Personal Care Packaging Market Poised for Growth

Manufacturing personal care products goes beyond formulating the perfect beauty item—companies must also consider the best packaging for cost-effectiveness and consumer appeal. A new market assessment report from the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) predicted 5.5 percent annual growth for the global personal care packaging market through 2019. The assessment also examined global trends, drivers and opportunities from the choice of materials to operations.

Bottles account for 30 percent of the market and are expected to grow an additional 28 percent through 2019, making them the most commonly used container format in this market, according to the report. Cartons are catching up, however, showing the greatest growth from 2010 to 2014 (9 to 19 percent of the market).

As for materials, plastic is the most popular for personal care packaging, accounting for 61 percent of materials used. PMMI’s study projected plastic will remain dominant, growing 12 percent by 2019.

Brand owners are seeking out ways to reduce waste by using less packaging overall as consumers’ demand for convenience has led to a surge in smaller, more portable packages. Well-developed markets, including North America and Europe, are expected to see slower growth rates in cosmetics than developing markets, such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Additional factors driving the personal care market include an expanding focus on sustainability, evolving consumer demands, innovations in machinery and materials, flexible equipment and globalization.

Certain claims made on a product’s packaging can also catch the eye of today’s beauty consumer. Recent research indicates consumers find claims such as “not tested on animals" and “contains SPF" especially important when browsing personal care aisles. Consumers also tend to seek packages that include combination claims, such as a 3-in-1 moisturizer, and those listing specific benefits, such as “improves the look of fine lines."

Learn more about personal care product packaging solutions by attending the 2015 Phama Expo, produced in cooperation with PMMI and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), September 28 to 30, in Las Vegas.