In recent years, the cosmetics market has set off a wave of "packaging upgrade": brands are paying more and more attention to design and environmental protection factors to attract young consumers. According to the "Global Beauty Consumer Trend Report", 72% of consumers will decide to try new products because of packaging design, and about 60% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. Industry giants have launched solutions such as refills and empty bottle recycling.
For example, Lush and La Bouche Rouge have launched refillable beauty packaging, and L'Oréal Paris' Elvive series uses 100% recycled PET bottles. At the same time, smart packaging and high-end environmentally friendly design have also become a trend: brands have integrated technologies such as QR codes, AR, and NFC into packaging to improve interactivity and user experience gcimagazine.com; luxury brands such as Chanel and Estee Lauder have launched recyclable glass and biodegradable pulp containers to achieve a balance between luxury texture and sustainability. These innovations not only reduce plastic waste, but also enhance brand differentiation and consumer loyalty.
Sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging: Use recyclable materials, biodegradable materials and simple lightweight design to reduce wastegcimagazine.comgcimagazine.com. For example, Berlin Packaging launched the AirLight Refill series of recyclable refill bottles, and Tata Harper and Cosmogen used degradable materials and all-paper packaging solutions.
Intelligent interactive packaging: Introduce technological elements (QR codes, AR augmented reality, NFC tags, etc.) to interact with consumers and provide customized information and novel experiences. For example, the customized care brand Prose prints personalized QR codes on the packaging, and Revieve's AR packaging allows consumers to try on makeup virtually.
High-end and environmental protection: Maintaining luxurious visual effects while paying attention to environmental protection. For example, Estee Lauder launched a fully recyclable glass bottle, and Chanel launched a biodegradable pulp cream jar. These designs meet the high-end market's dual needs for "texture + environmental protection".
Functional innovative packaging: Some manufacturers develop packaging containers with integrated additional functions. For example, Nuon Medical has developed an intelligent packaging device that integrates LED red light care functions for skin care and hair products.
Changes in import and export policies
Tariff barriers:
In the spring of 2025, the US-EU trade conflict escalated. The US government imposed a 20% reciprocal tariff on most goods imported from the EU (including cosmetic raw materials and packaging materials) from April 5; the EU immediately proposed retaliatory measures, planning to impose a 25% tariff on US$2.5 billion of US goods (including perfumes, shampoos, cosmetics, etc.). The two sides reached a temporary extension agreement in early July to postpone implementation, but the industry generally worried that this trade friction may push up the cost of beauty products and disrupt the supply chain.
Rules of origin:
In the United States, imported cosmetics must comply with customs origin labeling requirements, and import labels must indicate the country of origin. The EU stipulates that if the product is produced outside the EU, the country of origin must be indicated on the packaging. Both protect consumers' right to know through label information.
Update on packaging label compliance
Ingredient labeling:
The EU Cosmetic Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 requires the use of the International Common Name of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) to list ingredients biorius.com. In March 2025, the EU proposed to update the common ingredient vocabulary and revise the INCI name to cover new ingredients on the market. The US FDA requires that the ingredient list be sorted in descending order by content (after the implementation of MoCRA, the responsible party is required to register and report the ingredients to the FDA), and recommends the use of INCI names.
Allergen disclosure:
The EU stipulates that 26 fragrance allergens (such as benzyl benzoate, vanillin, etc.) must be marked on the packaging label as long as the concentration exceeds the threshold. The United States can still only mark general terms (such as "fragrance"), but according to MoCRA regulations, the FDA will formulate regulations in the future to require the type of fragrance allergen to be indicated on the label.
Label language:
The EU requires that cosmetic labels use the official language of the country of sale to ensure that consumers can understand it. US federal regulations require that all necessary label information be provided in at least English (Puerto Rico and other regions also require Spanish). If the label is in another language, the required information must also be repeated in that language.
Environmental protection claims:
The new EU Green Claims Directive (2024/825) prohibits the use of general terms such as "environmental protection" and "ecology" on product packaging, and requires that any label claiming environmental benefits must be certified by an independent third party. Self-created environmental labels that are not certified will be considered misleading advertising. The United States currently has no unified mandatory environmental labeling system and only relies on the FTC's Green Guide to regulate environmental protection propaganda, prohibiting exaggerated or false claims.
Comparison of packaging label compliance between the United States and the European Union
| Items | Requirements for packaging labeling in the United States | Requirements for packaging labeling in the European Union |
|---|---|---|
| Label language | English is mandatory (Puerto Rico and other regions require bilingualism) | Must use the official language of the country of sale |
| Ingredient naming | The ingredient list is arranged in descending order by content, and the use of INCI names is recommended. | INCI generic names must be used and arranged in descending order by weight |
| Allergen labeling | Currently, general terms (such as "fragrance") can be labeled. MoCRA intends to require the disclosure of fragrance allergens. | It stipulates that 26 specific fragrance allergens must be listed on the label when they exceed the threshold |
| Responsible/manufacturer | The label must list the name and address of the manufacturer, distributor or manufacturer. | The name and address of the person in charge in the European Union must be listed |
| Origin labeling | Imported products must indicate the country of origin (follow the FTC's "Made in the USA" guidelines) | If produced outside the European Union, the country of origin must be indicated on the label |
| Expiration date/batch number | You can choose to mark the shelf life or the use-after-opening period, which is usually not mandatory (except for cosmeceuticals) The use-after-opening period (PAO) must be marked if the shelf life exceeds 30 months, otherwise the expiration date must be marked; the production batch number/batch needs to be marked | Environmental statement Follow the FTC Green Guidelines, prohibit false advertising, and no unified certification requirements. The Green Claims Directive prohibits the use of general "environmental" claims; self-created environmental labels must be certified by a third party. |
Summary of regulations
US: Cosmetic label management is based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, requiring product name, net content, ingredient list (sorted by content), manufacturer information, etc. The Cosmetics Regulatory Modernization Act (MoCRA) implemented in 2023 strengthens FDA supervision, requiring companies to report adverse events and register all products and ingredients with the FDA; in addition, the FDA will issue fragrance allergen labeling regulations in accordance with the Act. There are no mandatory environmental labeling regulations at the federal level in the United States, and related environmental protection propaganda mainly follows the FTC Green Guidelines to prevent misleading propaganda.
EU: Cosmetic labels are regulated by the European Union Cosmetics Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009), which strictly stipulates ingredients (using INCI), warnings, minimum shelf life/use period after opening, production manager information, origin, etc. biorius.com. The Green Declaration Directive (Directive 2024/825), which will come into effect in 2024, prohibits unverified eco-labels and empty propaganda ecomundo.eu; the new version of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) implemented in February 2025 unifies the packaging requirements of member states, requiring all packaging to be recyclable and increase the use of recycled materials cdf1.com. Together, these regulations have improved the compliance standards for cosmetics and packaging labels in the US and European markets, ensuring consumer safety and environmental sustainability.
References: The content of this report is referenced from global beauty industry information and regulatory documents, including global cosmetics industry reports, daily news reports, and US and European regulatory analysis.
Post time: Jun-15-2025