Texen and E Ink bring first personalized digital packaging for cosmetics

Vincent Gallon

24 January 2017

Texen scored high last week at the PCD tradeshow in Paris. The company opened a window on the TexenLab innovation incubator, which benefits from turnkey partnerships to present avant-garde solutions both in terms of technology and creativity, and featuring a new digital packaging for cosmetics, a new generation of applicators and the use of 3D printing at an industrial scale.

Smart packaging

In partnership with E-Ink, Texen presented an interactive solution based on the use of a miniature screen with no battery, using near field communication (NFC). The smart packaging design concept combines E Ink’s low power, high contrast paper-like display technology with Texen’s packaging expertise to create customizable packaging displays for makeup compacts, perfume bottles and other cosmetic packaging.

The E Ink display, powered purely by near field communications (NFC), can be updated by a smartphone that generates radio frequency signals carrying both the information and energy needed to update the display. Once an image is switched, the display will continue to show the information with no further power input required. This opens wide possibilities for personalization or for late adaptation to labelling requirements.

“With the rise of beauty on a micro scale, our partnership with E Ink looks to enable our cosmetic customers to be the first to offer customizable digital packaging,” said Stéphane Lesprit, TexenLab Innovation Manager. “With E Ink’s battery-free, thin, lightweight and durable technology, brands could enhance their packaging without having to alter the shape and design of their packaging, truly making this solution a first for the industry.”

New generation applicators

Thanks to another partnership with several plastic suppliers, Texen also presented a range of applicators and sponges that target a new sensorial experience in makeup application.

Rather than materials like ceramic and silicone, Texen has chosen thermoplastic for its flexibility and silky texture. Applicators and sponges respectively designed for brow, lip or face makeup use the latest technologies including the Mucell process. The aim of this process is to achieve optimal results in terms of comfort, flexibility, hygiene and the perfect restitution of the formula without waste.

3D printing

Eventually, Texen bets on additive manufacturing technology in order to broaden the range of design possibilities available, and thus makeup effects, which also allows it to reduce lead times. “Without the need for moulds and using easy-to-create prototypes, brands are the winners both in terms of budget and time-to-market,” explains the company. “3D Printing allows differentiation via specific animations and short series.”

One example previewed is Texen’s daring new mascara brushes with their striking visual impact.

" 3D printing is no longer limited to the production of prototype s, the technology makes it possible to produce millions of parts without any specific tools," explains Daniel Saclier, Head of Business Development & Full Service at Texen. "All these innovations demonstrate our ability to anticipate the needs of consumers, to think product before thinking packaging," he concludes.