The hair care market, which includes shampoo, conditioning, color, treatment, and styling products, is growing. Preliminary data from an upcoming report by Kline & Company shows that manufacturers’ sales of hair care products in the U.S. were up 3.5% in 2015.

Brands often market products for specific hair types and/or hair color, but right now there is a lot of buzz around the multicultural trend. Within this category, there are new products that focus on fulfilling the needs of consumers with specific hair issues, such as curls, frizz and dryness.

Packaging for hair care products is abundant, as suppliers are offering all types of innovative bottle shapes and closures, tubes with tactile coatings, plus cans and jars designed to attract attention. Many brands are using design and decorative effects to create hair care lines that make a statement on the shelf.

The Hair Products That Are Driving Market Growth

Brand marketers might want to focus on these key areas, according to Kline & Company’s latest research. Leading market drivers, according to the market research firm, include:

* Ethnic hair or multicultural products that promote hair-specific fixes that are in line with a more natural look and feel, such as curls and waves.

* New indie brands that are coming up with innovative packaging, as well as hair-specific and style-specific product offerings. These brands include Not your Mother’s, Renpure and Tio Nacho.

* Deep and nourishing conditioners and treatments that promote the healthy and shiny hair offered by all brands.

* Men’s styling and products in line with the male grooming trend.

Hair Care Brands Show Innovation

Hair care brands are using a wide range of design styles for packaging, but suppliers say many are requesting unexpected looks.

“We see a stronger demand for innovative packaging for hair care, than in other product categories,” says Steven Peters, sales manager, UA Packaging. “There is a constant need for innovation, in both the shape and structure of a package, and special decorations,” he says.

Recent projects that Peters has worked on demonstrate that most hair care brands want to set design trends, to stand apart from the competition. “In my experience, skin care brands are more likely to latch onto an existing trend. Hair care brands are more likely to try something different that no one else is using,” he explains.

Peters often works on projects that call on the supplier’s expertise in creating luxe decorations and tactile effects. “We can coat a closure with a luxury enamel finish, or make a tube feel like soft leather. We often combine different materials, such as HDPE with soft touch resin and LDPE, to create much stronger soft touch effects. We can also make a package as clear as PET and as flexible as HDPE by using a Surlyn-based material,” he explains.

CPP Global offers a decoration it developed called “Metalook,” to create the appearance of a metal finish on a plastic component. “It is a more affordable process than using metal, or metallizing,” says Beth Joyce, marketing director, CPP Global. “This decoration will make a product stand out on shelf. It is available in an endless array of colors, and it is an environmentally friendly process,” Joyce adds.

Suppliers also see many hair care brands use color in innovative ways. What colors are trending? “We’re seeing a lot of pearls, metallics, and layering effects. Different colors are being melded together. More brands are also interested in using special effects, such as gradation techniques,” says Amie Pernitzke, marketing solutions manager, Badger Color Concentrates, Inc. (See the section Color That Conveys Luxury below for more about this look.)

Pernitzke continues to explain that frosted finishes are being used in new ways. “We see a drive toward colors that look ‘old,’ which is an effect created by using a hazy frost finish. We have already seen frost used with pastels, but now it is being used with bold brights,” she says. 

Sundial Brands’ new Madam C.J. Walker brand just relaunched in pretty packaging. The brand’s frizz-fighting line is eggshell blue; smoothing products are mauve pink; products for curly hair are mustard yellow, and treatment products are lavender. The brand uses bottles and tubes  with silver caps.

“We wanted to use colors that were not readily seen in any hair care packaging, as well as colors that would have an impact on shelf and differentiate Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture from anything on the market,” says Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO of Sundial Brands. The packaging was created by an NYC design firm, ROOK, based in Brooklyn.

Retro Looks

Even though many brands might be opting for packaging with an unexpected look, there is also an ongoing need for more familiar shapes. “We still hear requests, constantly, for square and straight sided bottles and jars. The brands choosing this style will typically ask for a very simple one-color printing process to decorate them,” Peters says.

Joe Brodner, Olcott Plastics, has been hearing similar requests for familiar shapes, but says the opposite is true as well. At the recent Cosmoprof Bologna show, several European hair care brands told Brodner they were interested in traditional straight-sided jars, which they will customize with color and decoration.

“The brands requesting this style are going for a ‘retro’ look,” says Brodner. “It’s amusing because our European customers are requesting classic, traditional shapes, which is very ‘American’, but the American brands we work with are asking for a more ‘European’ look, which is streamlined and modern,” he explains.

The new brand, MOP, aka Modern Original Products, is launching in May. It is a professional salon line that includes cleansers and styling products. The line’s retro look is intended to convey the brand name—modern and original.

MOP products use recyclable, HDPE bottles with black caps. “We decided to keep the bottles simple, but with strong and visible category colors,” says Austin Baskett, chief marketing officer, MOP. “We also wanted the logo itself to be very recognizable on shelf,” he adds.

Conveying ‘Natural’

When a brand wants to convey “natural”, or an eco-friendly mission, Peters says he often advises to choose simple shapes with minimal decoration. UA Packaging offers a water transfer decorating technique, and it is ideal for natural or organic brands. “This technique can be used to make a plastic cap or closure resemble wood,” he explains.

Olcott Plastics is another supplier that often works with natural brands, and says that their design choices usually reflect an organic look. “A natural brand will typically use less color. This means choosing closures in earth tones or using resin in its natural colorless form. It is apparent that these brands don’t think that their customer who is looking for natural products will be motivated to buy a product in a package with a brightly colored closure or vibrant decoration,” he says.

Natural brands are also presenting suppliers with new challenges, which involve compatibility issues. Products that contain Argan oil are one example. “Many of these products require the use of a different type of liner in the closure, or the oil may leak and stain a product’s carton,” Brodner says. “And one leaky jar could spoil an entire palette,” he adds.

Working closely with a packaging supplier, and making sure they are aware if your formulation changes, will present or resolve these issues, so communication is key. “Designers need to take any potential compatibility issues into account when choosing packaging parameters,” says Brodner, who says he has been seeing more of these issues arise lately, especially with natural brands. “Upgrading a product with new ingredients without upgrading the packaging is generally a recipe for disaster.”

Decorating with Labels

Jirano is a brand that designed its packaging to reflect the company’s philosophy of providing natural hair care solutions, and its design reflects the background of its co-founders, Jane and Jedi Nyachiro.

Jirano’s Curl Care System is housed in black bottles and jars, decorated with labels that are printed on pearlescent stock. The labels feature an image of a green leaf. “The leaf is inspired by the heritage of the Nyachiro family, who are from Kenya. It represents the Masai shield on the Kenyan flag, and the ‘natural’ nature of the product,” explains Rob Wyers, Jirano’s CFO and brand director.

Some of the labels also have a muted background pattern. “This is a traditional Swahili henna design,” says Wyers.

American Crew also uses labels, and recently created a limited edition design for its small plastic jars—and it features Elvis Presley. The iconic star, and his perfectly styled hair, is shown on the jar’s cap, in six different photos that are printed on the labels for these products: Fiber, Pomade, Forming Cream, Defining Paste, Grooming Cream, and Molding Clay.

“Elvis and American Crew are a natural fit as they both embody a uniquely American style that is youthful, iconic and original,” according to the brand. A spokesperson added that Elvis’ hair is one of the most globally recognized. “His pompadour is the most famous on the planet. We like to say: ‘Elvis used pomade and changed the world,’ “ the brand remarked.

American Crew worked with New York design house TODA to create the labels. They have a semi-gloss coating with a UV matte finish.

The Elvis collection will be sold for the next two years, while supplies last, and will appeal to collectors. The brand is available at salons and barbershops, as well as professional beauty distributors.

Hair Color

Pravana’s Vivids professional hair color brand is launching three new colors in May—Amethyst, Emerald and Blue Topaz—as part of its Jewels collection. The product is formulated to deliver rich color saturation, and each color has undertones that will perfectly compliment any skin tone, according to the brand. The kit comes in a colorful carton that features a photo of a model with her hair dyed in all three shades.

Hayley Williams, the 27-year-old songwriter/lead vocalist in the band, Paramour, is known for sporting wild hair colors, but she didn’t want to be just “the face” of a brand. Williams invested her own money to launch Good Dye Young, a new at-home hair color line.

Good Dye Young’s hair dye comes in tubes, which makes it easy to use. The tubes are decorated with the brand’s logo that resembles splattered spray paint, for an edgy look. 

“I was inspired by the idea of creating a community and a connection,” stated Williams. “I think there should be a connection between the people who are creating hair dye, selling it, and actually doing it,” she said. Williams is closely involved in product development, and said, in an Instagram post, that she has been working on the launch for four years.

In addition to dye, the hair color category includes color-depositing conditioning products, formulated to enhance the color of dyed hair by adding specific tones. Redken markets Blonde Idol Custom-Tone Violet daily conditioner for cool or platinum blondes, and Gold for warm blondes. “This product is in our 49mm MaxiMix dispenser, which is ideal for hair products that require a larger dosage per stroke,” says Robert Brands, president/CEO, VariBlend.

VariBlend’s custom-blending dispenser allows users to mix a product just before use. “Just turn the dispenser head one stop to gradually dial in more color,” says Brands.

A few months ago, Variblend launched a 40mm “50-50” dual chamber dispenser. “This is a new, easy-to-use and easy-to-prime choice for hair care product makers, where a formulation requires equal quantities of two ingredients to remain separate until the very moment of use. It is available in single or dual nozzle,” Brands says.

New Jars for Treatment Products

Aluminum tins, as well as small plastic jars like the type American Crew uses, are ideal for pomade and men’s grooming products. Treatment products, however, are more popular now, and these require larger packages. A brand will often choose a jar for a treatment product, such as a deep conditioner or hair mask, due to viscosity issues.

David Hou, director, marketing and sales, Cospack, says he is seeing more requests for packaging for treatment products.

To fulfill this need, Cospack launched its MAKI Jar line earlier this year. “Before we launched our MAKI collection, most of our larger jars were custom tooled. This required larger quantities, a longer lead time, and was too expensive for some brands. The only available stock options looked minimal and generic,” Hou says. “Now, we offer a quality stock jar that has an elegant look, to help our customers stand apart from competitors,” he adds.

Cospack’s MAKI jar has thick walls, which are a distinctive design feature. “It is molded in PETG, which doesn’t typically have any compatibility issues with any formulations or ingredients,” says Hou. Cospack also offers a wide range of caps and closures that pair perfectly with this jar style.

Olcott Packaging also has a new line of jars in PET. “Our new collection offers the streamlined, modern look that is prevalent in many of the European hair product lines, says Brodner. “Many of our customers are requesting this style for hair treatment products,” he adds.

A Water Bottle for Curls

Curly Hair Solutions’ latest styling innovation isn’t a product—it’s an empty bottle. It’s called Curl Keeper H20, and since the packaging is the product, it had to function perfectly. It is sold as an empty water bottle that says on its colorful shrink sleeve label, “The Best Water Bottle for Fabulous Curls.”

The brand’s co-founder, hair stylist Jonathan Torch, came up with the idea, and explains that misting the hair with water will help eliminate frizz and control curl. It will reactivate the brand’s water-based styling products, including Curl Keeper Original. Using water instead of extra product won’t weigh the hair down, which can make curls fall flat.

The bottle has a micro-mist sprayer. Its spray pump has a wide, sturdy lever that is easy to press. The cap curves inward, in a subtle hourglass shape that is ergonomic, and makes it easy to grasp. The cap, along with the pump’s engine and dip tube, unscrews easily and closes securely, with just one turn, and it’s a tight seal.

“We found this package at a trade show a few years ago. We saw that spray pump technology had come a long way, and knew it would be perfect for curly hair,” says Steven Torch, the company’s CEO. “The fine mist has 360 degree capability, which makes it a very effective tool for styling curly hair,” he adds.

Color That Conveys Luxury

Packaging in dark colors, including black, is a current trend for skin care, and there are a few hair care lines that are doing this as well.

Oribe Hair Care, a brand developed by Luxury Brand Partners with renowned celebrity hair stylist Oribe Canales, is designed to be displayed, and wouldn’t look out of place in the fanciest bathroom, spa or salon.

The brand includes hair care and hair styling products in packaging that looks and feels luxurious. Elegantly shaped bottles have shiny finishes, in deep jewel tones as well as black, for a look that is completely different from most hair care brands.

Oribe’s Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil comes in a bottle with a spray pump that uses color to catch the consumer’s eye. The oil is infused with a blend of extracts, including jasmine, sandalwood and argan, to smooth, condition, and add shine to dry hair. The product is described as “liquid gold,” which its decoration conveys. Looking at the bottle, your eye is drawn to eye-catching light golden yellow at the bottom, which blends into black. 

Pernitzke, Badger Color Concentrates, explains that it’s not easy to create a gradation effect on a bottle. Badger Color supplies custom color concentrates, and often works with hair care brands to create custom colors for resin, which can be molded into bottles and caps.

“Creating a gradation effect is a lot more challenging than it looks,” says Pernitzke. We create the colors, and a molder will use a 3-layer machine to create the effect. The colors are all blowing at different thicknesses to make that gradation happen. The colors have to be a perfect match, and perfectly consistent so that every time they are blown, the gradation happens in the same area of the bottle,” she explains.

A Final Tip: Choosing Color Wisely

Bright colors and eye-catching graphics are often key for a mass market brand to get noticed on crowded store shelves, especially in the competitive hair care aisle. But, knowing how to use color effectively is key, suppliers say.

Brodner says that Olcott’s ability to mold PET jars with a high clarity, combined with its coloring capabilities, is a reason brands partner with the supplier. “We have the ability to achieve a vivid translucency with our color tinting processes, and it is the reason many brands come to us. We have been hearing requests for these processes for a long time,” he explains.

Color and decoration are also important for travel size packaging. “Travel sizes, deluxe samples and ‘minis’ are important in just about every beauty category, including hair care. When a package is smaller, it is still important for it to carry the same branding as its larger size version, so that a customer will readily identify it,” explains Joyce of CPP. For this reason, Joyce says that brands are using specialty decorating techniques on smaller packages more often.

When a brand’s line includes different types of components, in various types of plastic—as hair care lines often do—it is often best to partner with a supplier that specializes in color or decorating. A final tip, experts advise: Knowing how to use color effectively, as well as creating custom colors, can instantly turn a line that looks “cheap” into one that’s chic.