Hetkinen Pine Jars

Hetkinen pine wood jars / Source: Hetkinen

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4 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

Sourced from and inspired by nature, Hetkinen’s pine wood cosmetic jars are minimal, aspirational and sleek, while coming from a regenerative source.

Designed to be shown-off rather than hidden away, the brand is a perfect example of how creating an object with an inherent value encourages reuse and respect. Honouring the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, the company highlights how we can appreciate natural sources, asymmetry and simplicity, while still getting the product we desire. After all, there is something special in having something no one else does.

KEY FACTS:

Hetkinen’s wooden cosmetic jars are made from 100% PEFC-certified pine heart wood, from a single supplier, in Finland. This type of wood is known for its strength and durability.
No chemicals, laminates or additives are placed in the jar material. Antiseptic qualities come from the pine itself, which has naturally occurring antibacterial properties. The jars are used to house hand balm, lip balm, body butter and deodorant.
Inspired by nature, every jar produced is unique in appearance. Some may be branched or uneven, but the company honours the wood’s natural appearance for every jar made and throws nothing away if suitable for use.
The purity of the jar material means that it can react when exposed to extreme temperatures or fluctuating moisture levels. It also has to be acclimatised to each new environment.
Although the jar is made for reuse, it can be burned, composted or recycled if spoiled.
The jars come in 10, 55, 60 and 70 millilitre sizes, depending on if they contain lip balm, deodorant, body cream or salve.

Pine wood packaging / Source: Hetkinen

Hetkinen body butter / Source: Hetkinen

DIVE DEEPER:

Protecting cosmetic products from contamination, especially those containing water, is a difficult task, often requiring preservatives combined with oxygen-sealed packs. Over the years, plastic has become the go-to solution for this task. As consumers seek more natural products, they also seek more natural packaging solutions too.
Hetkinen’s use of naturally antibacterial pine wood is novel and stands apart from many other innovations in this space. Finland is made up of 78% forest land and more trees grow in these forests than are harvested. This makes Finland an abundant, sustainable source for wood material – especially pine, which makes up nearly half of its tree population.
The company manufactures everything it makes in Finland at a self-owned factory. All materials and ingredients used for products and packaging can be traced to their exact point of origin by the company. This is the meaning of localisation over globalisation.
All of Hetkinen’s products, from jar to cosmetic product, are plant-based. While the company uses materials, such as glass across some products, it says it is entirely plastic-free.
Hetkinen won the Finnish Design Shop (FDS) Award competition for its Pine Lip Balm and wooden jar in 2017. It then expanded its range from 2018 to include the multiple other use-cases we see today.
Products are sold internationally across 40 countries.

"Our company believes that living in harmony with nature is one of the greatest commitments we can make. Our philosophy is to bring people closer to nature in their busy everyday lives."

Hetkinen

Key Design Considerations:

Wood recycling awareness

Is wood recycling an established habit among consumers? Only 15% of waste wood is recycled worldwide each year, while 16 million tonnes is created. This is a notable issue when using wood for packaging, so a strong communications strategy must accompany its use - detailing exactly how a consumer can effectively and responsibly reuse and dispose of it.

Perfectly imperfect designs require adoption

Consumers are not always used to natural variations in packaging - in fact, it often makes consumers think a product is damaged or not worth its value. Designers have the opportunity to demonstrate the beauty of the imperfect through the use of natural materials. Variables in packs should be clearly communicated at all points of sale and product interaction, but once a consumer understands the why, they will be excited that they own a one-of-a-kind item.

Systems change will reduce reliance on forests

These jars are designed for reuse, but the brand is yet to launch a refill system, meaning every new product requires virgin wood pulp. Consider how many turns of product a wooden jar can handle and encourage consumers to send back empty packs to be refilled.

Scalability concerns

While Finland’s forests might currently be abundant with trees, this is not the case across the world and an overreliance on pine wood to scale this packaging type, could result in mass deforestation. Pine wood solutions are best used for small-scale, indie brands that can locally source the raw material.