London Packaging Week prepares to propel cross industry innovations for personal care and beauty products

20 Sep 2023 --- The London Packaging Week trade show will commence tomorrow, sprawled with stands designing the “future of UK’s beauty, drinks, luxury and FMCG brands.” Personal Care Insights speaks with James Montero MacColl, senior marketing manager at Easyfairs, delving into the trends and opportunities of the event while discussing personalization and environmental sustainability innovation for the cosmetics packaging industry.

London Packaging Week hosts four events where, for instance, the Packaging of Premium & Luxury Drinks event could inspire beauty and cosmetics brands in the Packaging of Perfume, Cosmetics & Design event, shares MacColl.

How do you envision the future of beauty, and what are some opportunities and challenges for the cosmetics packaging industry?
Growth in inclusive packaging is a welcome trend according to Montero MacColl (Image credit: L’Oréal).Montero MacColl: Embracing Industry 4.0 principles and digitization to deliver customers a bespoke – or at least highly customizable – packaging experience will become the next big opportunity for brands.

Beauty and personal care subscriptions are enjoying explosive growth, and the personalized skin care industry, in particular, is expected to continue that trend. However, consumers are becoming more demanding as this trend continues to grow. The businesses that best manage these evolving expectations will be the big winners – but to do that, they’ll need to develop their supply chains smartly and build more flexibility into their packaging lines to account for more short-run and custom packaging solutions.

Naturally, sustainably-designed packaging will be at the heart of this evolution. It hasn’t always been considered essential in the beauty and personal care industry, but it absolutely is now and will continue to be going forward. 

What are the latest designs for beauty and cosmetics packaging, and what are the main challenges and opportunities faced in this sector?
Montero MacColl: Innovative premiumization features that don’t conflict with environmental sustainability regulations – or consumer’s sustainable demands – are a big development we see improving yearly on the show floor. 

The evolution of fiber-based packaging – an aesthetic and functional replacement for plastic – is a trend we see developing at pace. Recycled content board solutions are also improving and can now offer a smooth, white printing surface indistinguishable from virgin board in many applications. 

This also means fiber-based packs can now carry intricate foiled, embossed and varnished designs while still aligning with the circular economy.

How do you anticipate changing consumer demands for beauty and cosmetics packaging, and what emerging trends are you seeing? 
Montero MacColl: Simply hosting London Packaging Week – and its sister shows in Paris and Milan – every year gives us a good idea of the changing trends in the beauty industry. We get to host leading names from the industry’s past, present and future and share their insights with exhibitors and attendees. Montero MacColl suggests compostable packaging in the food industry could be applied to cosmetics packaging.

In addition to the other trends I’ve mentioned, growth in inclusive packaging is a welcome trend that has emerged over recent years. Often, by designing packaging so that it is easy to use for those with mobility or sensory difficulties, brands will make packaging that is easier to use for all consumers. Something as simple as a wide, easy-to-grip handle on an applicator brush or an easy-open tear tape on an outer carton can go a long way toward making a product more appealing – not just for those who need it, but for those who want a more convenient experience when opening a pack. 

What are some inspirations and influences from other sectors, such as food, drinks and luxury, for your packaging solutions? How do these align with the beauty and cosmetics sectors?
Montero MacColl: Many packaging exhibitors on our show floor don’t just focus on the beauty and cosmetics segments – they have broad portfolios, and many of their innovations have applications across multiple sectors. 

Look at barrier performance as an example. This is an important factor when packaging liquid products and creams, and previously, consumers may have accepted the use of plastic films, lids and barrier lining to achieve this. This is changing as consumers grow more aware of the effect unnecessary plastic use has on the environment – so how do you balance plastic reduction with barrier performance and other functionality? 

This is a question the food industry has been grappling with for many years, as we’ve seen at Packaging Innovations, our other UK packaging showcase event. As a result, many mature technologies are available today that the beauty and personal care industry could use if it broadened its horizons just a little bit. We expect many exciting solutions that can be transposed from food into beauty and personal care packaging. For example, home compostable packaging in the food industry could have applications for many single-use items in beauty and cosmetics. 

How are environmental sustainability, personalization and innovation incorporated into packaging solutions? 
Montero MacColl:  We increasingly see brands take a more holistic view of sustainability. Some of this may have been prompted by the UK passing legislation around green claims and the EU proposing similar regulations designed to promote clear messaging around environmental sustainability. Montero MacColl observes an evolution of fiber-based packaging.

However, an increase in general education around environmental issues means many brands are looking to get ahead of the curve and speak to their more educated consumer base. Vague claims about sustainability don’t wash anymore – so brands are getting specific about which aspects of their packaging are recyclable, for example. This means brands have to really innovate to incorporate specific environmentally sustainable materials or design techniques into their packaging. 

What are the main objectives and themes of the London Packaging Week for the personal care and beauty industry?
Montero MacColl: Our main goal is always to ensure attendees and exhibitors leave with something, whether a new partnership, a new sales lead, a meeting in the diary or just a new insight or idea. At a time when the packaging industry is evolving rapidly in terms of legislation and consumer preferences, this is invaluable and a big reason why our attendance numbers continue to grow yearly. 

We always consider this when curating a list of speakers each year. We take a look at the overall landscape of the industry. Still, we also look at particular issues that attendees might be grappling with and try to provide a mix of insights for the significant number of attendees. 

For example, this year, we have a roundtable discussion on diversity, equality and inclusion hosted by Jo Stephenson, managing director from PHD Marketing – a broad topic that every business should engage with. We also have a talk on digitizing contract packing, which will address more specific issues. Both are valuable in today’s climate.

By Venya Patel