BW Confidential reports on what was seen and heard at the Paris Packaging Week trade show, which took place in Paris from February 5-6
The 25th edition of Paris Packaging Week was the biggest yet, with 914 exhibitors and 14,442 visitors, a 15% increase on last year. The event has become a key date in the beauty industry’s calendar, with packaging companies increasingly using this show to present new launches for the first time and take the temperature of the market.
Trends & talking points from the show
The market in 2026. Packagers confirmed that 2025 was a very difficult year, due to geopolitical instability, widespread destocking at their customers, as well as what some describe as Chinese dumping in Europe following hefty US tariffs on Chinese products.
Overall, 2026 is expected to continue to be tough, with packagers’ clients citing little visibility due to the volatile context. This is translating into a wait-and-see approach in terms of investments and may mean fewer major launches. This year is set to confirm the trend seen in 2025 that marked more normalized growth rates following the post-Covid years.
In addition, many companies canvassed feel that a ceiling has been reached in terms of prices (which has been the reason for much of the value growth in the market recently), which in turn could see a much-needed focus on increasing volume sales. “We expect to see a return to historical unit growth standards across categories (fragrance, perfumery, personal care) at between 3% to 5% per year. Pricing has been a major factor in recent years, creating a gap between value and unit growth; the anticipated average is now positive again in terms of units, which is crucial for a packaging manufacturer,” commented Aptar Beauty President Marc Prieur. He added that in fragrance, the consensus is for value growth of between 0% and 6%, depending on the market players, again with a more equal rebalancing between value and units. “There is pricing saturation after three years of increases and consumers are migrating to less expensive brands. For a packaging manufacturer, only unit growth generates demand; customer promotional campaigns are viewed positively because they boost volumes.”
On a positive note, several players claim that the beginning of this year has started off better than 2025, and that there are some encouraging signs, including the glimmer of a tepid recovery in China which could boost the skincare category.
Market shifts. Packagers say that the market has changed dramatically in the past year or two, which is set to have long-term ramifications for the sector’s players. These changes are in the form of emerging brands taking mindshare and market share from traditional big-name players, the move away from China and towards India and the Middle East, uncertainty over the US, and in the area of packaging, companies’ actions regarding Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will require all packaging manufactured, supplied, imported or distributed in the European Union to be designed for recycling by 2030 and recycled at scale by 2035. As one industry player put it: “Beauty’s tectonic plates are shifting. This combined with the PPWR, which essentially means all packagers have to go back and re-think how they do business, could level the playing field, re-draw the lines of the market and redistribute the position of the sector’s key players.”
PPWR. The key talking point at the show was the PPWR (Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) and how packagers are working to meet its requirements. The race is on for packagers to convert products to fully recyclable solutions, which has seen the rise in mono-material packs, all plastic items or pumps without metal parts.
Close to market. Given the extent of recent geopolitical upsets, and before that the Covid crisis, packagers are looking to manufacture in or near to the market that the product will be sold in. This is also essential given the rise of domestic brands in key countries and the importance of being in tune with local tastes, as well as the need for speed in bringing a product to market.
Premiumization. Despite signs that price increases have gone too far in some areas, brands are still on the look-out for premiumization in their packs. This is in spite of forthcoming regulatory constraints in terms of recyclability.
Refills. While product refills may not have taken off in the way the industry would have liked, they remain nonetheless a focus. Packagers say that the key to improving consumer adoption is making the process of removing and inserting the refill easier and more intuitive. To this end, there were several examples of jars whereby the refill can slide out or be pushed out.
Fragrance formats. The variety of new formats for fragrance continues to grow, whether in sticks, in compacts, or in bottles that would traditionally be used for other products (such as body oils for example). Much of this has been inspired by the rise in demand for fragrance mists and body mists.
Bright ‘n breezy. The need for a pack to stand out on social media remains strong. This has seen the rise in the number of brightly colored packaging components, whether in terms of lip applicators (like Cosmogen’s Glossy Lip Tube) or Silgan’s new Aspire Chrome offering pumps in a wide range of shades.
Control & precision. There was a raft of items offering controlled dosage of formula and boasting precise and targeted applications. This is partly due to the rise in post-surgery or clinically positioned skincare. Also, when it comes to skincare, there was a noticeable presence of massage tools (with more and more incorporating LEDs or electronic elements).
Hair. Skincare and make-up packs and applicators are increasingly being adpated to hair and scalp care given the rise and continued growth in the category.
Seen in show
Silgan Dispensing unveiled a solution that enables lifestyle or accessibly priced brands to customize the color of their fragrance pumps. Called Aspire Chroma, the pump is part of the company’s Aspire platform, which provides a soft, smooth actuation and fine, even spray for entry-level fragrance lines. The new addition offers fully customizable colors through in-house injected PP collars and actuators. Among the colors available is white, which was previously complicated to achieve when using anodized metal components.
Silgan says that Aspire Chroma allows brands to differentiate across product tiers, create collections inspired by olfactive notes and scent families, reinforce brand identity or differentiate themselves through unexpected color combinations. It adds that the pump offers a premium feel for accessible brands. Silgan has launched Aspire Chroma with its Pirouette Technology for easy separation of the pump from the bottle to enable refilling or recyclability.
Silgan Dispensing also showcased two extensions to its fully plastic ERA dispensing system. The first sees ERA applied to the company’s DNA airless ranges, which are suitable for facial serums and creams. The second extension adapts ERA to small-capacity cosmetic tubes of 25mm and 30mm diameters, intended for liquid make-up and targeted treatments such as eye contour applications.
GEKA presented its Glow Between Moments collection, marking an expansion of the company’s lip and face portfolio. The collection includes five lip and face applicators (for lip oil, foundation, liquid lipstick and blush) with each intended to ensure precision and intuitive use.
A highlight of the collection is magicLUMINA, the newest format in GEKA’s modular range of colored cosmetic packaging. Featuring a glass-like design, magicLUMINA claims to deliver a premium look and feel, while enabling precise, controlled dosing. The company also presented its Clean Beauty Collection in soft pastel colors featuring a silk scrunchie, false freckle sponge, make-up buffer brush, eye roller and hair clips in a beauty bag.
Cosmogen presented a strong line-up of new products. Among them was Powder Pack, a patented airtight pack designed for waterless powder formulas that are hydrated by the user. The pack features a push-button dispensing system that delivers a single controlled dose, while limiting product loss. The airtight design also protects the formula from moisture. The pack is made from recyclable polypropylene and is refillable.
Citing figures from Market Research Intellect, Cosmogen says that the powder facial skincare market was worth $1.2bn in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.1bn by 2033. However, Cosmogen states that the category faces packaging-related challenges. Powder formulas are particularly sensitive to moisture, which can lead to clumping, formula alteration and product loss. It adds that the market lacks packaging solutions that are both airtight and capable of ensuring clean, secure and controlled usage, limiting consumer adoption. Cosmogen claims that the Powder Pack overcomes these issues.
In applicators, Cosmogen showcased Glossy Lip Tube. It features a slanted transparent PET applicator designed to follow the natural shape of the lips, which is also transparent so the color of the formula is visible.
The Tense Cushion applicator is aimed at solving the problem of traditional sponges absorbing too much formula. It features a dual-sided applicator combining a canula with a soft, washable sponge. The canula enables accurate application while the sponge allows for blending. Another applicator on show was Drop to Drop, a transparent PET applicator with a drop-shaped tip for targeted and controlled application. It is transparent thereby showing the formula during application.
Berlin Packaging presented a new material using upcycled hazelnut waste for beauty packaging, called XOCO. The material uses natural fillers derived from hazelnut shells with a polypropylene (PP) base to create packaging components through plastic injection and blow molding. The material comprises 10% of hazelnut shells. The company says that the new material has the same performance as PP and that XOCO components can be disposed of in standard recycling streams. Berlin worked on the project with Krill Design, a company that specializes in transforming organic waste into functional fillers. The material can be applied to functional and decorative elements such as pump covers, collars, droppers, jar caps, fragrance caps and accessories,
The company also showed new metal-free and POM-free dispensing engines, available in both atmospheric and airless versions. The metal-free pumps are designed to simplify recycling processes.
Coverpla highlighted its 40-year collaboration with glassmaker Groupe Pochet with a standard bottle called Emeraude. The 50ml bottle created by the two companies is said to be easy to produce and to customize and can be combined with any cap design. It joins the Coverpla catalog in the “by Coverpla” signature range. Coverpla has co-developed around 20 bottles with Groupe Pochet, including 11 that are still in its catalog.
Heinz Glas showed its Soft-Drink inspired perfume bottle. The bottle is lightweight, wave-textured and inside-sprayed, creating what the company calls and an ‘eye-catching look’. It comes in a range of colors and is topped with a crown-cap style glass closure.
Heinz Glas also showcased Mirra, which enables brands to create a unique design for a standard bottle by customizing only the finish mold and base. The approach minimizes investment for brands and boosts time to market, as development and tooling costs are limited to the finish mold and base. Heinz Glas says that the process offers a wide range of new shapes, structures and visual identities.
Aptar Beauty looked to address protection of the skincare formula and precision application with its new NeoDropper Autoload. The new dropper features an automatic filling system and a short applicator for precision dispensing. The twist-and-push automatic dispensing mechanism means that when opened the formula automatically fills the applicator with the right dose. The applicator automatically reloads with the same precise dose at each opening of the packaging. The short applicator design is said to improve hygiene and dosage control, while the sealed bottle prevents overflows and spills, even when overturned. By avoiding direct contact between the formula and the applicator, NeoDropper Autoload is said to have better protection against bacterial contamination compared to other droppers. Tests by an independent microbiology laboratory show that NeoDropper Autoload minimizes formula contamination, with levels of microbial contamination being four times lower than those observed with a traditional dropper.
Nuon Medical unveiled two new microneedling devices using LED light therapy: one for the face and another for the scalp. Microneedling is a technique that uses fine needles to create controlled micro-perforations in the skin, which trigger the skin’s natural repair mechanisms by stimulating collagen and elastin production.
The All-in-One Microneedling Applicator for the face combines microneedling with LED light therapy and thermal hot-and-cold functions. The LED light capitalizes on increased skin permeability to stimulate blood circulation and soothe the epidermis, thereby accelerating collagen and elastin production, the company says. The heating and cooling functions act on tissues, blood vessels, the lymphatic network and cells. Heat is said to promote skin firmness and address loss of elasticity, while cold tightens pores and triggers a vasodilatory response that reactivates microcirculation to create a radiance-boosting effect.
This device for the scalp combines microneedling, red light therapy, and EMS (Electrical Muscular Stimulation). Red light therapy is said to soothe the scalp, stimulate hair follicles and supports circulation; a PLA microneedle patch claims to enhance ingredient absorption for targeted scalp treatments, while the EMS technology stimulates scalp muscles and tissues, increasing blood flow and improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to hair follicles—key factors for hair growth. Microcurrents also promote lymphatic drainage, which claims to help eliminate toxins and reduce buildup that can impair follicle health.
Albéa unveiled a string of new products, from applicators to sticks and compacts. The company’s new applicators included The Soft Bevel applicator, which has a transparent tip that showcases the formula’s colors, while its supple texture is said to provide comfortable application. Meanwhile, Soft Dropper delivers the formula drop by drop and is intended for face and scalp care. The company says its soft-touch and flexible tip provides a clean, targeted application.
The company also presented refillable mono-material stick packaging for skincare and make-up in anticipation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Skinstick 2.0 is a solid skincare stick, created for precise and hygienic application of face care formulas. With its round format and refillable system, it allows users to apply product where needed while keeping their hands clean. The entire stick, including the refill, is made from polypropylene (PP). Endless Kiss is a lipstick pack that can be tailored to a wide range of products – from lipstick and lip balm to concealer. Made entirely of polypropylene, it is both refillable and recyclable in the PP stream. It features Albéa’s Rouge Green new mechanism, a mono-material lipstick mechanism, made of three pieces. Honey Moon is a refillable stick, designed for multi-purpose use: lipstick, lip balm, concealer and eye contour products. It also features Albea’s mono-material lipstick mechanism.
In compacts, the company unveiled Guardian, a new compact made entirely of PET and designed to protect cosmetics formulas through an airtight system. Airtightness is ensured by the compression of a liner as the cover is twisted and locked in place using a multipoint locking mechanism. Albéa also highlighted Crystal Bloom a new transparent compact that showcases the formula’s color, texture and finish.
Medicos Group presented a dosing syringe for precise, targeted skincare and post-aesthetic surgery care, called C·SERYNGE. The syringe is available in three standard formats – 15ml, 30ml and 50 ml – and is composed of a cap, a sealing system and a plunger with or without graduation for accurate and controlled dosing. The plunger can be customized by pad printing, while several finishing options are available for the caps, including a ribbed version inspired by the pharmaceutical industry.
The company, which has worked with the healthcare industry, created the ready-to-use solution following interest in a specific syringe it developed for the Helena Rubinstein brand. “The concept of a dosing syringe is familiar to us, as Medicos, has roots in the medical sphere and has manufactured such devices for the pharmaceutical industry. However, cosmetic and on-the-go use required innovation to ensure perfect system tightness. Our objective was to offer a ‘catalog’ solution that is immediately available, reliable and can be easily industrialized,” commented Cédric Marmonier, Founder & President of Medicos Group.
ACT Beauty presented Metal Move, a set of four metal massage tools in a gift display case to be used as part of a daily facial care routine. They are: a tool for the eye contour with a rounded tip for targeted acupressure on the inner and outer eye areas, and a 360° rotating ball to massage the area; a dual-ended massage tool for the face with a smooth, rounded surface for targeted cooling application and a three-wave textured side to stimulate blood microcirculation; a reinterpretation of the gua sha tool in the shape of a fortune cookie for stretching and smoothing movements; and for the scalp, a comb that doubles as a massage tool to stimulate blood circulation.
Also on show were two travel-focused items. Ready to Go is described as a premium travel vanity, for beauty products and accessories. It includes a mini jewelry box, a ‘Do Not Disturb’ pin, three bottles in borosilicate glass with silver metallized plastic caps to transport formulas in line with travel constraints, and an acetate comb.
The Coffee Travel beauty book was inspired by artist kits and travel notebooks and is described as housing a complete beauty routine in a minimalist format. It includes tweezers, make-up remover gloves, a wood and metal comb, an eye massager in jade and resin, a customizable metal makeup palette, a travel kabuki and a mascara.
Lumson presented FREE, its new metal-free pump. Instead of a metal spring, the pump uses a polymer from the aerospace industry, which the company says is durable, lightweight, flexible and capable of withstanding mechanical, thermal and chemical stress. Lumson adds that the new pump offers the same performance as metal spring counterparts. The pump is available in both atmospheric and airless versions. It is said to be fully compatible with the PP recycling system and has been granted RecyClass certification.
Fragrance sampling company Orlandi presented an olfactive virtual reality headset integrated with a fragrance dispensing system designed by partner company Noar. The device, which is attached to the headset, can diffuse scents that correspond to the images the user sees during the virtual reality session. For example, a smoky scent is emitted when the user sees a fire, or a rose fragrance is diffused when the user sees a field of flowers. The device is intended to create an immersive experience combining olfactory and visual cues. It can be used for events, creating brand experiences for clients, or training sessions.
Essentia Beauty presented what it calls next generation beauty. The Longitech offer consists of jars with red light therapy devices incorporated into the cap, which can be used to improve the performance of product formulas. Red light therapy is said to stimulate collagen production and packs including such tech could, for example, be combined with a collagen-rich serum so that the product will be better absorbed by the skin. The company also highlighted its solid perfume packaging and formulation, haircare packs and its Metamorphosis premium decoration technique.
PCD Innovation Awards
This year’s PCD Innovation Awards highlighted the most innovative packaging in the perfume, cosmetics and personal care sectors. There were a total of 12 awards including one joint award. BW Confidential Editor in Chief Oonagh Phillips was part of the jury for the Awards. The awards were presented at a gala evening at the Pavillon Vendôme in Paris and attended by 320 executives.
PCD Innovation Awards winners were:
Personal care and haircare (Premium)
- Mircea
Make-up (Premium)
- Mascara PRADASCOPE, L’Oréal
Limited Edition Pack: exceptional products <2000 pieces
- J’adore Diamonds of dreams, Parfums Christian Dior
- Les récoltes Majeures 2025, Parfums Christian Dior
- ROUGE MILLESIME, Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Skincare (Premium)
- Darphin Stimulskin Plus Sculpting Cream Jar (TNT), Darphin / TNT Group
- Orchidée Impériale – The Longevity Cream – Complete Exceptional Care – 50 ml, Guerlain
Fragrances (Women)
- EDP Eau Splendide, Chanel
- Jil Sander, Coty
Limited Edition Pack: products sold on the market > 2000 pieces
- LIBRE Vanille Couture, L’Oréal
- L’Or de Vie Le Grand Cérémonial Millésime 2024, DIOR
Personal care and haircare (Mass Market)
- Ushuaia restage & NOUVEAU DOP, L’Oréal