TOUN28 Cleansing Water

TOUN28 C01 Non-Ionic Cleansing Water in aluminium bottles / Source: TOUN28

AfricaAluminiumAsiaBeautyEuropeGlassNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingPaperSouth America

4 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

K-Beauty brand TOUN28 is showing that if a formula is good enough, an understated pack won’t hinder sales. The brand has inverted the common ingredient-to-packaging spend ratio and gone for a pared back exterior design to make way for more impactful formulations.

Its recently launched cleansing water comes in a simple aluminium bottle with a single, small label – promoting recyclability and the potential for reuse. We would like to see the brand innovate with its cap, where some minimal plastic is still used to reduce product seepage, but this brand shows that design doesn’t have to be showy to make an impact.

KEY FACTS:

TOUN28 has produced a 500 millilitre Aluminium bottle to carry its C01 Non-Ionic Cleansing Water.
The bottle is made up of 96% aluminium with only the cap containing some plastic to reduce the chance of seepage. Necessary plastic parts used across TOUN28 products are made from colourless and supposedly recyclable plastic.
The bottle is understated, appearing as if made entirely of mono-material, and fitted with a single, minimal label that can be removed and recycled. Aluminium was chosen thanks to its ability to protect product freshness and maintain the purity of active ingredients.
Unlike most companies, 40% of TOUN28's overall expenditure goes on raw materials for its formulations, which take centre stage in its business model. Spend on packaging is kept at a minimum, with the company claiming it spends only 10% on containers.
For contrast, the brand claims that in most cases, raw materials equate to 2-10% of a final product, with the cost of the container making up the other 90+%.
Each formulation is made up of 60-95% organic raw materials either sourced from trusted suppliers or, if lacking an adequate source, grown by the company itself.
A switch to Paper and aluminium has seen the company cut down plastic usage by 92%. The company claims to have reduced the use of more than 527,000 plastic bottles.

TOUN28 C01 Non-Ionic Cleansing Water / Source: TOUN28

DIVE DEEPER:

Skincare is a hard beauty category to package. Made from a plethora of active, unstable ingredients, skincare formulas need to be packaged in highly protective materials to ensure freshness, safety and longevity.
Air tightness is another key requirement, which is why many facial skincare products come in sealed, airless containers, most often made from plastic.
According to Statista, the global skincare market is expected to reach a value of USD 189.3 billion by 2025, and brands must innovate away from plastic to ensure this growth doesn’t equate to billions more packs of plastic. TOUN28’s use of aluminium offers inspiration.
While also being able to adequately protect the brand’s cleansing formula, aluminium recycling rates in TOUN28’s home territory of South Korea are exceptionally high, reaching 89.4% in 2019. The global average sits around 60%. With aluminium’s ability to be infinitely recycled without losing its core properties, it is a dependable, environmentally friendly material for the region.
TOUN28 operates on a monthly (28-day) subscription model with consumers sent different products based on changing skincare needs. This means that consumers are unlikely to use the exact same products every month, with additional items sent in paper, aluminium or Glass packaging.
TOUN28 is registered by The Vegan Society for creating products that do not use animal or animal-derived ingredients.
In 2020, TOUN28 was placed in the ‘Global Sustainable Brand 30’ list by the Association for Supporting the SDGs for the UN (ASD). The organisation selects and verifies global corporate and governmental sustainability, eco-friendliness and ESG investment based on the promotion of SDGs.

"Until now, we have been paying for cosmetic containers, not cosmetic products."

TOUN28

Key Design Considerations:

Ingredients first

When a beauty product is good enough, repeat purchases and customer loyalty are easy to come by. An ingredients-first brand will not only reduce product wastage due to lack of results, but also requires a less forceful branding and marketing push, enabling a company to reduce both financial and resource spend on lavish packaging design. Stay simple, and let the product speak for itself.

Offering prefills

TOUN28’s monthly subscription model lends itself well to a delivery prefill service. Could regularly used products, such as a cleanser, be sent in prefilled packaging that’s then picked up at the next delivery to be cleaned and refilled for the next customer? For mass-market brands, consider partnering with Reposit by the Beauty Kitchen for in-store solutions.

Sealing without plastic

While the majority of a pack can forgo plastic, the sealant for beauty products and beverages remains an issue – or so we might think. Aluminium manufacturer Trivium has created a BPA-free and 100% aluminium bottle for Brita which has metal threads on the neck to receive the cap, something that would normally involve plastic.

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TOUN28 Cleansing Water

WHAT WE SAY:

K-Beauty brand TOUN28 is showing that if a formula is good enough, an understated pack won’t hinder sales. The brand has inverted the common ingredient-to-packaging spend ratio and gone for a pared back exterior design to make way for more impactful formulations.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Skincare is a hard beauty category to package. Made from a plethora of active, unstable ingredients, skincare formulas need to be packaged in highly protective materials to ensure freshness, safety and longevity.

Air tightness is another key requirement, which is why many facial skincare products come in sealed, airless containers, most often made from plastic.

According to Statista, the global skincare market is expected to reach a value of USD 189.3 billion by 2025, and brands must innovate away from plastic to ensure this growth doesn’t equate to billions more packs of plastic. TOUN28’s use of aluminium offers inspiration.

TOUN28 operates on a monthly (28-day) subscription model with consumers sent different products based on changing skincare needs. This means that consumers are unlikely to use the exact same products every month, with additional items sent in paper, aluminium or Glass packaging.

TOUN28 is registered by The Vegan Society for creating products that do not use animal or animal-derived ingredients.

In 2020, TOUN28 was placed in the ‘Global Sustainable Brand 30’ list by the Association for Supporting the SDGs for the UN (ASD). The organisation selects and verifies global corporate and governmental sustainability, eco-friendliness and ESG investment based on the promotion of SDGs.

TOUN28

Key Design Considerations:

Ingredients first

Offering prefills

Sealing without plastic

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