How To Beautifully Design A Packaging for Cosmetic Products

Created by Superking Mimi | https://www.behance.net/gallery/76743061/BEYOND-Signature

With the high demand for skin care products, there is no surprise that many brands and companies are trying to join the market. The business demands of cosmetic products and their packaging design service are significantly soaring. If you are trying to dive into this beautiful opportunity, here are some detailed guides to design packaging for cosmetic products.

Getting Started

There are some basic things that you should jot down to prepare your design ideas for cosmetic products, mainly the fundamental information regarding the product itself. One designer cannot create packaging without knowing what they are working with. It includes the brands and the target customer. Or else the creative design you have made will miss out on the real product. 

1. Know Your Cosmetic Brand 

The first thing in the process of packaging design is knowing your brand. No matter if you are creating one for your company's client or to make one for your product, underline that you will spend a lot of time in creating it. Thus, no one wants your effort to go south just because it is unfitting with the brand. 

Another thing to understand is that you or the client might have spent a generous amount of time, money, and effort on the branding of your cosmetic products. That is why it is the best chance to take the former design assets, including color palette, imagery, and logos, to create the new design packaging for cosmetic products. 

It is a great idea to use the former design assets as the basis for the new design. This kind of idea will help to create consistent branding for the packaging design. From the cardboard box, the inner packages to the delivery box, using one similar theme, so it looks consistent as a brand. 

At the same time, your design and brands can picture you. The color choice, model, typography, the aesthetic values will show who you are. It can appear bright, fun, and direct, or your design appears subtler, subdued, and calm. You should know that the brand values and who you are will bring a huge influence to your cosmetic product design.  

Created by Studio Kij | https://www.behance.net/gallery/102772203/WETHERM

2. Understand The Customer

As you know what kind of product to work with, now is the right time to understand the target customer. Who will you sell the product to? One thing for sure, the customer choice can create a direct influence on your design options. Things about it, that people have different stereotypes regarding products and looks.

When your customer is burly or macho men that are trying to take care of their skins, then you have to make an appropriate design. Most likely, you won't create a design packaging for cosmetic products for men with pinks or yellow color. The thing about it is that the stereotype for manly products tends to have strong, masculine, dark hues.

It would be different for the health-conscious women who want an eco- herbal like cosmetic. The use of green and white is the most common design option to bring an impression of a clean yet nature-friendly product. Meanwhile, for the young customer, you can create cosmetic products packaging designs that appear bubbly, fun, and match their ages.

It is not always about colors anyways, but also the picture choices, design, looks, and material. You can create a more premium-looking packaging designed for a higher class market, etc. All you need is to know who you're appealing to. In this case, an in-depth picture of the ideal customer, branding, and the product itself will help you to create the best possible packages. 

Choosing The Correct Packaging Types

Since the demand for cosmetics is soaring, you can tell that there are many inventions to make one brand appealing. From diverse sizes, models to package types, the great design packaging for cosmetics products should represent and fulfil all the customer's needs—for instance, the need for delivering packages to cope with the ever-growing internet marketplace. 

Along with the idea, you can also underline that making a beautiful package will demand you to envision the actual design to use. In this case, try to figure out where and how you will reach your customer. If you sell cosmetic products through the internet, you will need a hard box. But if you want to sell it as an over-the-counter product, then get an appropriate box. 

1. Product Packaging 

The first thing that you should make sure of is the product packaging. This kind of package is the raw vessel that contains your raw product. You can say that it is the direct packaging. It can be in the form of a tube, pumping bottle, plastic, etc. It comes in varying designs and models, but most likely, you will need to abide by the standard form.

Most of the cosmetic products out there have pretty similar-looking packages with slightly different colors, labels, sizes, and prints. While it is good to be creative and invent a brand new design packaging for cosmetic products, in this case, you better follow the norm. The idea is to make sure that people don't hesitate to choose your product.

To help you understand, at least you can rely upon the same standard. Such as a small pump bottle for serums and oils. Bigger pump for washes and soap. There is also the same-looking design for mascara, lipstick, bronzer, highlighter, foundation, etc. The traditional and normalized look is there as the standard, and your job is to make the product stand out in the crowd. 

Created by Mustafa Akülker | https://www.behance.net/gallery/74266443/Flavia-Botanicals-Branding

2. Inner Packaging

If the previous point explains the direct packaging, the inner packaging will be the one package the first packaging layer. You can see it formed as a thin box, square box, rounded box, etc. In many cases, this kind of packaging is the main seller or the main attraction to the customer. 

The inner package will be the first thing the buyer sees. The color, the branding logo, the shapes, and the typography are the key. The standard red square is pretty much work for almost every kind of product. You can use it for soap, facewash, tissues, and more. When talking about inner packaging, then think about the shape of your product. 

Even though the square box is pretty common and normalized, creating unique shapes will eventually attract a buyer. It is pretty much different from the product package since the sinner packaging is pretty diverse. You can create a semi-rounded glass packaging, following the product package, or adding some flair on it. 

The cosmetic products' inner package also does not necessarily have to be overly protective. Take a look at many models, such as imperial leather packaging. It is pretty simple with the red and gold color on it. But the box has the same shapes as the product itself. By making it unique to look at. With all of it in mind, you are free to experiment with design packaging for cosmetic products. 

Created by Superking Mimi | https://www.behance.net/gallery/76743061/BEYOND-Signature

3. Delivery Packaging

Since there is a high demand for go products and online shopping, choosing the delivery packaging will be one of the fundamental design choices. In this case, consider online or in-store selling as the inspiration. So, what kind of packaging should you design and create? It can be as simple as a paper bag, subscription box, a cardboard box.

To lift your branding chance, the most common form of delivery packages is the custom paper bag. To make a cool and creative paper bag, make sure to create one that displays the brands and what you can get in it. Using the color palette, the jargon, and the motto of your product will make a boring paper bag a unique advertisement method.

As your customer bring the paper bag around the shopping center or mall, your simple cosmetic products and advertisement method are enough to gain attention. However, for eCommerce or the subscription box, you need to choose the mailer box. The strong cardboard box is the common solution to fight the rough delivery process.

Most of the time, three layers of corrugated cardboard are enough to hold the content and make it safe. At the same time, this kind of design packaging for cosmetic products also serves as a large blank canvas to apply your creativity. You can print your branding, listing your USPs to create an unboxing experience through innovative looks. 

Created by Havas Montreal | https://www.behance.net/gallery/104117343/Aro-Skincare

Requirement For Packaging

If you think one can make packaging as they want as long as it suits the brand, then you are wrong. To make sure customers believe in the product, your design should explain the real truth about the brand. One way to do it is by adding essential labels, from the law-related symbol to the ingredient label. You should never miss them out. 

1. Law Related Symbol 

Chance people are buying cosmetic products because they want to take care of their look with a healthy and safe product. In this case, depending on where you sell the product, there will be legal markings that you should put on your design. In certain countries, you can add a Halal label to prove that the product is safe and okay for Muslims. 

There are also several obligatory markings made by the EU and FDA that you need to apply in both packaging and the product. It is also fundamental knowledge to know what symbols represent what. Especially if you target certain customers, such as those who are looking for nature-friendly packaging.

To satisfy the customer, you can add a green Mobius loop as a symbol of recyclable packaging on your design packaging for cosmetic products. There are also tidy man symbols, a rectangle with numbers and PET that explains the kinds of plastic used, etc. All in all, the obligatory marking mostly tells about the material of your packaging and what to do after use.  

Created by Plácida | https://www.behance.net/gallery/107622939/Modesta-Cassinello-Solid-Hair-Essence

2. Labels And Other Beneficial Symbol

Since you are working for cosmetic brands, then the safety for the customer is number one. In this case, using ingredient labels and other beneficial symbols will help buyers understand what they will get. You can even explain the material percentage to help people find the correct protection for their skincare. That is why labels are pretty much vital for cosmetic products. 

Another thing that you can jot down is the importance of using other beneficial symbols. Some of the ingenious symbols can help you build a rapport with your customer. For instance, you can add warning labels for people with allergies. There is also sustainable packaging certification to the certification logos for vegan, natural, or organic products.  

Created by Alexandra Necula | https://www.behance.net/gallery/111398097/Moujan-Lusso

Sustainability Aspect In Cosmetic Brands

Before you start getting creative with your design idea, make sure that you understand the current issues of product and packaging sustainability. At the previous point, you have learned that there are so many labels that explain sustainability. It is because the consumer is starting to have a concern about what the product is made in and what it is. 

That is why the packages can help to explain what they have and what they get. The current trend about cosmetics is the banning of microbeads. The ban comes with two reasons behind it. It is due to the potential of fatal damage to the body and the non-environmental friendly nature. 

With that in mind, you can work around design packaging for cosmetic products that are following the current trends as well. It was essential for both the raw goods and their packaging. If you are not doing the same sustainability tips, then most likely, you will get left behind. All of it because many brands have to start to open their eyes and follow the changes. 

Created by Meh. Design Studio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/112932163/NU-Makeup-Branding-Packaging

So, what should you do to make your cosmetic product packages sustainable? In this case, there is some attention to take. The first one is to opt out of virgin plastic as much as possible. Choose materials that are recyclable or use recycled material. At the same time, make sure that the raw product itself also does the same.

To make it even more sustainable, you can also consider using refillable packaging. This kind of idea will lessen the trash of cosmetic packaging. However, make sure that the packaging has high-quality material and construction. So, the customer can use it for a longer time without having to buy another one every time. 

There is also an idea of creating easy-to-open packages. If you use this kind of idea, you will give a chance for the customer to use all of the products. Make sure to input the correct ingredient label for both products and boxes. So the user knows what to do with the packages. With all information jotted down, it will help your customer know the best.

Created by Blurbstudio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/91009095/Formulas-by-Make-Me-Bi

Inspiration

If you are ready to get creative with the design packaging for cosmetic products, then take a look at a lot of inspiration. There are a handful of diverse small cosmetic companies that have unique packaging as your idea source. Some of them even invent some new packaging designs that serve the look and also functionality. 

Take a look at Yope, a small company that offers a range of cosmetic products. The company uses yellow as the color palette that represents beauty and flowers' essence. It also creates immense images of a happy, positive, bright, and fresh look, which fits the products. The packages have labels and information, including the sizes of bottles or products. 

What makes Yope a great inspiration is their packaging is designed to hold three bottles in one carry handle. You can use this kind of package to save the usage of plastic bags. It also works as a paper bag but with a more custom design that fits the bottled cosmetic products. 

Product by Yope | https://yopeme.com/products/natural-hand-lotions.html

There is also the Old Norse that is specialized in men's skincare products. Most of the items focus on body washes and beard care. In this case, the company nailed the idea of a manly customer by incorporating Viking images. The simple black print goes along with natural kraft texture, which helps in creating a strong masculine appearance. 

If you are more into a simple minimalist idea, the Kire Skin company product is a perfect inspiration. The company tries to emphasize the usages of simple skincare that have high-quality ingredients. Since the concept for the natural products settled in the minimalist and pure option, then the packaging will follow suit. 

The design packaging for the cosmetic products of Kire Skin appears as simple as you want it to portray. The inner product, the product packages, to the delivery boxes clad in simplistic black and white aesthetic. There is almost no picture addition (except the logo) and some typography that creates a fresh and clean image for its brand. 

Product by Kiré | https://kireskin.com/

Final Words

So, those are all you need to know in creating packaging for cosmetic products. For the most part, the ideas are not far too different for any products' packaging. You will need to consider the brand and customer, figure out the best types, follow all of the requirements, and make sure it's sustainable. With all of them going together, your product will compete better in the market.

We hope you enjoy this reading. If you have any comment regarding this topic, feel free to write down on the section below. Have a good day, and cheers!