At this week's Beyond Beauty show, the Airless Packaging Association (APA) gave a presentation on the benefits of airless packaging and the reasons for its success in the cosmetics market.
Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com after the event, Stefano Focolari, APA marketing team leader and Lumson marketing director, said the reasons for the growth lies with the cosmetics market demanding being tamper-proof packaging, perfectly sealed and that can guarantee maximum protection against bacteria, allergens and micro-organisms.
“The cosmetic/skin care market is more and more moving towards special formulations and technologically advanced ingredients. These improved formulations need airless dispensing systems to maintain the stability of certain ingredients.”
“The use of an airless system with a pump means there is no exterior contamination of the cosmetic product allowing a sensible reduction of preservative agents, which are known to be subject to controversial issues regarding their side effects on health.”
Technical and functional features mixed with ‘elegant’ design
Companies have also been looking to take advantage of all the technical features and design of airless systems.
Key factors include no product waste, possibility of dispensing high density formulas, protecting the formulation as well as complete evacuation of the product.
“Thanks to the investments we all made into developing airless systems thay even look good, some systems are very beautiful and have an elegant cosmetic design,” Focolari continued.
Healthy competition has meant there are airless systems available for every market segment including both the mass and prestige market.
High demand in the cosmetics industry
Airless packaging is important for the cosmetics industry as it can be used with the most viscous formulations and allows the consumer to get out more than 95 per cent of the product in an appropriate way.
“If a customer spends 50 or 100 Euros for a cream, I think she has the right to get it all out without having to unscrew the pump and tip the bottle on the hand, or by squeezing a tube like we do with toothpaste” explained Focolari.
The APA gathers together five of the major cosmetic airless designers and manufacturers in the world: Lablabo, Lumson, Megaplast, Quadpack and Rexam, in order to promote packaging towards the cosmetics industry.
The organisation has a precise ‘mission’ to explain and inform clients, as well as consumers, about the technical and functional advantages of airless packaging.
“The APA aims to inform of the advantages of ‘real’ airless packaging. The airless packaging market has been polluted with a lot of “look-alikes” or semi airless packs. Only ‘real’ airless systems can guarantee all the features and benefits which make it one of the fastest growing demands in the industry.”