Joanna Cosgrove, Contributing Editor12.06.21
At a time when supply chain delays and retail unpredictability might give pause to any brand with new beauty product concepts, contract, turnkey and full-service providers stand ready to come to the rescue. These suppliers are important resources with the ability to expedite your product to market, whether you need help sourcing a specific component or require a complete suite of assistance spanning ingredient sourcing, formulating, design and packaging services.
We’re closing in on marking the second year of Covid-19 and the pandemic’s disruption of “normal” has changed retail atmospheres and pressed businesses to adapt in order to maintain profitability.
Becky Welch, vice president of operations, Quality Resourcing Services (QRS), a turnkey supplier of fine fragrance and personal care items, says, “We are seeing brands of both small and large scale, go leaner on their employee counts and put more focus internally on the ever-changing world we live in for best distribution and marketing strategies.”
Workforce “slimming” has created vital openings for contract manufacturers/packagers and turnkey service providers. “We are able to alleviate some of the workload that the brands don’t have the infrastructure or the desire to handle internally,” Welch explains. “We are able to help manage all of the details from product and packaging development, testing, timeline management, to freight and logistics.”
Speed to market is a critical attribute, and contract and turnkey providers are adept at being nimble partners. “We see new indie and emerging brands pop up every day and they have really shaken up the industry in their ability to quickly pivot to capitalize on opportunity and their need for responsive partners,” says Jamie Bennett, head of prestige and emerging brands, kdc/one. “We have also started to see larger companies turning to turnkey solutions, especially as a means to stay relevant in this changing market—they too need to be able to capitalize on trends and maintain their reputation as innovation leaders.”
Circumventing Delays
An ongoing ripple effect of the pandemic has been a substantial delay in the supply chain. Fortunately, this is another pothole that turnkey and contract service providers are hard-wired to help their brand partners manage, thanks to their inherently smaller manufacturing and shipping footprint.
“The supply chain delays and issues we are seeing are for sure causing come changes to the way people are allocating their time and what they might need from their partners,” observes QRS’s Welch. “We are all navigating this unknown territory as best we can, and transparency and sharing information are the best ways to ensure it is tackled successfully between service providers and brands.”
On the bright side, the disruptions are introducing new customers to the benefits of turnkey services. For example, Federal Package has closed gaps in container shortages, leading new customers to ask what else the company can do for them.
Melissa Niebes, chief commercial officer, Federal Package, says her company’s single location, in Minnesota, provides direct oversight over the entire manufacturing process to ensure quality and efficiency, which cuts down on costs and lead times. “Our engineering teams have implemented additional quality processes and automation which has increased production over last year, [and although] we’ve experienced disruptions in resin supply and pricing, thankfully we have great relationships with our providers, so we have been able to weather that, maintaining our priority and allocation,” she says. “In some instances, we had to increase price and lead times this year, but we’ve been able to buy ahead on raw materials and keep stock in order to get our lead times back in line.”
Various components of a finished beauty product rely heavily on a global supply chain, says Dan Wolfe, senior vice president of business development at Cosmopak. This can be a recipe for disaster for brands that typically like to run lean from an inventory perspective or adhere to a just-in-time business model.
Since longer lead times are largely unavoidable, Wolfe says Cosmopak provides two solutions to its clients. “[First], we are encouraging our clients to commit to components with longer lead times earlier, to avoid delays to the finished goods from one component and expensive air freight costs,” he says. “Second…we help our clients create a tight brief and execute on that brief to get into production and to market with unprecedented speed.”
“The reality is, that we are challenged with unexpected delays in raw materials and shipping delays and planning for them presents new challenges,” says Welch, who emphasizes the “in it together” mindset. “When you have a true partner on the other side of the ‘desk’ you should hear the reality of the supply chain challenges, material costs—and understand what options might be available to mitigate the delays and cost changes that we are all seeing.”
Curated Clean Beauty
Beauty influencers on social media platforms continue to drive interest in new color cosmetics. Some of the hottest innovations include hybrid products that combine makeup with skin care ingredients. Clean beauty, paired with eco-friendly packaging, also continues to be a top trend.
Federal Package’s Niebes reports seeing a new consumer openness to the science behind lab-grown ingredients, as well as in increased confidence in resource-efficient alternatives that are safe and sustainable.
“Waterless serums in stick formats are just one area in which we have experienced growing popularity from hydrating to sunscreen variants,” she says. “The deodorant category is becoming more fragmented with deodorants becoming the next extension for many skin care brands, with traditional face and body benefits like microbiome and probiotics becoming more popular.”
Personal care brand Plant Therapy worked with Federal Package to create baking soda and non-baking soda natural deodorants free of synthetic fragrance, parabens and aluminum. Federal produced the resulting non-GMO and cruelty-free products from start to finish in a little over three months. The deodorants are housed in white polypropylene 2.65 oz and 0.35 oz Eco Smart deodorant containers. Niebes explains that the Eco Smart line is more than just recyclable, it also contains an organic additive that enables the plastic to break down when placed in a landfill or ocean environment.
On the hybrid beauty front, SeaCliff Beauty Packaging recently teamed with Jazmine Beauty to deliver a hydrating primer serum called Glow Getter that just launched in November. Vonda Simon, SeaCliff’s founder and CEO, explains that the product was produced as a full turnkey solution, SeaCliff executed the formulation, packaging and design of the product. The primer is packaged in a luxe, square, frosted glass dropper package to showcase the brand’s elegant feel and highlight the signature violet color of the formulation from the inside out. The custom-colored bottle is finished with a UV coating for a “shined” finish.
“Glow Getter Hydrating Primer Serum is a lightweight gel formula used to prime skin and hydrate the complexion,” Simon says, noting that the formula features a unique blend of antioxidants to improve microcirculation, which stimulates the oxygenating process and skin’s regeneration. “Its violet sheen removes dullness and imperfections for a radiant look.”
The product was launched for Diabetes Awareness month and proceeds benefit diabetes research and support groups.
SeaCliff specializes in all aspects of the beauty and personal care segment, with the capability to handle everything from product and formulation development, through to design to packaging and assembly, along with the ability to customize formulas to fit Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Clean, Organic and CBD criteria.
Cosmopak’s approach to all phases and details of the development, manufacturing and logistics process for brands across the skin care and color cosmetic segments hinges on sustainability and transparency.
“Consumers are pushing brands to know where and how ingredients are being sourced,” says Cosmopak’s Wolfe. “We only partner with accredited and verified partners to ensure ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced.”
And since “clean” can mean different things to different brands, Cosmopak works with its clients to define “clean,” then fleshes out a path for development and product creation. “We are continuously educating ourselves and our clients on ways to create sustainable packaging that is quantitatively better for the planet, while still providing high functioning, economically viable products,” Wolfe says. “We have numerous solutions, and it’s not a one size fits all approach–we work collaboratively with our clients to create items that are on-brand, and truly sustainable.”
Given the focus on eyes as we continue to don masks, mascara continues to be an on-trend product, but its development can be complex, timely and costly. Instead of having to start from scratch, Cosmopak has produced a collection of nine turnkey mascaras with uniquely targeted formulations and applicator wands. “Our in-house team developed and tested countless formulas combined with different wands to create mascaras we know beauty enthusiasts will love,” Wolfe says. “Considering the popularity of clean beauty during the development, these quality formulas range from plant-based to high-performance and all are cruelty-free.”
Some of the mascaras are developed to specifically meet “clean” compliance, and each vial is made of PCR. “We offer custom tooling and countless deco options to ensure the mascara remains on-brand,” he says.
Environmentally Conscious Options
Like clean beauty, sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly packaging choices are another extension of a brand’s commitment to the cause. Now more the norm than an exception to the usual, turnkey and contract manufacturers are doing a great job of positioning these types of packaging options front and center in their respective lineups.
The clean product trend is a central focus for POP NYC, which uses only PCR materials to create eco-friendly and sustainable beauty tools, gift with purchase items, private label products and packaging.
Gina Panella, Pop NYC’s lead production manager, says the company is currently working with a client that’s in the process of producing a range of face masks for a variety of specific skin issues. The current packaging sachet is not recyclable or made of any PCR material and wants to transition to more conscientious packaging, but the solution must ensure the masks retain their moisture, potency and efficacy.
So far, Pop NYC has delivered three rounds of sample renderings, tweaking the material during each round to make the entire package recyclable. “Currently there are no other companies who are doing these sachets in a fully recyclable manner,” comments Panella. She adds that in early test rounds, Pop NYC used approximately 60% PCR to make the packaging, which was eventually bumped up to 100% PCR without sacrificing the product’s moisture content.
The brand is continuing its shelf-life testing, but Panella is confident they have a winner with the third sample. “This is something that no one else is doing and we are happy to work with this particular beauty brand to come up with something useful and sustainable.”
Roberts Beauty recently formed a partnership with Oceanworks that specifically targets resin needs for beauty packaging and enables Roberts to offer turnkey products in packages made from 100% reclaimed and recycled ocean plastics. “This is next-level PCR resin helping to clean up our precious oceans,” explains Kristen Corso, vice president of marketing, Roberts Beauty. “Roberts Beauty carries a wide variety of in-stock Oceanworks resin and has done rigorous testing in order to successfully run Oceanworks resin as an alternative for all the common virgin plastics that are used in manufacturing today.
One of the options Roberts Beauty offers is a patented Brik Stik molded in 100% Oceanworks plastic. The product has a green tint because of the natural color of the unaltered resin. Corso teased that the company recently undertook a large turnkey project for an unnamed brand that’s completely molded in ocean plastic and is slated for launch in January/February 2022.
Having recently added HCT Group to its network, kdc/one is offering brands a myriad of options through its Clean Initiative for formulations, and HCT’s EMA (Eco Modern Approach) for packaging. A popular item is kdc/one’s monomaterial 100% PP airless pump. “Why monomaterial? Because it makes it recyclable for current recycling waste streams allowing the consumer to put it in the recycling bin without having to separate parts,” kdc/one’s Bennet explains. “This airless component also allows you to evacuate all of the product and can be paired with many innovative skin care formulas from the kdc/one network.”
Other examples of responsible stock packaging include a monomaterial 100% PET palette, and a monomaterial 100% tin palette, which kdc/one pairs with high performing, clean eyeshadows from its Italian powder factory, Tutti Trucchi Cosmetici, for a responsible turnkey solution.
Pushing the Boundaries of Innovation
The beauty segment is always on the leading edge of new ideas and applications.
Recent innovation at WWP Beauty has focused on creative options for customization. “Some of our latest collections include poly-sensorial products, multi-purpose high-performance products, synesthetic super-charged skin care and soulcare, gender neutral color cosmetic products, plastic-free plant-based packaging, refillable design, integrated touchless application and packaging that creates new gestures,” says Musa Dias, CMO, WWP Beauty.
Two of WWP Beauty’s latest packages offer new gestures and ways of dispensing and applying product. First, the ColorVue Lipstick features an award-winning design that received the silver Beauty Award in the 2021 Pentawards. It features a patented revolve and reveal R2 mechanism. It also boasts a mono-material and sustainable design that uses 12% less plastic and reduces GHG emissions by up to 85% per piece.
And second, WWP’s Side Effect Dropper is a universal package that can dispense color cosmetics, skin care and haircare products via its elevated side button. This easy to apply, convenient design is available in 15- and 30ml sizes and can be made with different sustainable materials including glass and PCR content.
Finally, for brands hoping to shop for turnkey options from the virtual comfort of their own homes, CTK has launched an online showroom, CTKCLIP.com, that showcases over 5,000 formula, package and ingredient innovations. User-friendly product searches can be performed by product category, theme, trend or keyword, and “smart curation” helps match formulas with packaging.
Jackie Paterno, CTK’s vice president, says products with clean and sustainable claims have had the highest views and requests. “CLIP showcases sustainable products, so green, clean, vegan, eco, recyclable, refill, and PCR products can easily be viewed and samples requested,” she says, noting that the innovation was developed by CTK’s in-house Innolab, package division and marketing team. “CLIP empower[s] clients and inspire[s] them to create endless beauty without any physical constraints,” says Paterno.
