Part 3.3: Cosmetics and personal care

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Cosmetics and perfume are fun – made to make you feel good! They are part of today’s good living, part of the party ‘kit’. But cosmetic products, often expensive, need to be well protected to give of their best.

It can come as a surprise that alufoil is used extensively in the packaging of many cosmetics and personal care products. Often hidden from sight, aluminium foil plays a key part in their physical protection, although its metallic glitter can also be used to great effect to enhance the excitement and convenience of many pack designs.

As the science of cosmetics becomes more and more sophisticated – with the application of special oils, vitamins, herbal and chemical compounds – the need for full protection from light and contamination becomes increasingly important. Such products may need a long shelf life both in the retail chain and after purchase. The complete barrier property of alufoil can help to ensure this Thanks to its unique combination of properties, aluminium foil can bring ultimate protection to the packaging ‘palette’ coupled with exciting visual appeal and due regard to the increasing demand for the environmentally responsible use of materials.

What makes alufoil good for cosmetics?

Barrier

Alufoil’s total barrier to light, gases and liquids is the principal reason for its use in flexible laminates for cosmetics, and can help to extend the viable life of oils and vitamins for many months, even years. Such high protection can be vital when delicate perfumes and highly sensitive lotions are expected to keep their quality.

Heat conductivity

Aluminium is very conductive to heat. Where an induction-heated seal is used for a barrier membrane or diaphragm, this can help minimise heat sealing times and so enhance the speed of a packing line. It also dissipates heat quickly away from any creams or lotions near a membrane seal, so protecting the product from damage.

Heat resistance

Packs, such as blisters, rely on the dimensional stability of aluminium foil to give flatness and rigidity where heavy gauge films are heat sealed to alufoil closures.

Decorative potential

Alufoil’s metallic finish plus compatibility with all printing methods provides designers with scope to create stunning graphic design and shelf presence. The extra value conveyed by the trendy ‘high tech’ silver finish can make the visual difference between an ordinary product and one of the twenty first century.

Lightness and economy

Economies in both transport and storage result from lightness, flat or reeled format of packs prior to forming and filling.

Sustainability

Thanks to its barrier function, alufoil packaging efficiently protects and reduces spoilage of sensitive products and can save energy and material resources. After use, aluminium can be repeatedly recycled without loss of quality and at a fraction of its original energy cost. Alufoil laminate is suitable for both separate and multi-material collection systems according to national and local conditions. The energy content can also be recovered by thermal treatment.

Applications

Sampler and single use sachets

The most versatile and probably the widest use of alufoil-based flexible packaging for cosmetics. They are popular for shampoo, after-shave, skin lotions, bath oils, liquid soap and perfume.

As samplers, alufoil sachets withstand the rigours of magazine and mail distribution where one of the vital tests for the sachet to withstand a pressure of 1.5 tons for 6 seconds. The graphic design of a sample sachet can be made to imitate the shape, colours and textures of the full size versions.

One recent innovative perfume pack combines the young ‘blue jeans’ style with portability, convenience and complete product protection. Sachets are also increasingly specified as single-use convenience packs. They can be used to dispense an exact amount of the product, and they are flexible, lightweight and fit easily into a handbag or vanity case. In developing markets, sachets are a principal tool for new product launches.

Wraps

Deadfold is also a valuable characteristic in more traditional applications such as wrapping luxury soaps. Alufoil's impermeability helps to retain perfumes, the deadfold characteristic provides excellent folding property and high a quality metallic print surface can be put to good graphic use to convey fine quality.

Blister packs

A well-proven technology, blister packs rely on the complete barrier of alufoil coupled with the ‘burst strength’ designed for easy access to the contents.

One major exponent of blister pack offers a wide range of innovative applications such as a dual blister technology which enables the contents of two separate compartments to be mixed, when required, before opening the pack. Their tattoo pack is a good example. The ‘tattoo’ design is held in a 'distribution' chamber which is next to, but separate from, a liquid cup. To apply the tattoo, the user gently squeezes the liquid filled chamber so opening the seam located between the liquid and the distribution chamber. The special tattoo paper is moistened and the tattoo is ready to be applied to the skin where it will last for at least one week.

The same principle is used for a cosmetic face mask. Here the lotion is held in one compartment and a dry tissue in another. Squeezing the liquid chamber moistens the tissue which can then be removed, unfolded and applied to the face.

For perfume sampling, a blister-based pack allows small quantities of only 0.25 ml of perfume to be tested in realistic conditions by vaporising the product, like in a miniature spray. The alufoil laminate backing prevents the perfume vaporising or degrading prior to opening.

Diaphragms

Alufoil is used to seal the opening on jars of face cream. As well as acting as a very effective tamper-evidence feature, the alufoil prevents the product deteriorating during distribution and storage. The alufoil, usually printed, provides an opportunity to use anticounterfeiting holograms or other features and can either be simply crimped over the top of the jar or, more frequently, heat sealed to provide a more secure closure. The sealing system suppliers, recently replaced the conduction heated seals with a much faster induction heat sealing process. This uses a high frequency microwave electrical field to precisely heat the seam area and a strong coated alufoil material that is also less prone to tearing when removed.

Flexible pouches

Flexible alufoil laminate stand-up
pouches fitted with a spout and closure become excellent and trendy alternatives to traditional bottles. The packs are light, ‘feely’, and offer special opportunities for graphic treatment. High barrier pouches are also used unseen inside aerosol containers for ‘airless’ sprays to separate the propellant gas from the active ingredients making up the product.

Tubes

Another, often hidden, application of alufoil is in the construction of collapsible tubes used for creams and gels. The metal layer fully maintains the quality of the product against the damaging effect of light and brings to the laminates used the quality known as 'deadfold'. Deadfold means that a collapsible tube made from an alufoil laminate, once squeezed, remains squeezed and will not spring back to draw air and micro-organisms into the tube. By avoiding the ingress of contamination, a high level of hygiene is also ensured by the 'non-return' alufoil laminate tube.

For many cosmetics creams which contain oils, water and vitamins, this can mean that the quality and viability of the product are extended for the whole of the likely period of use. Effective anti-counterfeiting holograms can be used with alufoil laminate tubes.