Skin care brand introduces mono-material pump packaging

Skin care brand Dermalogica, based in Los Angeles, says it will integrate recyclable pumps into its best-selling facial cleansers beginning this year.

"The beauty industry has a pump problem," says Aurelian Lis, Dermalogica chief executive officer. "Pumps are increasingly used but widely unsustainable. Today, we aim to fix the problem."

Most plastic pumps include an internal metal spring, making them difficult to recycle and unwelcome in most recycling collection programs. Dermalogica has replaced the metal spring with a plastic spring that is made of polyethylene, like its bottles, making it possible to recycle the pump as a single unit, the company says. Additionally, the new pump is lighter weight and uses less virgin plastic, bringing Dermalogica closer to its goal of having all its bottles designed to be reused, recycled or composted by 2025.

Dermalogica partnered with global packaging company Aptar on the pump, which has received multiple industry certifications for using eco-design principles and has earned recognition from the Association of Plastics Recyclers Meets Preferred Guidance Program and RecyClass, a cross-industry initiative focused on harmonized recyclability. 

Lis says, "As the industry leader, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a positive impact, not just on peoples' skin, but on the environment. Being the first major skin care brand to launch these recyclable, mono-material pumps puts pressure on other brands to follow our example and innovate on behalf of the planet."

As part of Dermalogica's Healthy Skin, Healthy Planet initiative, the company also is introducing new bottles made from 50 percent postconsumer resin (PCR). Dermalogica says it began rolling out the 50-percent-PCR bottles in early 2021 and will expand PCR integration across full-size cleansers and toners by 2025. The mono-material pump will be available in 2022, starting with the 16.9-ounce sizes of Special Cleansing Gel, UltraCalming Cleanser and Clearing Skin Wash.