IT'S MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY BOX
and you’re more than just a pretty face
Imagine if all self-care packaging were thought beyond their original functions, with sustainability and human experience in mind so that packaging never falls into the waste or recycling bin.
The main idea of the second-use packaging for our self-care box was that we wanted to encourage introspection through our packaging, without compromising its original purpose and form—while keeping Mother Earth in mind.
We wish that there was a way around it, but outer packaging is essential for most products. Boxes are crucial in the supply chain as they communicate important information (like product function and ingredients), protect the products during shipping, and bring convenience to stocking, etc.
While the most common type of outer packaging for personal care items usually seen are single-use boxes, companies will sometimes offer higher quality boxes with extravagant designs that aim to serve marketing purposes more than the benefit of their user. In terms of sustainability, these options are usually quite unsatisfying as they waste natural resources and don't add long-term value to the human experience.
When discussing the type of packaging that we wanted for our self-care line, having sustainable paper stocks & local production was one of our main priorities. But we thought that there was more that could be done to elevate the experience and offer meaningful value for our community, perhaps by stimulating engagement and inspiration through the visuals and the materiality of the bottles and boxes.
As personal care products take place in daily rituals, they can contribute to teaching our brains symbolic repetitions that have the power to calm our nervous system. They are companions of our home to nudge us, encourage us, and remind us that we are home. Carving out time to nourish and deepen the relationship we have with ourselves can help us understand our values. In turn, we can then translate values into actions, providing renewal and reflection that facilitates change.
What do you find when you look within yourself?
As a simple analogy, we thought that by adding self-love practices to the design of the inside of our boxes, we could facilitate introspection. A poem to keep, a letter to your future self, a bookmark, a candle holder... It's not changing the world, but it's questioning how things are currently done and trying our best to offer better alternatives, one daily ritual at a time.
Because you're more than just a pretty face.
Give your bottles a second life
Before using your bottles for a second purpose, make sure to clean them thoroughly.
Flower vase
Pick a flower on your walk home or make an excuse to swing by the flower shop just to smell all the goodness and buy a single flower for yourself, because you deserve it.
Misting spray
Fill with water and re-use to give your plants a little perky dose of H20.
Candle holder
Find a tapered candle and lightly chip away part of the wax at the base so it fits into the neck of the bottle. Easy-peasy! Great to add ambiance with a few candles around the house
Branding by Super Senstivie Studios
Photos by Cristina Gareau
Second-use packaging idea by Merge's Product Designer Emmanuelle Duchaine