As with any other industry, making a mistake when designing your cosmetic packaging can lead to lost sales or other issues. If you make an error on the label, you may need to recall a product or run the packaging again, which could become costly and eat into your profits. There are also simple design mistakes that can prompt potential customers to choose a competitor’s product instead of yours. To stay ahead of the competition, avoid these pitfalls when creating packaging for your cosmetics.
No Usage Directions
You might think that cosmetic products are straightforward to use, but there are always some variations between products. That is why you must include directions for their use. How long do you let the face mask sit before rinsing it off? How much product should the customer use for best results? If, like many cosmetics, you have a bottle or jar inside a box, ensure that the usage instructions are available in both places. Customers will want to read the directions while in the store to see if they will buy your product but will likely throw out the box when they get home. Of course, you can avoid printing the instructions twice by using a single layer of packaging for your product or using a transparent outer packaging.
Inconvenient Packaging
You ideally want your cosmetics to be part of your customers’ daily routine, so they will finish the product more quickly and will need to buy more, thereby boosting your sales. To achieve this goal, however, you must make the packaging easy to use. This means ensuring that the lid is not hard to fasten, that you can take off the jar’s cover without spilling the cream inside, and that there is a simple way of getting the last bit of your expensive lotion out from its bottle. Something as simple as including a reusable scoop, which will get all the way to the bottom of your lotion container, can help your product fly off the shelves and will only cost you pennies.
Choosing Fully Opaque Packaging
Opaque packaging has its place but typically not in the cosmetic industry. While shopping, customers want to see the exact shade of lipstick or another piece of makeup, which transparent packaging allows. You could get around this by including a color indicator on the packaging, which is a smart idea even if you are using semi-transparent packaging. The transparent packaging also comes in handy as it lets customers know when they are low on a product. If you prefer opaque packaging, consider incorporating a small transparent section into the design near the bottom of the product, so customers know when they need to buy more.
Low-Quality Packaging
Just like in any other industry, cosmetic packaging that is low quality will reflect poorly on your product, and consequently hurt sales. Customers are less likely to buy products with chintzy packaging as they will assume the product is equally cheap. Even if your packaging looks nice but breaks easily, you will not get repeat customers. Make sure your packaging can withstand the typical use of cosmetics, including being thrown in a makeup bag with glass bottles and being carried around all day.
