The Top 4 Beauty Packaging Trends of 2018
Through the best and worst of times, human drive will always find us seeking beauty. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the beauty packaging industry is predicted to amass a staggering $31.75 billion by the year 2023. It's anyone's guess what trends will inform the cosmetics aisles then. We can, however, look to this year's trends in the hopes of pointing us in the right direction. Here is what we're seeing along the line of trends for beauty packaging in 2018.
1. Sustainability
Eco-friendly beauty packaging has been a talking point since the '90s but it's still never been hotter than it is now. Savvy consumers are demanding sustainability and it's being echoed in some of the most lauded brands on the market as well as up-and-comers. Packaging is no longer accepted at face value but instead weighed with a series of serious questions. While these questions may not be exactly new, they're now being asked by a much larger group of people. Plastic is still king in the packaging industry but we're seeing an added emphasis on the recyclability of those plastics with a hard focus on sustainability.
2. Instagram-Ready Consumers are ready to break conventions so we're back in a period where boldness is rewarded and aesthetic risks can pay off big. Pantone's color of the year for 2018 says it all: Ultra Violet. People want innovative cosmetics but they also want beauty packaging to reflect that innovation. If you need visual proof, just log into your Instagram account. We live in a show-and-tell time where when someone buys something and loves it, they want as many people to know about it as possible. It's part of the experience. Instagram is wall-to-wall photos of eye-catching product packaging for eye-catching products.
3. Technological Customization
Technology is still playing a major factor in beauty packaging (as if the Instagram love wasn't enough of a clue). With 3D printers becoming more affordable and abundant, we're starting to see the boundaries of packaging blown wide open. Consumers want packaging that's as unique as their product. In some cases, that's extremely unique considering a rising interest in high end, customizable cosmetics and beauty products made-to-order. You want your own personalized shampoo? It's already possible. And with 3D printing, you could feasibly have your own customized shampoo bottle to go with it.
4. Security
The modern world also feels somewhat unsafe to the average consumer which may explain the heightened emphasis on security. Tamper evident seals are in high demand in modern beauty packaging. People want to see a barrier between their brand new product and the outside world that reassures them that they are the first and only person to access this product once the seal was put in place. With people feeling a constant threat to their privacy, a well-placed cosmetic seal such as tamper evident plastic can help with a sense of security.
Trends in beauty packaging are often simply a snapshot in time of our society as a whole, reaching far beyond the cosmetics industry. In that way, an increasing interest in eco-consciousness, an emboldened sense of individuality, a respect for innovative technology and an urgency for tight security should come as no surprise. It will be interesting to watch the course of these trends over the coming years to see how they progress since the only constant in beauty packaging is beauty itself.