7 Common Cosmetic Packaging Mistakes to Avoid in 2024

In the competitive cosmetics market where every company is trying its best to stand out, packaging plays a crucial role in establishing a unique brand’s identity and gaining customers.
According to a survey conducted by Ipsos targeting U.S. consumers, approximately 72% of consumers believe that the design of a product’s packaging influences their purchasing decisions.

Even if a brand owner is providing premium quality products but their packaging is not good enough, it will not stand a chance in the crowded marketplace. So, be very careful about your brand’s packaging and avoid common packaging mistakes to leave a strong impression on your customers. Here’s what you should avoid!

7 Cosmetic Packaging Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some cosmetic packaging mistakes that new brand owners should avoid to make their packaging look premium, attractive, and unique.  

1. Generic Design Without Differentiation

Using generic designs without differentiation confuses the customers between two different products or brands. This will make your packaging look boring and prevent it from standing out.

It reduces interest in customers and reduces sales. Therefore, you should avoid using generic designs without differentiation. 

To prevent this mistake, it is best to research similar cosmetic companies. This will allow you to learn about existing designs and market trends.
Incorporate your brand’s unique colors, shapes, or signature patterns into the design.

Think of Pat McGrath’s striking gold metallic packaging or Fenty Beauty’s geometric shapes—these elements significantly boost brand recognition.

It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a visual identity that consumers can instantly connect with. So, be bold and strategic with your design choices to ensure your product leaves a lasting impression.

2. Misrepresentation and Misleading Branding

It is good to be smart and innovative while making and finalizing a brand’s custom cosmetic packaging. However, ensure that you are not being over-smart.

Some cosmetic brands try to misrepresent and mislead people about the quantity or quality of their products through their packaging—especially in the e-commerce sector. According to research by globaleyez, approximately 40% of online shops mislead consumers.

Common misleading practices among cosmetic and skincare brands include:

1. Exaggerated Efficacy

• Anti-Aging/Tightening Effects: Many skincare products claim “instant anti-wrinkle effects” or “quickly lifts and firms” on their packaging. In reality, these effects are often less dramatic than advertised and lack strong scientific backing.
• All-Day Sunscreen: Some sunscreens are labeled as providing “all-day protection” or being “waterproof and sweatproof.” However, their effectiveness doesn’t last all day, especially during prolonged sun exposure or heavy sweating. Consumers might mistakenly believe they don’t need to reapply, leading to inadequate sun protection.

2. Vague Ingredients and Contents

• “Natural” or “Organic” Labels: Many products tout the use of “natural” or “organic” ingredients, but these may constitute a minimal percentage of the formula. The main components are often synthetic chemicals, misleading consumers into thinking the product is primarily natural.
• “Additive-Free” Claims: Some brands highlight terms like “no preservatives” or “fragrance-free.” In reality, they might use alternative preservatives (such as preservative substitutes) or disguise fragrance chemicals under different names, causing consumers to believe the product lacks these elements entirely.

3. Unclear Usage Effects

• Instant Whitening/Spot Removal: Products that promise “immediate whitening” or “quick spot removal” often provide only temporary visual improvements—such as covering up imperfections or using chemical brighteners—without truly lightening spots or enhancing skin tone.

4. Exaggerated Packaging Capacity

• Actual vs. Perceived Volume: Some products are packaged in containers that appear larger than their actual content. The bottle or jar may give the impression of a generous amount, but the real volume is significantly less, leading consumers to think they’re getting more than they are.

5. Misleading Labels and Certifications

• Fake “Certification” Labels: Brands might display bogus “certifications” or “recommendations,” such as self-created seals or unverified “dermatologist recommended” claims, misleading consumers into believing the product has earned professional endorsements.
• Deceptive Medical Icons: Using medical-related imagery—like cells or DNA strands—or terms like “medical skincare” can falsely imply a scientific or medical endorsement, even when there’s no direct connection to the medical field.

6. Imitation of Well-Known Brands

• Copycat Packaging Designs: Some brands intentionally mimic the packaging of renowned companies, copying colors, fonts, and bottle shapes. This can trick consumers into thinking they’re purchasing a product from a reputable brand, leading to misguided buying decisions.

Think deceiving consumers comes without consequences? In reality, consumers are highly sensitive to misleading packaging.

A study revealed that 73% of consumers harbor negative feelings toward brands associated with misinformation. Additionally, 65% are less likely to purchase products or services from brands that advertise alongside false information.

Compared to those who haven’t been misled, consumers deceived by deceptive packaging show a significantly lower intent to purchase. This demonstrates that once consumers detect misleading information, they quickly lose trust and abandon the purchase.

3. Design Issues with Improper Fonts, Colors, and Visuals

Have you ever heard of color psychology for cosmetics? The choice of colors can impact a customer’s desire to buy a product. Right, and interesting visual elements on cosmetic cream jars or other products are key to gaining their attention and making them curious about your product. Any design issues like improper fonts, colors, visuals, or wrong alignment can make the packaging for cosmetics look boring. 

Hence, you can use grid spacing to make the design look more balanced and give a cleaner look to the packaging. Select a bigger font size that is visible to the customers. Furthermore, use easily readable fonts like Times New Roman, Open Sans, or Verdana to help the customer know about the product in a single look.

4. Unbalanced Packaging with Increased Wastage

One of the common cosmetic packaging mistakes that affects a brand monetarily and also harms the environment is unbalanced packaging. This is most common for cosmetics ordered from e-commerce websites. They layer the parcel multiple times for it to be safe but this increases the wastage. 

Also, the unboxing for customers becomes difficult. What can you do in this case? While sending the products for delivery, use durable packaging options. For instance, if it is a glass cosmetic jar, you can cover it with bubble wrap rather than layering it with multiple plain plastic wraps. 

You can also incorporate recyclable or compostable materials for packaging to reduce environmental waste. 

5. Confusing and Over Complicated Design

As discussed earlier, the simpler and cleaner cosmetic packaging looks, there are more chances the customers to be attracted to the products. When a brand adds multiple elements like long texts, graphics, images, and colors in its packaging, it becomes overwhelming.

This makes it difficult for the customers to understand the main purpose behind the product. Moreover, the packaging does not even look professional. To avoid this and mesmerize the consumers with your product’s appearance, ensure that you are providing clear and concise information about the product. 

Do not add extra and unnecessary information. Also, avoid putting everything in one place. Rather choose one place for one thing. For example, you can write the product’s name at the front, its description at the back, and ways to use it on the side of the packaging. 

6. Wrong Product Package Size

The package size must be according to the size of your product. Using a bigger packaging size causes wastage, takes up more space, and makes your product look less valuable. Conversely, if you are using very small packaging, there are chances for it to be damaged easily while transporting. 

Additionally, if you are adding sufficient product in the container but the container is small, the product will look less in amount and more pricey. So, choose an optimum size for packaging so that it does not look weird to the customers, and is easy to store, and transport. 

7. Lack of Digital Integration AKA Connected Packaging

Most brands now use connected packaging to connect with their customers more easily. It includes the use of QR codes, RFID, or NFC on the packaging so that the consumers can easily find your contact information or social media pages.

This allows them to get regularly updated about your products. You can also get suggestions or know about user expectations by connecting with them through your pages. This keeps their attention on your brand and also allows you to gain long-term customers. So, if your product packaging is lacking digital integration, you are missing an opportunity to enhance customer engagement and build a loyal customer base. 

Conclusion

Using custom packaging for cosmetics increases the chances of a brand gaining more attention and intrigues everyone about its products. By customization, you can choose your logo, colors, material, and design for the packaging so that it suits well with the brand’s idea.

During the selection process of packaging, do not go for common designs. Also, use the packaging relative to the size of your product to avoid inconvenience. Lastly, refrain from misleading the consumers as it will only break their trust and prevent them from buying from you again.