"Personal care products" are often referred to an assortment of items that are commonly found in the health and beauty departments of drug and department stores.
The term "personal care product," however, is not defined by law. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) defines cosmetics by their intended use, as "articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body...for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance" [FD&C Act, sec. 201(i)].
Some of the products commonly referred to as personal care products are cosmetics. These include skin moisturizers, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail polishes, eye and facial makeup preparations, cleansing shampoos, permanent waves, hair colors, and deodorants, as well as any substance intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product.
Currently, the personal care packaging industry is flooded with competition. The global market is forecast to be worth $28.2 billion in 2018, according to The Future of Personal Care Packaging to 2018,an exclusive market study from Smithers Pira.
Smithers Pira has revealed the four top personal care packaging trends that have been most successfully capturing the consumer's attention: sustainability, convenience, male grooming and value-added products.
In terms of sustainability, cosmetic companies are making slow progress in reducing their packaging footprints. Although the cosmetics industry has become preoccupied with green initiatives, few steps have been made to tackle the environmental impact of packaging.