporates three major environmental improvements: the 100- and 200ml bottles are made from 25% recycled plastic, the packaging is lighter (saving 10 tons of plastic per year) and products are transported at greater load densities (saving 480 pallets per year).

—Shu Uemura Palette Eye Shadow & Blush: A refillable range of mono, duo, quad and octo palettes designed without adhesive or magnets. This enables the customer to compose their own palette of colors and change the colors at will. It’s a way to create one’s own palette and encourage re-use to minimize the amount of packaging needed.