Making Difficult Packaging Decisions
There are a lot of eco-friendly packaging options these days for makers of skincare products and nutritional herbal blends. The packaging that makers choose for their products is reflective of their brand ethos, ethics and quality standards. We strive to provide the best ingredients for our customers and that means we can't settle on the quality of our packaging.
At REIMI Botanicals, there were two questions that helped shape our packaging decisions:
1) How do we protect these carefully selected, high quality, ingredients, so that our skincare products remain fresh and retain their potency throughout their intended usage time?
2) How do we minimize any negative impact on the environment, while providing an elegant packaging solution for our customers and clients?
In this case the answer to both questions was to package our botanical skincare products in the highest quality Ultraviolet glass.
What is So Special About Ultraviolet Glass?
We use Miron glass, which is a unique biophotonic Ultraviolet glass that filters harmful light so that it does not degrade, diminish or destroy the potency of light-sensitive, organic ingredients. Ultraviolet glass is unique in that it allows beneficial UV light to penetrate the bottle or jar, which actually helps preserve product efficacy, while filtering out the harmful, damaging (UVc) light.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is known for and is widely used to hinder the development of bacteria. You may have seen UV light used in a variety of settings to kill bacteria, for example: at nail salons, spas, hot tubs, dentistry, and upscale commercial kitchens. UV light has also been used to effectively treat water, while preserving important minerals.
Is the Glass Actually Black or Blue All the Way Through?
Our Ultraviolet (UV) glass bottles and jars appear black, but they are, in fact, a dark violet color. The ONLY light that passes through their walls is good UV light, which protects whatever is put inside against bacteria and pathogens. While solid (100% opaque) surface bottles and jars are great, they do not allow ANY light to pass; there's no benefit of UV light penetration to provide antibacterial action.
What About the Sustainability of UV glass?
The violet glass bottles and jars that we use to protect our skincare products is 100% recyclable and reusable. Ultraviolet glass helps extend the shelf-life of our products, which slows down the rate of purchase and consumption in a world where end of product life is seldom considered, especially by large cosmetic companies, where profit is king.
You will find our Lemon Butter Cuticle Balm, Lavender Sage Cuticle Balm and Lip Polishing Balm packaged in UV glass.
Does Clear, Amber, Blue, and Green Glass Offer Protection?
Clear glass, while allowing customers to see the visual beauty of a product, offers light-sensitive ingredients virtually no protection from damaging light rays. This lack of filtering allows light to potentially degrade the effectiveness of natural skincare formulations prematurely.
Amber, Cobalt blue and Green glass colors provide differing levels of UV protection: Amber, high; Cobalt, medium; and, Green, minimal. For this reason, we opt to use Ultraviolet and Amber glass to protect our skincare and haircare products, whenever feasible.
More About Amber Glass and Why We Use It
Amber glass has great benefits in cosmetics and other industries, because it offers great protection against the degradation of ingredients due to light. In particular it filters ALL of UV light; both the good and the bad (UVc).
We use Amber glass for our scented Botanical Liquid Soaps, as these soaps contain precious essential oils. Our liquid soap is self-preserving, and Amber glass is the perfect solution to protect the stability of the natural essential oils. We also use Amber glass to house our Coco Wax Candles and NOURISH Botanical Hair + Scalp Oil scented with phthalate-free and paraben-free natural fragrance oils and essential oils.
Our Amber glass jars and bottles are also 100% recyclable and reusable.
What About Recyclable Plastic Containers?
We try to limit the use of plastic in packaging our oils, powders, and botanical emulsions, but sometimes things like plastic closures, pumps and sprayers are necessary to deliver the product cleanly, safely, and accurately.
We will use BPA-free, recyclable plastic bottles and jars if there is a safety hazard of dropping glass packaging in the shower or bath. In the case of shampoo and conditioner bottles, we have sourced BPA-free recyclable plastic, since glass would not be easy to grip firmly in a water-based, slippery environment.
How Else Does REIMI Botanicals Commit to Sustainability?
As of November 2023, together with CleanHub @cleanhub.io, we have begun investing in plastic recovery through a network of collection hubs across Asia!
CleanHub specifically targets non-recyclable plastics, which would be otherwise left in landfill, dumped in our seas or, burned. Instead these plastics are redirected to industrial plants that responsibly convert them into energy, reducing the carbon footprint of their industrial processes by up to 25%.
From November on, we will be collecting 1 lb of plastic per every order placed in our REIMI Botanicals Shop! The entire process is tracked through CleanHub’s own Track & Trace technology, ensuring certified impact. We'll share more about this project in the next blog post!
Summary
Ultraviolet glass is a highly effective, high-end packaging solution that is the ultimate in protecting our natural formulations from photodegradation. While Amber glass is also extremely effective at blocking harmful light, it does not offer the full benefits of beneficial UV light protection against bacteria development.
Both Ultraviolet glass and Amber glass are superior to blue, green, and clear glass in protecting our light-sensitive ingredients, and are both are 100% recyclable and reusable.
You can rest in the knowledge that your luxury skincare products are protected and the quality of our packaging matches the quality of the ingredients. We are committed to becoming plastic neutral and doing our part to protect our oceans and support vulnerable coastal communities with jobs, fair wages, and clean oceans for all.
Radical Self-Care meets Radical Skincare meets Radical Packaging, because you (and our planet) deserve it.
References:
https://sciencing.com/uses-ultraviolet-light-5016552.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18533661/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433113/
https://www.glassnow.com/blog/color-bottles-jars-use-light-sensitive-products/