Hi friends! As you know, we just announced new packaging upgrades for our refillable skincare! I am so so excited about this. Not only are the aesthetics gorgeous, this packaging is going to make refilling your skincare even easier!
I’m going to deep dive about our packaging choices, so here’s a quick list of packaging buzzwords:
- Screen printing. This refers to a method of printing artwork/text directly onto a container (as opposed to a sticker label).
- Primary packaging. This refers to the container that actually holds the skincare formula. In our case, it’s the frosted glass bottle or jar for our individual units.
- Secondary packaging. This refers to any packaging that goes outside the primary package. In our case it’s a unit carton (that cute little box that comes with many skincare products).
Okay, let’s dive into the upgrades!
Screen Printed Glass
Our first upgrade is shifting from sticker labels to screen printed glass. We are still using recyclable frosted glass bottles and jars, but now the artwork is printed directly onto the glass.
We were getting feedback that some of our labels started to look dingy after a few months. This was due to the nature of the label - it was made to be both compostable and recyclable, which was great from a sustainability perspective but not-so-great for durability.
By screen printing, we’re increasing the time our bottles look nice, and making it easier to clean bottles between refills. We believe this upgrade improves the refill experience and will ultimately keep more bottles out of the waste stream. Plus it just looks luxury, right!?
Unit Cartons
Our second upgrade is including unit cartons (those cute little boxes that come with most skincare products) with our individual units. We used to wrap our glass bottles in several sheets of paper for shipping. Unfortunately, this meant using a lot of extra paper, and we still had some breakage in transit!
These unit cartons are made out of 100% recycled paper, and can be packed more tightly to reduce breakage and use less paper material overall! Plus we get more space to tell our brand story and improve shelf presence.
Side note, our 2X Refills in aluminum will still be shipped without unit cartons.
Bioplastic Labels for Refill Shops
This last upgrade is specifically for our bulk sizes in refill shops. We were using paper labels that were both compostable and recyclable. As mentioned above, these didn’t last very long and got stained quickly. We’ve switched to a FSC wood-based bioplastic that is both oil and water resistant. It’s still compostable, but should last much longer!
Refill Accessories
The goal of this packaging upgrade is to make the refilling experience even better for both our online customers and our partnering refill shops. As such, we’ve also added a few items to help with your refilling process. None of these are necessary, but not everyone can pour without spilling as well as a cosmetic chemist can (wink). You can now purchase a stainless steel funnel for easy pouring, or a silicone spatula for scooping out every last drop. Additionally, if your dropper breaks or your cap gets gross, you can now purchase these items separately instead of having to buy a whole new bottle.
I’m so excited to hear what y’all think and to answer any questions! Happy skincare refilling :)