From its product ingredients to its packaging materials, the re-envisioned Nourish line of organic bath and body skincare products from Beaver Falls, PA, contract manufacturer Sensible Organics is embedded with earth-friendly features. The line was revived last year under a “pledge of purity” after the company, formerly Sensibility Soaps, was acquired by a small group of investors. The vision was to create a skincare line made from 100% organic fruits, vegetables, and plant extracts, grown without pesticides or herbicides. The challenge was to match the packaging to the natural philosophy embodied by the line.
Among Sensible Organics’ goals for the packaging was that all components be recyclable, as well as made from at least 25% post-consumer content. At the same time, the company wanted to keep each of the 26 SKUs in the line under $10 apiece. Rigid packaging distributor Berlin worked with Sensible Organics from formulation phase to package selection and supply, even providing market research on the organics skincare category to help them choose fragrances and ingredients. “We not only provided a turnkey packaging solution, but also some marketing data to help them make some quick business decisions,” explains Berlin senior packaging consultant Bill Conahan.
Packaging for the line consists of stock bottles, tubes, and jars, all exhibiting clean, slightly rounded shapes evocative of vintage apothecary bottles. “Their vision was of something you might see in your grandmother’s medicine cabinet,” says Conahan. The components, sourced from proprietary suppliers, use materials that include medium- and high-density polyethylene, and PET, all with the required 25% PCR content and recyclability.
To support the vintage look of the packaging, communications agency Madplum Creative designed label graphics with hand-drawn botanical-based illustrations that reflect “the hand-selected nature of the organic ingredients and flavorful scents,” says Shannon Cahoon, owner of Madplum. “The vintage nature suggests old-fashioned, homemade from a time when life was simple, and food was good for the body.” Among the images, ripe berries, soft lavender and figs on the vine.
In the center of the front panel of each package is a cartouche that also gives a nod to apothecary formulas. The script font of the hand-drawn logo within “hints at a well-prescribed product for your body’s needs,” says Cahoon. The crisp, white background of the bottle and label were chosen to convey “clean, simple, and chemical-free,” while the black closures and typography on the label are used to communicate an upscale, luxury product, she adds.
Labels for the line are pressure-sensitive, with those for the tubes and deodorant sticks printed by Info Label, Inc. on an HP Indigo digital press from Hewlett-Packard. Shrink-sleeve labels for the bottles and jars are printed by WS Packaging in four-color process. Packaging is decorated by Berlin before being sent to Sensible Organic’s plant, completely eliminating the company’s involvement in supply chain activities and the need for in-house decorating equipment.
As part of the environmental consideration for the packaging, Berlin also selected suppliers in locations close to the point of decoration and filling. “From where it’s manufactured to where it’s filled, we try to have the minimal number of pushes in transportation in-between to minimize the carbon footprint of the packaging,” says Conahan.
The Nourish line was introduced last year under the Sensible Organics name in Whole Foods Market. According to Conahan, the line “has taken off.” He adds, “People like the look of the product, and they think the performance of the product is awesome.”
