5 summer beauty trends and how they'll influence your packaging

Those consumers are now traveling at rates above pre-pandemic levels. According to UN Tourism, the growth of international tourism is expected to be two percent over 2019 numbers. Brands best catering to their travel needs and appealing to their interests are positioned to cash in on those summer vacationers.

Here are a few ways brands are making sure their products are poised to meet consumers where they are this summer and the packaging options they’re considering along with them.

1. Solid-format beauty products

As you roll your suitcase into your hotel room, your nose picks up a familiar scent. It’s the faint coconut smell of your favorite sunscreen. But you didn’t put any on, so where’s it coming from? You rush to open your suitcase, and there it is ... A greasy mess is now all over your shoes, a couple of your shirts, and the inside of your suitcase.  

You carefully packed your personal care products, but somehow in flight (maybe it was the pressure changes) the sunscreen bottle popped open, and it oozed everywhere. We’ve all been there, and it’s a less than stellar way to start a vacation.  

That’s why solid-format beauty products have become more popular lately, especially during these summer months when people are traveling. Cocokind, Ami Colé, and Peace Out are just some of the brands who’ve hopped on the solid-format bandwagon. Brands are offering solid formats in make-up, sunscreen, anti-aging products and hydrating moisturizers.

Not only is the solid format great for travelers or those on the go because it eliminates leaks, but it’s easier to use and stick forms offer more application precision and control.

How this may affect your packaging

Brands wanting to satisfy eco-conscious consumers with greater sustainability are looking for solid-format options that avoid using rigid plastic. Smurfit Westrock offers an innovative solid-format packaging option. The EcoPush® paperboard tube applicator dispenses semi-solid format product.

2. SPF that goes beyond sunscreen

Any skin exposed to the sun is susceptible to damage by UV rays, and that includes your scalp and hairline, especially in any areas where hair is thinning. As awareness grows about UV damage to our scalps and locks, brands are introducing products such as specialized hair sunscreens.

Color Wow (U.S.) introduced a conditioning Money Mist spray, and Italian brand Climaplex rolled out an entire line targeting damage caused by climate change. These new products protect the scalp, hair strands, and color from harmful sun rays, pollution, and oxidative stress.  

Besides sun care for hair, beauty brands are moving toward providing ways to preserve beauty from the inside out through supplements. Polypodium leucotomos is one ingredient believed to reduce sun exposure damage to the skin.

The mineral sunscreen market is expected to grow at a rate of over five percent through 2030, becoming a 2.3-billion-dollar industry. 89 percent of consumers in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand like the idea of a supplement that can protect their skin from sun damage (Stylus, Beauty: Solutions for the New Climate Era 2024). 

How this may affect your packaging

Adding specialized hair, scalp and supplemental protection to your summer skincare lineup offers the perfect opportunity to pair or group your products and create a summer beauty multipack. A multipack can increase sales while at the same time offer consumers convenience and savings.

And if you’re trying to meet your company’s sustainability targets, you don’t have to use plastic shrink film to bundle your multipack. You can group your products using paper-based folding carton designs, like those formed with ClusterPak® automation.

3. Summer gift and travel sets

With the increase in international travel in 2024, sales of travel sets are up as well. In the first quarter of 2024, sales revenue from travel size sets grew at double the rate of traditional full-size sets.  

Summer festivals are also returning to post-pandemic attendance levels. In 2023, Milwaukee’s Summerfest experienced a 40 percent jump in attendance, and on average, festival goers travel over 900 miles to attend one.  

Popular gift sets during these on-the-go summer months often focus on skin care and protection. Prestige skincare sales increased by 10 percent in the first quarter and emerged as the fastest growing category.

Based on demand for complete travel sets and summer-themed sets, brands are creating travel and gift sets just for the season. These may have limited edition designs that celebrate the summer and create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Heightening experience is also key as brands aim to create shareable moments through unboxing, elevating gift sets with dynamic features that make the experience more exciting, interactive, and social-media-worthy (Stylus, LuxePack NY 2024: Luxury Packaging Update).

How this may affect your packaging

For memorable gift sets, think about pairing rigid boxes with some of those dynamic features, such as metallic graphics for sparkle and shine or textured graphics that give the box a certain feel. Playing with bright color also adds in the fun and summer appeal.   

To make gift sets even more affordable, there are other options besides the traditional rigid box. Folding cartons with die-cuts that are a part of the design or designs with unique shapes can make your set stand out on the shelf. And when cartons are formed into interesting shapes, customers have a tendency to think of the product as high-end.

4. On-Shelf Sustainability

Products making ESG-related claims averaged more growth (28 percent) in the last five years compared to products making no ESG-related claims (20 percent). As a result, brands looking to meet their sustainability goals and boost sales are making sure consumers can easily identify their product as sustainable from the shelf.

According to a McKinsey & Co. survey, 66 percent of all respondents and 75 percent of millennial respondents consider sustainability when making a purchase. And they’re not only considering the sustainability of the packaging, but also the products themselves. 43 percent of consumers want their sustainable beauty products to be free of potential toxins and 29 percent want those products to support animal welfare.

How this may affect your packaging

To feature sustainability from the shelf, consider your packaging materials. Cartons made from kraft paperboard are a strong, recyclable, packaging option since the natural look tends to convey an organic feel. 

Incorporating your brand’s sustainability story on your packaging can also leave a greater impact on consumers and reinforce your brand’s dedication to sustainability. While you may not have a ton of space, you could include some key stats about your company’s environmental impact. You could also include a QR code that allows consumers to connect to more information about product ingredients, sourcing info, and your brand’s commitment to sustainability.

To give yourself more space for meaningful sustainability content, think about options such as extended content labels, informational leaflets, or double-sided printing on the package itself. 

You can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability by reducing or eliminating hard-to-recycle plastic elements from your packaging. Brands are turning to solutions like Smurfit Westrock’s NatraPak™ molded starch solution, which replaces plastic inserts, and blisterless packaging designs, an option that reduces the use of plastic by replacing traditional blister packs. The design of blisterless packaging can maintain the aesthetic appeal of the brand and protect the integrity of the product, while also making it easier for consumers to open.

5. Nostalgic branding

Brands strategically use nostalgia to resonate with their audience and convey authenticity. Nostalgic branding involves incorporating vintage-inspired designs, retro color palettes, and iconic motifs into product lines and packaging. These elements evoke memories of simpler times, creating an emotional connection with consumers.  

For example, in 2023 makeup brand Wet n Wild created an entire Scooby-Doo line with a color pallet inspired by the cartoon. To celebrate and promote the new line, they sent out a PR kit with a sampling of makeup products. The kit came in a box designed to look like the Mystery Machine.  

The new line drew upon the nostalgia associated with growing up on Scooby-Doo cartoons, and the kit further “drove home” that nostalgia by coming in a box that looked like the iconic van from the cartoon. This not only made for a fun and unique unboxing experience that looks good on social media, but it also made the box itself an item to keep and collect.

How this may affect your packaging

Think about the themes or pop culture references that are particularly nostalgic to your audience, and let them inspire your seasonal product lines and package designs. Play on the colors, shapes, fonts, feel, and designs of whatever themes you choose.

Then, think about making products, kits or gift sets more than just the product itself; think about making them an “unboxing experience” (Stylus, LuxePack NY 2024: Luxury Packaging Update). How can you make your packaging a part of experiencing the product line and get the most out of the nostalgia?  

Think about boxes in unique shapes or that may function as something else other than a box. How can your packaging become a collectible on its own, especially if people are major fans of the theme you choose?

No matter which seasonal trend you’re thinking about incorporating into your branding, Smurfit Westrock has a variety of sustainable, paper-based options for you to consider. Contact us to learn more about how our team of designers and packaging experts can take your beauty packaging to the next level.