More Good Things That Come in Small Packages
Inspired, perhaps, by the ease and portability of the moistened towelettes long offered to diners after a meal at the local barbecue joint or fish restaurant, a wide spectrum of cosmetics companies--from the upscale French fashion house Hermes to the pedestrian Blistex Inc.--is selling individually packaged products for single applications.
Prada, the Italian fashion leader, is going a step further. When the company introduces its first-ever skin care line in October, all the products will be packaged entirely in single-use doses.
A quick sweep through department stores and drugstores yielded a batch of beauty-on-the-go packets: perfumed or tanning towelettes, moisturizing creams, nail polish remover, eyeglass wipes, clothing stain treatments, hair conditioners, and even salt rubs--in one-application, travel-size packets.
The thin packets stash easily in pockets, glove compartments and purses, even the tiniest of totes. They are convenient alternatives to having to lug bottles of beauty products around when traveling or going to the gym.
Sold in boxes, the packets range from the practical, such as nail polish remover by Calico ($2.19 for six packets) to Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Masks ($27.50 for 10). Other products in packets include Origins Salt Rub ($30 for nine) and scented wipes in lemon, peppermint and lavender by Herban Essentials for Urban Disorders ($12 for 24), both of which are available at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.
“Packets are in line with a trend that we’ve been seeing in makeup because women want portability,” said Armi Rowe, a beauty industry analyst for NPD Group in New York. “It’s a convenience factor. We’ve seen packaging become more and more streamlined.”
Hermes originally began distributing its Eau D’Orange Verte freshen-up “pochettes” as a free sample item in Europe before selling them ($20 for 12 pochettes).
“These little handy towels provide a nice, convenient way to refreshen oneself in travel, between meetings or on the golf course,” said William Reith, marketing manager of the Hermes fragrance division.
Not every product will find its way into a packet. For one thing, single-application packaging is more costly than bottling or packaging in bulk, according to Bill O’Melia, director of sales at Flexpaq, a large-packaging manufacturer in South Plainfield, N.J. For another, cosmetics companies have traditionally used packets for over-the-counter sample giveaways, and some consumers might resist paying for them.
“The reality is that a packet is perceived as free so how do you go from something free to salable?” asked O’Melia.
Some in the industry feel that certain products just won’t lend themselves to packets. “Things like cleansers, consumers love in packets, but not a product like a moisturizer, with its sensual experience,” said Dianne Osborne, vice president of skin care marketing for Estee Lauder. “We use packets primarily for sampling and will continue in the future.”
Not all moisturizer makers agree: Clientele, for instance, offers its Activator face moisturizer in packets that cost $50 for 60.
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Candace A. Wedlan can be reached at: candace.wedlan@latimes.
