Don't Buy Into These "Trends" About Cosmetic And Beauty Packaging

The cosmetic industry in the U.S. is worth over $60 billion.

Skincare and makeup products may always be in demand. But this doesn’t mean that success comes easily to every cosmetics company.

If you’re a stakeholder in this industry, it’s vital to stay ahead of your competitors.

One way that you can gain a cutting edge in this industry is with your product packaging. Believe it or not, packaging can do a lot for your company and play an important part in your marketing scheme.

In this post, we discuss the cosmetic and beauty packaging trends you want to avoid.

Read on for insight!

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1. Glossy, Non-Recyclable Packaging

A lot of cosmetics companies assume that the glossier and shinier their packaging, the more eye-catching it will be. Consumers, they claim, will feel more confident purchasing a beauty product packaged in sleek, vibrant colors.

However, most glossed packaging is difficult to recycle. While glossy packages are often made of cardboard, this cardboard may be waxed, preventing ease of recycling.

If the container itself contains a certain grade of plastic, most of these packages will end up in the trash.

This may seem like no biggie. But consumers are getting more conscious about making sustainable purchase decisions.

Companies that can package their products in recyclable materials are more likely to gain an edge. They can gain a further edge by packaging products in post-consumer recycled material.

Lose the gloss and embrace the green in order to stay ahead of the curve.

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2. Busy Designs

Wander down any beauty and cosmetics aisle and you’re likely to find a lot of packages with busy, cluttered designs.

Much like the "gloss is better" mentality, busy, zinging designs aim to attract customers’ eyes and leave an impact.

However, cluttered designs of any kind can quickly drown out the whole point of the product itself: what it contains and what it offers.

Designs that clearly define their product are more likely to be successful than those with swirls, zigzags, and busy colors. Aim to package your products with a clear and easy design–aim for memorable rather than more.

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3. Quirky Container Shapes

The beauty industry has seen a recent trend in quirky container shapes: concealer sticks packaged in glass cones, for example, and face creams in plastic triangle-shaped jars.

These quirky container shapes may look intriguing at first glance. Geometric, unusual containers are definitely eye-catching, and they do tend to stand out from the rest.

However, avant-garde containers like these can be hard to use. They may look pretty sitting on a counter, but they can make application more difficult in some cases.

The function of your beauty products is just as important as their design. Don’t compromise on ease of use for the sake of image.

You can still be cutting-edge while relying on traditional container shapes.

4. Hard-To-Find Ingredient Lists

Most beauty and skincare products contain a bunch of ingredients. Those ingredient lists can be lengthy, especially when they contain long names of certain fragrances and chemicals.

For this reason, some cosmetic companies try to "hide" their lists, making the font incredibly small and/or hard to locate. This enables them to emphasize their product itself.

It’s easy to see the benefit of this. A clear glass perfume bottle, for example, looks better if it’s not slathered in font!

But consumers are conscious of what goes into their cosmetics. They want to know what is in their mascara, and they want to know easily and quickly.

Don’t make your ingredients list difficult to find. It should be clearly designated and easy to read. Don’t worry; it is possible to do this without overshadowing a beautiful design.

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5. Excessive Plastic

Plastic is cheap to manufacture and purchase, making it an easy solution for packaging needs. It can be tough to stray away from plastic of any kind in the beauty industry.

However, be cautious of using excessive plastic when packaging your products. This is especially true if the plastic you use is tough to recycle–or only recyclable in designated areas.

Plastic can also give your products a cheap or temporary feel. A better design may incorporate glass, cardboard, or compostable plastic.

While we’re on the subject, be careful of excessive packaging. Sending your skincare products to your customers bundled in layers can be a turn-off.

6. Overly Plain, Generic Packaging

Some companies take the minimalist trend too far. They may choose to package their products in plain, simple packaging.

Simple is always good, especially when it comes to intelligent design. We’ve already discussed the need to avoid busy, cluttered design!

However, you can get too plain here. In many cases, overly minimalist packages can come across as generic. They may even give off a bland or uninspiring vibe.

 

Cosmetic And Beauty Packaging Trends

Cosmetic and beauty packaging is more essential than most realize.

A specific design can convey your company’s vision, philosophy, and personality. It can also act as a marketing tool, either drawing customers in or turning them away.

Think about how you’re packaging your current products. Are you using cluttered, busy designs? Are your face creams packaged in quirky containers? Are most of your materials non-recyclable?

Do your best to avoid these trends! Aim for effective, captivating design. It’s also vital to use packaging materials that meet consumers’ standards for recycling.

 

Are you looking to launch your new product with packaging that meets all of these goals? If so, then WANSA Packaging is ready to hear from you. Our team has worked with Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, LG, Oakley, QVC, and many other companies to design, develop, and produce packaging that made an impression on their customers.

‍ <img class="alignnone wp-image-960" src="https://wansapackaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/pexels-mikhail-nilov-6707177-200×300.jpg" alt="Don’t Buy Into These "Trends" About Cosmetic And Beauty Packaging" width="161" height="197" /> <img class="alignnone wp-image-959" src="https://wansapackaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5632357-1-200×300.jpg" alt="Don’t Buy Into These "Trends" About Cosmetic And Beauty Packaging" width="115" height="167" />