How to make custom cosmetic labels

If you are looking for ideas on how to create a custom, in this article, we will cover everything you need to know to produce a functional and captivating one.
As you may know, a quality product is not always enough to guarantee success: the right label represents your business card, and it aims to capture the attention of the potential buyer and distinguish your product from its competitors. Let’s see below how to best create a label, in six fundamental points.

Comply with regulations and labeling requirements

The label represents the union of stringent regulations and an essential touch of class: although these two elements are remote, it will be necessary to juggle scientific nomenclature and abstract designs to create a label by the law, which attracts potential buyers.
There are some mandatory elements to be included on the label; the legislation is vast, but we will take some fundamental points to insert to have a product in compliance with the law. A crucial reminder to underline, especially in this exact moment, in the name of green and cruelty-free, is that, in Italy, it is not feasible to market cosmetics tested on animals.
The violation of the obligations established by the State by marketing cosmetics with non-compliant labels should not be underestimated: in addition to the removal of the product from the market, you will receive an administrative fine ranging from five hundred to five thousand euros.

What information should be included on the label?

The label is intended to be functional in describing the purpose of the product you are about to buy, how it is used, whether there are any contraindications, and the complete list of ingredients: there is a lot of information to be included in an often too small label, perhaps for packaging needs.
At Studio Concept we design complete lines of cosmetics, make-up, skincare, specific hair products, and much more, and the label design is one of the distinctive elements of the product or line. Labels are one of the first packaging customization tools, they are ideal for communicating the style of your brand in the best possible way, and we will advise you on what best suits your case to obtain a pleasant, distinctive, and legally compliant product. Choosing the best partner for the design of your line’s label is important to obtain a result worthy of your expectations. Here are some practical examples:

• First, you will have to choose the label format: the size and shape will have to make the container and your cosmetic stand out from the rest. Matching the shape of the label to the packaging gives a sense of order and cleanliness to the product. You can enrich the label with frames, drawings, logos, or pleasant shapes, but don’t let yourself be guided by creative flair: cosmetic labels are often full of information, and streamlining the message by focusing attention on a single point, without exceeding, is always better.
• Colors play a fundamental role: many statistical studies and field trials have shown that certain colors immediately arouse different emotions. The most common colors of nature, such as the blue of the sky or the green of the grass, are perceived as positive, while black, brown, and red do not always make you want to buy. But that’s not always the case. There are lines of cosmetics with very dark labels that are particularly elegant, positioned in a niche market, for example. Much depends on the type of product and distribution. Choosing the colors is difficult, to get your bearings, you prefer those that best match the ingredients that make up your product or the trendiest ones. Even in the world of cosmetic packaging, fashion plays an important role, and the study of trends is always the first step in designing a modern and captivating line of cosmetics. We at Studio Concept always do this: we start with an in-depth discussion with the customer to understand his project and the positioning of the product he/she wants to create and, as a first step, we present a study on current market trends consistent with the desired target reach.
• The materials of the label play a fundamental role: elements that are connected to nature, without plastic or recycled are trendy in recent times, where the focus is on ethical and organic products.
• Use materials that stimulate the touch: they have proved to be effective in-store sales.
• Make sure that the characters used are legible and clear: for cosmetics, which by law must contain a considerable block of text, a simple font is preferable to an elaborate one: it will be more usable.
• Rather than long sentences, use single keywords, which immediately convey the idea of what the product represents. The use of keywords also facilitates the search for products in the online market, allowing the target customer to reach the product easily.
• If you produce organic cosmetics, display the guarantee certificates obtained on the label, such as the Vegan one, and any consumer acknowledgments.

How to choose the right font for cosmetic packaging?

One of the key components in choosing the ideal font for cosmetic packaging is the consideration of aesthetics and the emotional impact the font can evoke. Consumers are often attracted to packaging that affects them emotionally and reflects their personal values. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a font that effectively communicates the essence of the brand and the quality of the product. For example, a clean, minimalist font can evoke a sense of purity and simplicity, suitable for natural and organic skin care products. Conversely, a bold and dynamic font may be more suitable for luxury and high-end beauty products. Remember that the font is not only a medium for conveying information, it is also a powerful design tool that can influence consumers’ perceptions and guide their purchasing decisions.

Double label: front and back

As regards what must be written on the label, in Italy, there are specific rules to follow, according to the Decree of the Ministry of Health of 2018 and its subsequent updates, which made it mandatory to enter a lot of information: the primary ones, easier to retrieve are the function of the product, the company name, or the name of the responsible manufacturer.
How to correctly arrange all the information without spoiling the image of the product?
The legislation provides for the use of a double label for cosmetics: this solution was designed to meet the need to make the product less similar to a drug and closer to the use for which it was created.
The front label will be useful to describe the story of the cosmetic, it can present images or logos of the manufacturing company. It is important to create a recognizable front label: after seeing your product, the customer will always have to associate that label with your brand. Instead, the rear label must include the list of ingredients defined by INCI, according to the denomination of the same contained in the glossary established by the European Union. The list must be accurate and detailed, inserting the ingredients in order, from the most present to the least present. It is also vital to enter the codes relating to the packaging material and the indications of its correct disposal.

Net content or net weight

The quantity of product present in the container, expressed in grams or milliliters, must be indicated on the label. The indication is mandatory on the back label and can also be inserted on the front in case of promotional sales, such as the addition of free product quantities. The declaration of the weight is always mandatory for the cosmetics on sale, while there are exceptions in the case of small free samples, for which it is less stringent.

Information panel

Some important information must be included on the back label to improve customer confidence and identify the product based on production, in case of issues.
Don’t forget to include a short guideline on how the product should be applied and what it is recommended for. On the hair mask, for example, you can indicate whether to use it with dry or wet hair, while for more specific treatments you can advise how many times a week to apply them and which other product to combine before and after the treatment. However, don’t forget that even the mandatory technical elements can and must have a graphic form that is coherent with the style of the line you are building: details always make the difference and represent a unique sign of your product.
The other mandatory elements to be entered will be:

• the manufacturing lot: useful for identifying the production date of the cosmetic. This information will also allow you to reach all the other products of the same line, manufactured on the same day. Generally, a small free space is left where the manufacturer can superimpose the lot number relating to that particular production.
• the country of origin: if the cosmetic is produced in non-EU countries. We remind you that importing a foreign cosmetic to the market is possible in Italy if it complies with all the health regulations in force. If the origin label does not provide a translation into Italian, one will need to be affixed, also integrating information that is not present because it may not be mandatory in other countries
• the deadline within which it is recommended to use the product: is expressed after the wording “use preferably within”, with any indications on conservation methods. Optional but proper, here you can specify reasons why natural products have a shorter shelf life, and give advice on how long
• the product remains effective after opening. It is the so-called PAO. It is highlighted with the symbol of a stylized open jar and with the months of duration indicated in numbers after its opening. If your product is marked with 6M, it will mean that the cosmetic in question will last for six months after opening.

Warnings

The ministerial decree provides for the mandatory indication on the label regarding all the precautions to be taken when the product is used: for example the use of gloves, avoiding contact with the eyes, what to do in case of ingestion, how to dispose the container and/or the product itself, in the case of chemical or flammable ingredients. The indications will be provided as reported in the Technical Annexes from III to VI to Regulation 1223/2009.

Design cannot be spur-of-the-moment

Trust a specialist if you want to create the design of your cosmetic line, even if it is a simple label. Many times, third-party cosmetics manufacturers directly offer a graphics service for customizing your labels. It is a service that can be useful if you have already defined, studied, and developed the brand identity of your line which also involves graphic design. Studio Concept has been involved in the design of complete cosmetic lines for over 20 years, you can contact us for a comparison and an initial consultation to understand together the most suitable way to best develop your cosmetic project. Get off on the right foot.
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