Packaging has always acted as an enticing billboard and, in today’s marketplace, it also informs the potential purchaser of so much more than the product’s name and contents—especially when it comes to sustainability assets. 

While many brands, suppliers, and consumers thought that sustainable packaging mandates—and preferences—would result in boring, white or green packs with no personality, the industry has risen to the occasion and busted the boring plain-vanilla 3R myth. As sustainability grew in importance and regulations were set, cosmetic packaging suppliers embraced the enthusiasm and necessity, and quickly took on the associated challenges.

Many sustainable packages were premiered by luxe brands that bet on customer loyalty to splurge on products housed in new materials or, as refillables. As premium customers signed on, the trend gradually spread to masstige and mass. Today’s latest options on view at trade events—and on retail shelves—run the gamut from 100% recyclable paper to PET, mono-materials, and refillable bottles and jars. Not to mention metal-less pumps and lightweight glass. 

‘Green’ Guidelines

While the EU has issued “green” packaging deadlines, with which manufacturers are aiming to comply, consumers and brands are at the heart of the change. As earth-conscious beauty buyers, especially Gen-Zers and Gen-Alphas, become louder voices for environmental change, packaging has become a placard-like way to tell the sustainable packaging story directly on the carton, jar, or bottle.

Lauren Ryder, Global Packaging Analyst at Mintel, tells Beauty Packaging, “Innovative packaging in today’s beauty world comes from two facets: function and sustainability. On the functional side, it’s about rethinking how we apply, dispense, open, or even interact with packaging—sometimes introducing entirely new formats. Sustainability innovation is where we are starting to see beauty brands step up and deliver a new wave of innovation in the market. Refillable packaging, reusable packaging, and mono-material packaging are being seen on the market, showing that consumers are paying attention to sustainability claims and actively seeking them out.”  

Consumers are not only looking for products that make them feel good, but also products they feel good about buying, explains Ryder. She says brands can capitalize on this by conveying effective storytelling about their products, using clear logos and type to highlight the key selling points, and advertising on social media, tying the storytelling, product, and benefits all together. 

“It’s about creating the emotional connection while delivering a product that not only works beautifully, but feels good to use,” says Ryder. “Packaging plays a pivotal role in shaping the emotional connection consumers have with a product, blending functionality with visual appeal to create the perfect beauty product.” (See more of Ryder’s comments at BeautyPackaging.com.)

Pentawards’ Breakthrough Winner

After evaluating this year’s Pentawards nominees and winners, Chloe Scanlan, Marketing Manager at the Pentawards, told Beauty Packaging, “A quiet revolution is unfolding on the beauty shelf.” She explained that the entries and winners that stayed in mind “weren’t just visually stunning but intuitive, inclusive, and genuinely human. It appears that beauty has entered its era of empathy.”

Among the winners, Scanlan says the message was clear: ‘Form and feeling now speak the same language. Materials, mechanisms, and meaning are working together, implying that the most contemporary form of luxury resides in its sensitivity to the individual who is experiencing it.’

This year’s Diamond Award winner of the Pentawards exemplifies what many consumers are now expecting from their cosmetic packaging, including an emotional connection. The recipient, TILT Beauty, is described as “a breakthrough in beauty packaging” and the first makeup line to earn the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Certification. 

In acknowledging all the nominees this year, the Pentawards committee commented, “From radical beauty innovations to game-changing sustainable bottles and evocative cultural storytelling, this year’s winners prove that packaging is no longer just a vessel, but an arena for creativity, identity, and progress.”

Specific to TILT, the awards team said, “It’s a reinvention of beauty packaging that makes glamour more inclusive—without compromising on elegance or desirability.” Every element was reconsidered for everyday ease—from shorter mascara wands that steady the hand and minimize tremors, to silicone-coated surfaces that improve grip, and soft-close magnets that make opening and sealing effortless for users with reduced dexterity.” (See more on this year’s Pentawards winners at BeautyPackaging.com.)

Defining Innovation

Because “packaging innovation” can take on different meanings, depending on who you speak with, Beauty Packaging reached out to cosmetic packaging designers, suppliers, and brands for their perspectives on key related issues.

Scott C. Roman, Principal & Founder, Ventus Packaging Solutions LLC, is an award-winning package development professional with 30+ years’ multi-industry experience, including Executive Director at the Estée Lauder Companies, where he led the Makeup Category packaging innovation team, co-developing formula and package from concept inception. He also led “deep-dive” concept innovation programs, directed internal and external industrial design teams, and package development for the Tom Ford Beauty brand. 

Roman tells Beauty Packaging: “To me, innovative packaging means creating designs and materials that seamlessly combine style, function, user experience, and brand storytelling—all while keeping sustainability and consumer engagement at the forefront.”

Packaging, he says, is part of a 360-degree system—package, product, and process—meaning “everything must be co-developed from the start, with ongoing adjustments to ensure the consumer’s experience is seamless and satisfying.”

When I asked Stephen Corsi, Vice President Packaging Development at Innovative Beauty Group (IBG), about innovative packaging being key to customer awareness and purchase, he told me that while this statement is “broadly true, with today’s social media, innovation should be presentable as a story. Social media platforms like TikTok present packaging with innovative factors better than ever before, and the number of influencers who do this well is substantial.” 

As an example, Corsi says IBG recently had one of their past innovations, the Brik Stick, put back into the spotlight by top influencer Mikayla Nogueira 10 years after they launched it. “She really understood why it is so special,” says Corsi. 

Corsi says most brands that come to IBG are interested in innovation in some form, as it can be a key differentiator. This usually involves packaging that incorporates something different than seen before—new delivery systems, different materials, or new functional gestures that support a story manifesting in a different and beneficial perceived user experience. 

IBG’s SensaCurve tube, for instance, features “the world’s first flow-through applicator,” according to Corsi, including molded flocking that eliminates the need for unsustainable flocked fibers. “We can target the flocked areas to any part of the applicator and create it in almost any shape our customers desire,” he says. IBG has engineered this innovation to comply with European REACH regulations.

At Nuon Medical, which has given new meaning to innovation in the complex cosmetic and medical industries, blending the two disciplines, Alain Dijkstra, Founder and CEO, tells Beauty Packaging, “Innovative packaging today is defined less by looks alone and more by how it combines functionality, technology, and consumer experience. 

To earn the “innovative” label, he says, “a pack must do more than hold or dispense—it should solve a real problem, enhance usability, or add value to the product itself.” 

Dijkstra says key criteria [for innovation] include novel functionality, such as applicators that cool, or emit light to boost skincare performance; consumer-centric design that improves convenience, hygiene, or precision; and sustainability through refillable or recyclable formats that still feel premium. 

What captures consumer interest most, he says, are features that surprise while delivering tangible benefits—smart interactive tools, modular or customizable formats, and connected packaging that links the physical pack to a digital brand experience. Brands, in turn, he says, are increasingly asking for solutions that balance three priorities: sustainability without compromise, user experiences that feel unique and memorable, and technology that elevates both product efficacy and brand differentiation.

In this sense, says Dijkstra, “Innovation in packaging has moved beyond new shapes or colors—it is about creating meaningful value, where every element of the pack works to amplify performance, deepen engagement, and ultimately influence consumer choice.” 

Engineering & Technology

Some suppliers, at the request of premier brands, take engineering, sustainability, and innovation to the highest notch. In 1958, Parisian kinesiotherapist Pierre Darphin revolutionized the beauty industry, with his exclusive skin-sculpting techniques. 

Today, as a testament to engineering and technical expertise, Darphin’s luxe launch of the Stimulskin Plus collection features two products in unique, innovative packaging: a sculpting cream and a serum. They are housed in refillable containers with a “groundbreaking structure.”

TNT Group, which created Darphin’s innovative packaging, says they “combined the complementary skills of its engineers and technicians to bring this original and cutting-edge project to life.” The development required perfect harmony between the two reusable structures, ensuring consistency in design and volume. The team says they successfully overcame significant challenges in both design and industrialization.

Each structure is composed of two Zamac parts assembled invisibly and securely. The arrangement of the junctions, the shape and angle of the cells “were the subject of in-depth study to avoid any defects related to pressure during the injection of the Zamac, to facilitate ‘demoulding,’ and to ensure a flawless shiny-polished finish.” 

A threaded collar system securely holds the replaceable glass cream jar in its insert, and the serum bottle is also refillable, thanks to “an ingenious bayonet system.” The harmony of the golden tones across the various components of each package “has been meticulously maintained, resulting in a stunning final product.”

Speed Counts

Like IBG’s Corsi, Comar’s Chris Wilson, Director, Innovation & Product Design, has seen the influence of social media, saying, “Social media continues to transform the way brands connect with consumers.” He says that platforms like TikTok and Instagram offer access to vast audiences and provide near-instant feedback, enabling companies to test, refine, and amplify their product messaging in real time.

“At Comar,” says Wilson, “we understand the importance of speed and flexibility in this dynamic landscape. Our innovative manufacturing capabilities enable us to respond rapidly to customer requests, particularly for customized packaging solutions.” He explains that, by using configurable assets, they can adapt existing stock components to create distinctive, brand-specific packaging with reduced lead times. “Custom colors, textures, shapes, and embossed logos all contribute to a unique shelf presence, allowing brands to launch tailored, premium packaging without excessive cost or delays,” says Wilson. 

Disruption and Aesthetics 

Several of the industry experts we spoke with stressed the importance of “disruption” and aesthetics when it comes to creating packaging innovation.

Christine Doyle, Creative Director, JMD, a multi-disciplinary creative agency founded in 2016 by packaging designer Jon Dinapoli, says, “Innovative packaging in today’s beauty world is about disruption: creating something that stands out in an oversaturated market by feeling truly unique, desirable, and purposeful. It’s not just about looking cool (though that always has its place), but also about enhancing usability and creating meaningful connections through design.”

Doyle explains that some brands focus on aesthetic innovation, while others push boundaries through functionality. As an example, she cites Pentawards’ winner TILT, which she says “is a perfect example of identifying and filling a white space in the market. That is the kind of thoughtful, human-centered design that defines innovation in beauty packaging today.”

She describes two projects from JMD “that highlight very different sides of innovative beauty packaging.”

The first project, LoveShackFancy, is described as “a truly intricate design that celebrates the brand’s romantic, vintage-inspired DNA.” The glass bottle features delicate undercuts and sculptural details, including a soft ruffle at the shoulder that echoes the twirl of a skirt and rope-like accents along the base, which are inspired by Parisian architecture. “The process of producing these fine details in glass was highly complex, but essential to capturing the brand’s essence,” says Doyle. “The oversized bow cap, modeled in three separate parts, adds a playful sense of movement and balance, while each fragrance is finished with a custom pattern unique to its scent. It is truly a perfect blend of craftsmanship and storytelling.”

The second project, DKNY 24/7, takes a more modern, minimalistic approach to innovation, explains Doyle. The bottle was designed to be perfectly mirrored when flipped top to bottom, reflecting the duality and versatility of the DKNY woman. Both the cap and bottle are made of glass—a “technical challenge that required precise modeling to maintain structure and balance without making the design too heavy or fragile. While LoveShackFancy leans into a bespoke, vintage femininity, DKNY 24/7 embodies sleek, urban modernity: two distinct expressions of innovation driven by intentional design.”

At Coverpla, Sarah Orlowicz, Brand Marketing Specialist, tells Beauty Packaging, “In our industry, innovation means bringing in new materials, designs, or functions that really add value.” This might be refillable systems, bio-based resins, or smarter production methods that save time and resources. And not to discount aesthetics, Orlowicz says design can be just as innovative, whether it’s a bold new shape or a finish that makes a package instantly recognizable. “At the end of the day, she says, “Innovation is about solving challenges and creating a stronger connection between the brand and the consumer.” 

Gilda Mirra Cutri, Coverpla’s VP of Operations & Business Development, says, “Brands today want sustainability and speed: lighter glass, bio-based materials, refillables—delivered with quick lead times and flexible minimums.” At the same time, design matters. Cutri says, “We love working with clients to create standout bottle-and-cap pairings, refine decoration concepts, and fine-tune details during testing.” The result, she says, is packaging that feels premium, responsible, and innovative, while still practical to bring to market. 

“Today, innovation in packaging goes beyond aesthetics,” says Knoll Packaging’s Ben Cohen. “It’s about purpose-driven design.” At Knoll, he says, “We define an innovative pack as one that merges luxury, sustainability, and functionality seamlessly.” He stresses that innovation is no longer just about being new or different; it’s about being meaningful. “For us,” he says, “that means developing packaging that elevates brand storytelling while meeting measurable sustainability goals.”

Cohen says that Knoll is currently innovating with mono-material structures, recyclable and refillable systems, and KnollLuxe materials “that maintain the tactile experience luxury brands demand.” He explains that the challenge—and the innovation—lie in creating packaging that looks and feels premium, and is responsibly designed from start to finish.

Related: Mono-Materials on a Mission

Innovation must create value for both the brand and the consumer, says Cohen. At Knoll, he says, development starts with three core principles: Sustainability: Materials and processes must reduce environmental impact without compromising design integrity; Functionality: The pack should improve usability and promote shareability online—through refill systems, unique closures, or modular formats that invite reuse and share on their social media. Emotional Connection: The packaging must deliver a sensory and emotional experience—texture, sound, and movement all contribute to perceived luxury.

Cohen finds that consumers are drawn to authenticity and transparency—so features like eco-certified materials, refillable mechanisms, and clever structural engineering that “not only surprise and delight, but also demonstrate a brand’s commitment to conscious luxury.” At the same time, he says, brands want innovation with integrity. “They’re asking us to help translate sustainability goals into tangible design solutions—without compromising luxury or identity. Many of our partners are moving toward eco-responsible gift sets, elimination of plastic, and FSC-certified materials across their entire portfolio.”

Cohen also sees a growing demand for circular design thinking—creating packs that are not only recyclable but designed for disassembly and reuse. “And increasingly,” he says, “Brands want storytelling built into the structure itself: packaging that communicates craftsmanship, purpose, and progress.”

At Comar, Wilson agrees, saying, “Sustainability is an area where innovation is not only expected but essential.” With evolving regulations and growing consumer awareness, he says brands must move beyond traditional strategies to reduce virgin resin usage. “While PCR (post-consumer recycled content) and light weighting remain important tools, sustainable packaging design now requires a holistic approach considering every component from labels and liners to pigments and additives to ensure compatibility with recycling streams.”

Decorative Delights

As mentioned earlier, new innovative decorating techniques have made great headway in the cosmetic packaging industry.

At The Penthouse Group, which partners with Yoshino of Japan, “an internationally renowned manufacturer and decorator of premium packaging for the global cosmetics industry, with nearly all production based in Japan,” Steven Ostrower, President, The Penthouse Group, says the company places a strong emphasis on innovation, automation, and productivity. 

In its ongoing pursuit to expand and elevate its portfolio, Ostrower says Yoshino has perfected a method of metallic decoration via silk screen printing. By incorporating metallic pigment into the master batch, they achieve an iridescent decorative effect on opaque surfaces. The brilliance and shine of this technique are especially striking on the solid surfaces of molded caps.

“Recently,” says Ostrower, “several of our premium luxury clients have developed designs that demand intricate decoration processes on uneven surfaces. These typically involve embossed PET bottles featuring hot-stamped logos precisely aligned to specific areas of the bottle. The challenge lies in eliminating any lateral shift during logo application—an error of even 1mm would be visibly flawed.”

Yoshino has successfully implemented and commercialized this technique on a Cosme Decorte bottle for the Kose brand in Japan. The hot-stamped logo is applied evenly atop the embossed logo area, while the rest of the bottle showcases the sophisticated possibilities of embossing on PET.

In another prototype, Ostrower says a roll-around red hot-stamp is applied 360 degrees exclusively across the embossed sections of the bottle. This specialized technology is also compatible with one or more passes of silk screen printing over embossed PET surfaces, offering brands even greater flexibility in design execution.

Apogee Development creates highly decorated, unique packaging, including an array of captivating fragrance bottles and caps. Rob Lynch, CEO, defines innovation “as a change or improvement to some attribute in a package that truly sets a new path or breaks with previous ideas and expectations, as opposed to changes or designs that follow current trends or novelty ideas.” 

Related: Creating Stunning Impressions with Decorative Effects

He adds that, “True innovation shows itself in innovative designs, shapes, aesthetics, or materials, i.e, something we have not seen before, or using some existing technique such as decorating or labeling in a completely new way,” such as with the Kenzo K3 cap or the “LoveShackFancy” bottle.

“Innovations in technology and processes that advance our industry, and benefit the consumer and the planet, such as bioresins, mono-material packaging, and post-consumer recycled plastics, are also shows of innovation,” says Lynch. 

The packaging that Apogee developed for Kenzo K3 fragrances was designed as a tribute to the life of designer Kenzo Takada. The glass bottle is a tall, slender rectangle with soft edges and a clean, elegant silhouette. The gold gradation of the bottle decoration is achieved through metallization. The shape and color of the cap and bottle blend together to enhance the elegant feel. The cap is further enhanced with the use of colors drawn from nature. Its most distinctive and innovative feature is achieved through the hand-applied water transfer label, which creates a kintsugi-like pattern—an homage to the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold seams. “This design celebrates the beauty of imperfection and the timeless art of transformation,” says Lynch.

One of Fusion PKG’s latest innovations is the Verve Airless FreeForm+ package, which recently won the MakeUp in New York IT Award for Packaging as well as the 2025 Ameristar Award for Design Excellence. Alexander Kwapis, Global Head of Innovation, R&D, and Engineering for FreeForm, says it was developed with their patent-pending Airless FreeForm+ technology that eliminates the need for a cylindrical piston or a double-wall design. 

Kwapis says that “This innovative package delivers true airless protection and nearly 100% product evacuation in a fully recyclable format, mimicking the prestige look of glass without compromising sustainability.” He says, “Verve Airless FreeForm+ redefines what’s possible in beauty packaging; true airless protection, nearly 100% evacuation, and limitless design freedom, all in a fully recyclable format. It’s not just innovation, it’s a breakthrough.” He adds: “The Freeform collection is the next evolution of airless technology.’”

Sounding the Alarm

In addition to skincare, color cosmetics and fragrance, sunscreen and haircare packaging have also seen upscaled innovation in the past couple of years.

SR Packaging’s UV-alarm sunscreen tubes change color when exposed to UV rays, providing a visual reminder for users to reapply sunscreen. 

These tubes are made with photochromic dyes that react to UV light, causing a structural change in the molecule and a distinguishable color change. When UV light is removed, the molecule returns to its original state, and the component reverses to its original color. 

The mono-material packaging is compliant with RoHS and EN-71-3 standards, aligns with FDA regulations, and is recyclable post-use.

SR Packaging also offers color-changing UV-alarm bottles and jars to remind users to reapply sunscreen or keep delicate skincare products out of sunlight.

Looking Ahead: Sustainability’s Impact on Innovation

As beauty sales continue to climb, so does the quest for sustainable materials and innovative packaging options. No longer do brands and consumers envision sustainable packaging as dull and boring. Instead, they may perceive packaging as an even more important element in their decision-making process. 

What do our beauty industry experts predict about the future of sustainability’s impact on innovative packaging?

According to Mintel’s Ryder, “Consumers are not only looking for products that make them feel good, but also for products they feel good about buying.” She advises brands to capitalize on this by conveying effective storytelling about their products, using clear logos and type to highlight the key selling points, and advertising on social media, tying the storytelling, product, and benefits all together. “It’s about creating the emotional connection while delivering a product that not only works beautifully, but feels good to use.” She adds, “Packaging plays a pivotal role in shaping the emotional connection consumers have with a product, blending functionality with visual appeal to create the perfect beauty product.” 

JMD’s Doyle tells Beauty Packaging, “A few years ago, sustainability did feel like a barrier to innovation, mainly because the industry and its manufacturers were still catching up in terms of materials and technology. Today, it has become one of the most exciting forms of innovation in beauty. Brands and designers are now using sustainability as a creative springboard rather than a constraint.”

She says further, “Across prestige and mass, innovation takes different forms, but stems from the same desire to connect. Prestige leans into craftsmanship and storytelling—the weight, the finish, the emotional detail—while mass focuses on smart design that makes thoughtful packaging accessible. Through it all, sustainability isn’t just a trend anymore; it’s the backbone of creativity, shaping how brands think, design, and communicate their values.”

At Venus Packaging Solutions, Roman tells Beauty Packaging, “Sustainability hasn’t hindered traditional innovation at all; it’s a catalyst, fostering breakthroughs like biodegradable polymers and zero-waste solutions that align with consumer demands without sacrificing aesthetics.” 

He says ocean-bound plastic reclamation, such as #tide Ocean Material that reprocesses plastic waste pulled from the Pacific, and mono-material pumps that can be deposited in the consumer’s home recycling stream are good examples of behind-the-scenes sustainable material innovation.

“Refillable packaging has always been a goal for brands,” explains Roman, “but most couldn’t get the business model right regarding logistics and not cannibalizing their salable products.” Now, he says, “the emphasis on sustainability has renewed interest in refillable models, and I have a few clients who have created strong refillable businesses that complement their full-salable hero products. I’ve also had clients who have upscaled their packaging while introducing PCR blended materials to help reduce their environmental footprint.”

At the end of the day, says Roman, “Packaging is the first impression a product makes. Bold designs and materials spark interest, but it’s the user experience that keeps customers coming back.”

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