The pandemic completely changed our attitudes towards hygiene. Even now that, in most countries, restrictions have been lifted, prioritizing hygiene is something that will continue to be important to us for a long time.
This changing attitude towards the importance of hygiene is also being seen in the beauty industry. Customers don’t want to have to dip their fingers into moisturizers, foundations, or eyeshadows, or even share their products with friends.
So, if you’re a beauty company launching new products soon, should you start developing hands-free packaging solutions?
What is hands-free packaging?
Hands-free packaging is any kind of packaging solution where the customer does not have to make direct contact with the product.
For example, rather than using a jar for a moisturizer that a customer must dip their fingers into, you could use a pump – this minimizes the risk of contaminating the skincare product with the bacteria that is on a customers’ hand.
It also includes solutions that go one step further, like a foundation that has a built-in brush that removes the need for the customer to touch the product at all and prevents any bacteria on the fingers from being transferred to the face.
How to incorporate hands-free packaging for your products
The modern beauty buyer is much more conscious when it comes to choosing their products and will look out for applicators that minimize germ exposure, products with hygienic application methods, and hands-free solutions.
One solution is products that have built-in applicators, for example brow pencils that use a fine tip to recreate the look of microblading, mascara wands that help to steady hands, or winged eyeliner stamps and stencils.
Not only do these packaging solutions make it easier for customers to use, but it also cuts down on the need for additional tools, and extra packaging.
Next time you’re designing packaging for your products, consider whether jars and tubs are appropriate for your product or whether it may be better for hygiene-conscious customers to use a tube, airless dispensers, or bottle components.
The future of hands-free packaging can also go further, with the use of single-dose sampling and testing in retail stores, automatic dispensers and more.
If you’d like to switch up your packaging and introduce a hands-free approach to your designs, get in touch with our team at APackaging Group and we’d love to bring your ideas to life.