Launched in 2021, Absolue The Serum from Lancôme (brand of the L’Oréal group) was designed using a sustainable approach. This is the first luxury skincare glass bottle with a glass refill system, a technology patented by Verescence.
The packaging includes a molded glass base (containing 40% PCR) designed to be kept by the consumer or recycled at the end of its life, and a removable refill in tubular glass which is also recyclable (Flacopharm).
Alexandre Mayer, Packaging Engineer Europe at L'Oréal, explains what steered their choice towards a glass refill in a glass container:
Lancôme wanted to innovate and wanted its new serum to be its spearhead. First of all in terms of its formula, which is a new L’Oréal development, but also in terms of its packaging: the glass refill, in a glass bottle. The premium touch comes from the glass, a long-standing material in the luxury industry, and the metallic gold appearance on much of the product’s surface. The “sustainable” aspect comes from the refill, which is recyclable given that it is translucent, just like the external bottle, which, thanks to the graduated metal plating, remains detectable and therefore recyclable in the glass sector. What’s more, the rechargeable aspect, when compared to the use of 3 classic Lancôme serums, allows us to save up to 62% on plastic and 37% on cardboard. We therefore managed to combine two facets that are very important to Lancôme.
Beyond the particular attention paid to the glass distribution, the challenge was in the precision of the dimensions of the neck — designed with a wide opening — to accommodate the intermediate accessory allowing the refill to be hung inside the bottle. A technical feat that required the glass know-how of the Verescence site in Mers-les-Bains and the gluing expertise of the Verescence Orne site.
Alexandre Mayer comments:
As the glass contractor and tasked with the assembly of the elements comprising the complete bottle, Verescence was faced with complex challenges. First of all, the double gluing of the elements on the bottle neck, as well as the particularly complex décor on the bottle’s hourglass shape. We were able to rely on Verescence to accompany us in this launch from start to finish and to get the product out in time.
Recently rewarded at the PCD Innovations Awards, the Lancôme Absolue The Serum bottle has been nominated for the Formes de Luxe Awards 2022, a major event for the leading luxury manufacturers and brands for over 20 years, with a prize ceremony set to take place on 3 October 2022 during the LUXE PACK Monaco trade show.
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