Packages and closures for packaging

Which packaging trends are truly worth knowing today?

Packaging design trends change quickly, but some signals are clear enough to deserve a closer look. The Pentawards 2025-26 Report, based on the analysis of numerous packaging projects from over 60 countries, highlights directions that are already clearly visible on store shelves and in new brand collections. It is a good moment to consider which of these trends truly matter for the cosmetics industry and how they can be translated into specific design decisions.


Accessibility is no longer a compromise

Accessible packaging is not philanthropy. It is a growing market segment, driven by an ageing population and regulations concerning equal access.

For years, inclusive design was treated as something extra - a nice gesture towards a minority, a compromise that required both budget and justification. In 2025, this narrative began to come to an end.

In the cosmetics category, the questions worth asking already at the packaging selection stage are: can the jar be opened with one hand? Does the dispenser require a level of pressure that not everyone can apply? Is the label readable for people with impaired vision? Ergonomics and intuitive closures are becoming a competitive advantage.


Typography as a brand’s face 

Large, bold typography takes over the entire packaging and becomes the main brand identifier. It sounds simple, but what lies behind it is more interesting. Brands are increasingly giving up product photography, illustrations and multi-layered compositions, choosing text alone instead. One inscription. One name, written so confidently and clearly that it needs nothing more.

For the cosmetics industry, which is strongly attached to beautiful illustrations and gold embossing, this is a fresh perspective and definitely worth considering, especially for brands building their communication in digital channels. On a phone screen, readability in thumbnail size matters. Packaging that looks good in detail on a store shelf does not necessarily win the battle for attention in an Instagram Reel. Bold typography does the latter much better.


Gamification - packaging you want to touch

Packaging can start a conversation, create a moment of fun and generate content for social media - all without any additional marketing budget. Interactive elements turn an ordinary purchase into an experience that people want to capture and share with others.

The way the packaging opens and how the consumer interacts with the product become especially important here. The packaging should introduce an element of play or surprise from the very first contact. It should engage the consumer, spark joy and make the interaction with the brand more interesting. Let’s remember: the more time a consumer spends holding the packaging, the stronger their emotional connection to the brand and the better they remember it.


Colour that does not apologise for existing

Saturated colours, joyful forms, large graphics that catch the eye from the shelf - this trend is known as the dopamine effect, and it does exactly what the name suggests. It is about designing packaging in such a way that the very sight of the product triggers an immediate positive emotional reaction: an instant dopamine release, often referred to as the happiness hormone. The previously discussed trend focused on physical interaction with the packaging, while this one goes deeper - into the psychology of colour and emotion.

Interestingly, this trend now goes far beyond lifestyle categories and enters areas previously dominated by white, grey and clinical restraint: supplements, hygiene products and health-related products.

Brands want us, when buying their product, to feel not only like customers, but like people whose day has just been improved by the look of the packaging itself.


How can these trends be translated into specific packaging?

Knowing the trends is one thing. Real value appears when they can be translated into a specific product. And this is exactly where our role begins.

At Polpak Packaging, we offer a wide selection of closures and cosmetic packaging available in many capacities and models. Each packaging solution can be personalised: any colour from the Pantone palette, various types of decorative finishes and surface effects tailored to the character of your brand.


If any of the trends described above caught your attention and you are wondering how to use it in your products, we would be happy to talk.


Contact us!

Tel. +48 22 752 34 23 | email: biuro@polpak.pl