03.10.10
Good to the Last Drop
Mega Pumps, with its all-plastic design, provides airless packaging for a variety of beauty products. |
Airless packaging is on the rise, and it’s no wonder. Not only does it protect formulations from air, it dispenses nearly 100% of the product. And the further good news: New options are making it more cost-effective than ever.
By Steve Katz, Associate Editor
Airless packaging has a lot to offer. For starters, it provides brand owners the opportunity to create packaging with a truly luxurious feel. But there’s more to it than just aesthetics. Airless packaging offers functionality and efficiency that few packaging options can rival. Its mechanics often allow nearly 100% of product to be dispensed, which is something both brand owners and end users can appreciate. They also like that they’re getting product that’s fresh—from the first pump to the last.
Airless is also evolving, as manufacturers are hard at work researching and developing new technologies in order to complement market trends. The result is an airless packaging market that features products that are both stylish and functional, in a wide range of shapes and sizes, which can handle the beauty industry’s most viscous and sensitive formulations.
Ideal for Airless
While most any beauty product can benefit from the shelf appeal airless packaging provides, it’s the skin care market, with its highly viscous formulations, that’s a perfect fit. Beauty packaging professionals remark that formulations with the highest viscosities rely on airless technology to move the product, literally. And airless packaging serves as a reliable way of preventing sensitive formulations from being compromised, which can happen when certain ingredients come into contact with air. End users also benefit. Not only does airless packaging ensure that the product gets used almost in entirety, but it also helps in increasing shelf life.
Virginie Lemeunier, product manager–lotion, for Rexam Personal Care, a global consumer packaging company headquartered in London, says the nature of airless technology makes it an ideal fit for sensitive skin care ingredients. “Airless is most requested for skin care products. Basically, the reason why is because an airless pack is a pack where you don’t have any air contact, thus allowing the product to be completely protected. Today, you have more and more formulations that tend to dry out or discolor when in contact with oxygen. With anti-agers, we’re seeing more and more sophisticated ingredients and formulations, and these ingredients are very sensitive to oxygen,” she says.
In today’s beauty market, some products tout their “all-natural,” and “preservative-free” attributes. While formulations such as these are attractive to consumers, they are also quite sensitive and must be packaged accordingly.
“Products made from all-natural ingredients without preservatives, products that contain vitamin C, and very viscous products, make the best fit for airless packaging,” says Lesley Gadomski, sales manager for Fusion Packaging, a Dallas, TX, based designer and manufacturer of packaging for the skin care and cosmetics markets. “Our airless pumps have proven effective at dispensing products of at least 65,000 centipoise (CPS),” she adds, referring to the unit of measure used to calculate the amount of force necessary to move a layer of liquid. (As a reference point, water is between 1-3 CPS and ketchup is 50,000 CPS.)
William Heimach, director of sales, North America, dispensing group, for Rieke Packaging Systems, headquartered in Auburn, IN, says, “Hair and facial care beauty products with sophisticated, high-viscosity formulations that are sensitive to oxygen and metal are ideal for use with innovative airless dispensers. Key customers are using Rieke airless products for anti-aging skin creams, moisturizers and hair care products.”
So it’s not just the anti-aging skin care market that’s going airless; nor is it just the compatibility with high-viscosity formulations that’s drawing in brand owners.
Terry Sweeney, director of sales for Mega Pumps, an airless pump manufacturer headquartered in Eatontown, NJ, says, “There are several types of beauty products that are ideal for airless packaging, including liquid foundations, highly viscous creams, natural formulas and formulas with a sensitivity to air exposure. In addition, many products that don’t require airless are using this packaging because consumers believe it enhances the use of the product, and therefore elevates the perceived value of the product.”
3C's new Eclipse features an actuator with a twist mechanism. |
Walter Dwyer, president of Cosmopak, a designer and manufacturer of cosmetics packaging based in Port Washington, NY, says that airless is great for brands that are looking for a high-end, luxurious feel, but points out how the consumer also benefits by getting a consistently fresh product. “There’s value in the brand achieving a premium look, but also, for formulations that might need to be stored in an airtight chamber, there’s the added advantage of it being fresh from the first use,” he says.
“People like the look of it—it has a luxury feel—and people like the transparency of it. You can play around with it with the different plastics.”
Sizes, Shapes, Colors and Constructions
Airless packaging comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and options are available in both plastic and glass. Manufacturers are happy to work with brand owners to find the right fit for specific formulations.
Lou Della Pesca, president of 3C Inc., a Wyckoff, NJ, based packaging developer for the cosmetic, toiletry and pharmaceutical industries, says that 3C’s airless products run the gamut when it comes to size, shape and materials. “3C provides a full range of airless containers from 5- to 150ml. And our assortment of airless packaging is available in PP, PE, AS and also acrylic material,” he says.
Certain formulations require unique packaging, Della Pesca points out. “For example, there are products that require two ingredients to remain separated until their end use, and they don’t achieve the desired effect until they are combined. We offer the basic single cylinder container, the double bottle upgrade to the latest high-fashion designed containers,” says Della Pesca, adding that some formulations present interesting challenges. “We have encountered customer products of a higher viscosity than the standard for a specific size bottle. But we’re able to change the pump dosage to accommodate the weight of the product,” he explains.
“Airless packaging has developed over the last few years from basic round cylinder bottles to an updated container for the new technical scientific line of treatment products. They’re now being used for makeup, treatment products, suntan creams, and any product with a viscosity too heavy for a standard pump. And new technologies now offer square and oval design containers that have only recently been presented,” says Della Pesca.
A recent 3C innovation can be found in the company’s new Eclipse line of airless containers. What differentiates the Eclipse is its unique actuator design that twists up and down. The product is available in 15-, 30- and 50ml sizes.
Chuck Lee, president of ISPEC, a packaging provider based in Edgewater, NJ, says his company has several unique airless packaging options for beauty customers. “We offer an airless package in syringe shape with replaceable cartridge, and we also have one with a built-in mixing chamber that can hold two active ingredients separately until the consumer mixes them. We offer a dual airless package with a ball-less pump and a stainless spring outside the chamber for greater compatibility and reliability. We have all different kinds of airless items, from small (3ml) to large capacity (250ml), from single chamber to double chamber, airless bottles as well as jars, in all different kinds of material from PP to SAN.”
Gadomski says Fusion offers a wide variety of airless packaging options. “We manufacture everything from high-end acrylic airless bottles and airless jars, to airless items made from polypropylene for a simplified, more clinical look,” she says.
Heimach notices many of Rieke’s customers gravitating toward larger airless containers. “Interestingly, we’ve noticed a growing trend toward larger airless container sizes–300ml and larger–for back-bar salon shampoos and conditioners, pharmaceutical skin creams and spa products,” he says, adding that one of Rieke’s greatest assets is its wide range of size offerings.
“From 50ml through 1 liter containers, Rieke offers what may be the largest variety of airless container sizes in the industry,” he says. “Additionally, product features such as a ‘no metal contact’ design, top filling and unique optional tamper-evident designs are available on some products. The unique sizes and options Rieke offers allow brands the ability to clearly differentiate on shelf.”
Sweeney of Mega Pumps remarks that one of the company’s key advantages is an all-plastic design. “No metal spring or steel ball valve is a relief to many formulators—one less worry. The package is also handsome in any form. It looks great in white, natural and colors, and it also ‘dresses up well’ with the addition of premium decoration like lacquer finish, hot stamping and silk screen,” he adds.
Rexam's new Prodigio line features the company's CleanPoint technology. |
Avoiding product contact with metal and mechanical parts is important for many airless formulations. In addition to air, contact with metal can also compromise a formulation.
Rexam has recently introduced Prodigio, a new line of packaging featuring the company’s CleanPoint technology. Prodigio is a precision-engineered airless dispenser that provides cleanliness, neutrality and end user appeal, as it features sleek, sculpted styling. Lemeunier says it provides optimal protection. “Our Prodigio offers true consumer benefits, through elimination of drips, clogs and product contamination,” she says. “Rexam’s proprietary technology keeps the lotion exit-point neat, clear and free of messy build-up. It primes and pumps flawlessly, slides back after every actuation, and prevents product return after air or skin contact. There is no elastomer or metal contact with the lotion. Further, the Prodigio is designed to dispense precise dosages of fragile, viscous formulations, such as those used in anti-aging creams, thanks to wider internal channels, and can withstand high-speed atmospheric filling and other processes,” she says.
Rexam has also recently introduced the SP343 lotion pump, an airless system that attaches to conventional tubes to make them airless. Lemeunier says the company is excited by the possibilities the technology can provide. “We anticipate further use of this airless combination in upscale product launches in segments such as men’s facial care and sun care,” she says. “The consumer of prestige brands appreciates the enhanced experience—it is cleaner, easier, with precise dosage, complete evacuation and 360-degree application.”
Dwyer says Cosmopak has found the perfect balance between quality and cost levels in the airless market. “And we’ve got some new, really innovative products that are going to be very exciting,” he says.
Dwyer says recent innovation has led to Cosmopak overcoming some of the challenges associated with airless packaging.“We have a new design we’re releasing that is available for one of our pumps. Basically, we’ve taken away the spring and ball bearing, which means the formulation doesn’t run though its path, which is where it can pick up contamination. It’s not a good thing to have a high value formula coming into contact with a ball bearing and a spring. So in our redesign, we have removed that factor. Also, by increasing the pump size and the number of entry points, we’ve been able to overcome three other problems within this category. One is the number of tries that it takes to get the first dose can be reduced to between two and four. And by having an increased capturing point, we’re able to avoid air bubbles getting trapped in the head, which can interfere with the dispensation of the formula. Thus, we’ve improved the consistency of flow,” he says.
Cosmopak has also seen growth in twin chambered airless packaging, says Dwyer, as well as a move toward smaller sizes. “There are a lot of formulations that require the separation of ingredients. They might have an active ingredient that affects the life and the performance of the formula—sometimes very necessary in high-end skin care. There are some formulations that need to be kept separate, and when the user mixes A and B, it then starts to work.
“We’re also getting into smaller sizes. Now we’re focusing on smaller, 5- and 10ml—for gift sets, giveaways, samples, etc. If you have a formula that’s big and very expensive, you might want to go smaller,” he says.
While there have been innovations in plastic product lines for airless, glass is another option. Lumson, an Italian cosmetics packaging manufacturer, features its Techno Airless Glass (TAG) System, which the company touts as the world’s first and only airless system with a glass bottle.
Stefano Fololari, Lumson’s chief marketing officer, says the TAG System has a high-end, cylindrical glass bottle available in 15-, 30- and 50ml sizes. The system is delivered with a thin, collapsible pouch inside which is made of a special PE compound. It also features Lumson’s “Eco Lock-System” which allows total product protection during use and 100% recyclability after use.
“There are special decorations specifically designed for the TAG System including a ‘Glass Enhancer’ spray coloring on the inside of the glass bottle and a ‘Mirror Effect’ spray coloring on the inside of the glass bottle,” Fololari says. “The TAG System combines the beauty and preciousness of a glass bottle with all the technical advantages of an airless system: total formula protection, no product residue (+95% restitution rate), and it can function perfectly in any position.”
Fololari also points out what the product offers in terms of environmental sustainability.
“There is another special feature that makes this packaging unique. The TAG System allows a more responsible recycling process since you can easily separate the plastic components from the glass bottle, in order to recycle glass with glass and plastic with plastic. As a matter of fact, after total product dispensing, thanks to the ‘Eco-Lock System,’ you can unscrew the pump and extract the entire dispensing group from the glass bottle, which can be done after total product dispensing only,” he adds.
Market Growth
According to Dwyer, plastic airless has been developed as an attractive substitute for glass, which he sees as being on the decline. “Plastic seems to be growing. Up until about five years ago, most of the airless packaging was really coming out of Japan and Korea. The category itself came out of Japan, where the skin care market is quite sophisticated. And I’d say it’s come to the west only in the last five to ten years,” he says.
What took so long for it to catch on, Dwyer says, is cost.“Look at the way the Japanese manufacturers work. They start with the product and work backward and cost is the last thing that comes in.”
The airless market today is not only cost-effective—it’s also growing.
Rexam’s Lemeunier says, “Market trends are driving growth. One such trend is the move toward organic, bio-certified products. These products contain less preservatives and are quite sensitive to oxygen, and are thus subject to drying out and discoloration. “Another trend is what we call ‘the pursuit of agelessness.’ In sophisticated formulations such as anti-wrinkle products, the ingredients are very sensitive and need to be protected. Airless packaging provides this protection,” she says.
Della Pesca says that one of the reasons for growth is the alternative airless provides, including one of convenience and efficiency. “Airless packaging provides an alternative package to the standard jar that requires the consumer to dip into the product for application. New products have become very sensitive to air. This container only exposes to air the amount of product being used. It also assures the consumer of a very high percentage of product being fully dispensed,” he says.
Fusion’s Gadomski says airless dispensing’s popularity in the skin care market is due to the same reasons it became popular in the first place: “Its ability to protect more sensitive formulas from outside elements and to dispense nearly 100% of the product.” In addition, Gadomski emphasizes that consumers are increasingly driving the growth of airless packaging. “Consumers are becoming more educated about airless packaging and its benefits and have come to expect it from their favorite skin care brands,”
In regard to growth, Sweeney of Mega Pumps, says, “Consumer demands for more natural and better performing formulas help drive the demand. The ability of airless to appeal to luxury and prestige brands with the addition of premium decoration is also a driving force of growth.”
