This project is centered around developing a new bio-material in order to create a sustainable product. For my process, I will experiment with many natural materials in order to create a new material. The product I want to design is a sustainable skincare package which would be made out of my new bio-material. I will follow a design process going through research, development and refinement in order to come to my final design solution. 

I am started off with research which will help me understand the different issues that existing materials have on the planet, in order to know which material replication would have the greatest impact. I will also look at existing biomaterial precedents and skincare packaging. 

From the research, I learnt that plastic is one of the more harmful materials damaging the planet. It would make the biggest impact to replace plastic with a new biomaterial. Looking at existing biomaterials has helped me understand what material combinations work well (generally includes a sticky material to bind the other material/s together). And looking at product materials showed me common shapes and colours, which are often very plain and easy to understand and come in feminine colours.

After doing my research, I started to play with natural materials in order to create a new biomaterial. I knew replicating plastic would have the best environmental impact, and would make sense because the majority of skincare packaging is made of plastic, I chose to experiment and create alternatives for hard and soft plastic, mostly. 

I experimented with many different materials and ingredients, which lead me to creating these 36 different biomaterials. It was a very fun learning experience where I played with products I could find in my kitchen. This is all documented in detail in a research and development journal that I created. It helped me understand how different materials work when combined. Some were unsuccessful, such as grinded popcorn and gelatin or sugar and spices, and some were successful, such as a mix of green tea, gelatin and water. It also helped me understand what biomaterials dry faster and what is more viscous or malleable. 

After the research and experimentation, I decided to brainstorm new skincare packages that could be made with my bio-material options, to lessen the negative impact that plastic is making on our environment. My aim to create a package that is not only eco-friendly, but also fun to interact with and use.

After brainstorming and sketching, I came down to a select few concepts that I wanted to develop further. These concepts seemed the most realistic and interesting, and they were multifunctional for different ranges of skincare products. 

From all of my drawings and development, I selected the final design shown above of leaves on a stem. Each leaf would have a different skincare product inside. It still needs development but this concept shows how natural and sustainable the skincare inside is and. I also chose to develop, through mock-ups, three other designs--the six pack, the mini sachet and the tear off-design.

Mock-ups are a necessary part of the development process. Before creating the mock-ups out of my chosen biomaterial I wanted to make it solely out of glycerin to test the shaping and to understand the sizing. Thereafter I will make it out of my biomaterial and test it with skincare products inside to help me understand and choose a final concept direction.

I started my mock-up process by creating the concepts I wanted to develop out of a bio-material made majorly out of glycerin. The glycerin material was not my ideal material texture or thickness but it did help me understand the shaping and sizing of the concepts. Afterwards, I created mould for my concepts (shown below) and then created each one of my possible concepts out of my ideal bio-material. 

I developed my four possible avenues. With the tear-off design (on the far left), the design was interesting because it could hold a lot of product however the design was not aesthetically pleasing or fun to use. With the second design, a mini sachet, it was a very cute design but the design was very basic and it did not hold enough product to cover the entire face with cream. With the leaves on a stem design, I really liked it a lot because it could have to different products in one container and the design looked very natural and organic. On the far right is a six pack style design, but each piece was too small to fit enough product. I decided to stick to my decision of leaves on a stem. 

In order to know which concepts to develop, before I created mock-ups, I created drawings to understand the technicalities of how the mold would work to create my final product. This helped me know which concepts would be best to develop. Later on in the process, after choosing my final stem design, I created my concept on SolidWorks and made engineering drawings to understand the measurements and all technical aspects of the final concept. 

I developed my concept successfully. The final material chosen is a combination of gelatin, water, vinegar, glycerin, corn starch and a mix of freshly squeezed juices. A demonstration video below shows how the design works and how to get the product out using a toothpick. The concept is fun and cute, and the bio-material was successful, however feedback helped me realise that the pink colour looked too much like skin. I chose to change the colour from pink to green to make it come off more organic and natural. 

How it is used: The packaging contains cream which is enough for one use. In one leaf would be one skincare product such as face wash and the next would be an exfoliator. A pick could pop the package or it could be popped by hand. Then the product will be used as desired. A simple, effective and environmentally friendly design.

I used a pick to pop the prototype and it worked successfully and released the cream product inside. In the video at the end of the refinement section shows the prototypes and mockups working correctly and as intended.

I didn't want to stop at having a successful bio-material container. I wanted to push myself further by creating my own new, organic skincare which can be included inside the product packaging. 

My final design is a soft green coloured stem and leaf design which can be popped with a pick to release the skincare products inside. The packaging can also be stacked side by side to look like a long vine (shown below), which will look nice when placed together in a cupboard or fridge (the products are more fresh when stored in the fridge). There are three ranges of this product (A, B & C) which will be shown and explained below. 

1: A face wash with chamomile, grape seed oil, charcoal, tea tree oil, glycerin. The face wash includes charcoal which is detoxifying and tea tree oil which is anti-bacterial. The grape seed oil and chamomile soothe the skin. The glycerin cleanses off surface level dirt.

2: A face scrub with ground coffee, honey. Ground coffee granules exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells. Honey is anti-inflammatory. 

3: A face mask with mashed avocado, honey, lemongrass essential oil. Avocado is full of antioxidants and makes the skin smooth and hydrated. Lemongrass essential oil is purifying and neutralizes damaging free radicals.

4: A face serum with vitamin c, collagen, fruit extract, aloe. Vitamin C and collagen reduces signs of aging and returns plumpness to skin while reducing fine lines. Aloe and fruit extract soothe and hydrate the skin. 

5: A face cream with bees wax, vitamin e, rose geranium essential oil. Bees wax is deeply penetrates the skin to hydrate and rejuvenate and it does not leave residue which important in a face cream. vitamin e and rose geranium oil assist in hydration and are great for all skin types. 

6: A face oil with rose hip oil, vitamin c, lemon essential oil, orange essential oil

Rose hip oil hydrates, brightens and protects the skin while reducing signs of hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C has many anti-oxidants and brightens the skin. Lemon and orange essential oils both have anti-bacterial properties and the smell is soothing and refreshing. 

Range A: face wash & face scrub (in one package)

Range B: face mask & face serum (in one package)

Range C: face cream & face oil (in one package)

I absolutely enjoyed this project because I find skincare so fun and necessary. Creating an effective biomaterial is something I never thought I would be able to do. I consider this project a success. Natural ingredients are so fascinating. Exploring the benefits of natural skincare was informative. I am happy with the outcome of my design, but if I had more time I would experiment more with skincare ingredients for more benefits and I would refine my product material to find ways for the material to last longer and withstand more conditions. I am hoping that in the future I might be able to take this concept to stores.