Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2023 winners
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Bioplastics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
October 03, 2014 02:00 AM

Plastic caps essential to health, beauty end market

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Michael A. Marcotte
    Sushil Raghupathy, executive director of global supplier technical excellence for Estee Lauder Cos.

    ROSEMONT, ILL. — When it comes to discussing caps and closures, beverage is usually king, but it isn't the only segment. Health and beauty also generates plenty of buzz across the caps universe.

    Sushil Raghupathy, executive director of global supplier technical excellence for Estee Lauder Cos., discussed current trends in health and beauty closures during a keynote address Sept. 12 at Plastics Caps & Closures 2014, held in Rosemont.

    Estee Lauder products are sold in 150 countries and include skin and hair care, makeup and fragrances. The company had $10.8 billion in sales in its most recent fiscal year.

    Closures play a key role in the branding and function of the products, according to Raghupathy.

    “We have to delight the customer with the packaging we put out there,” he said. “The closure plays a key role in that effort.”

    The result is the design of caps and closures with intricate components that are visually stimulating with a high level of functionality.

    And in a market where new products are being developed virtually daily, speed is key.

    “The window is shrinking to launch and we have to develop products in a very short time,” Raghupathy noted.

    The health and beauty end market also is challenged with keeping up with the latest trends in fashion. This is coupled with a public whose tastes can seemingly shift with the wind.

    “We have to try to convey current trends throughout packaging,” Raghupathy explained.

    A key challenge for Estee Lauder in the production of its closures remains the cost of materials. This remains a factor in packaging decisions as the company moves to put its products on the market.

    It ultimately can have an impact on the company's supply chain.

    “We have to elevate the technical skills to achieve what may have seemed impossible in the beginning of the development process,” Raghupathy said.

    Moreover, Raghupathy noted that packaging challenges must be addressed upfront to mitigate risks. To achieve this, designers can consider unique resin solutions and the use of rapid prototyping.

    Evolving the brand with plastics

    Estee Lauder Cos.

    Estee Lauder's Tory Burch fragrance.

    A key aspect of a cap and closure for a company like Estee Lauder is its use as a part of the development of the brand identity.

    “The caps and closures go through a lot of different iterations to carry a brand like the company's Tory Burch line,” Raghupathy said, adding that the use of materials is very important for packaging in this segment.

    Over the years, materials have evolved and the health and beauty segment has been able to use more and more plastic in its caps and closures, replacing glass, steel and other materials.

    “We are able to use clear resins that can be used to create a closure that is highly functional, light in weight and that looks just like glass,” noted Raghupathy. “The more advanced the materials are, the more opportunities we have to develop plastic packaging and closures that are compatible with products that were once packaged in glass.”

    Raghupathy pointed out that the life of a cap, and the overall package, can vary across the Estee Lauder product line. Some products are repackaged every couple of years to have an aesthetically pleasing appearance on retail shelves. Other products are packaged in a familiar brand-conscious fashion and changes occur less frequently.

    That is why packaging, including the caps and closures, are considered and discussed at the very beginning of the product development cycle.  At Estee Lauder, it is a dialogue that starts at the product's inception.

    Raghupathy noted that the company handles its designs internally and it outsources the production of its caps and closures to suppliers who provide the components.

    “Ultimately, the packaging cycle is similar to any retail brand,” he said. “We are catering to consumers at the end of the day.”

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Production returning to normal in Europe with lower natural gas prices
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    PP resin prices saw a big drop in May
    2
    Plastics lead growth at Palmer Holland, new CEO says
    3
    Stelray boosts capabilities by adding its largest press
    4
    Resin Prices
    5
    Resin Prices - North America
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2023 winners
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Bioplastics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified