HCT’s winning formula: Anticipation, Vision, Innovation!
The West Coast-based company has once again demonstrated its resilience, built on close relationships with its customers, whom it considers first and foremost as partners.
“It’s no longer a traditional customer/supplier relationship,” explains Denis Maurin, President of Innovation and Strategy, in a recent press release. "We put ourselves fully in the shoes of the brands and do everything we can to ensure their success.
We offer total production flexibility, thanks in part to our manufacturing capabilities spread across all continents, but also to our ability to continually expand our catalog of ‘products’ and offer a truly comprehensive service. What matters is that we never stop betting on the future, never hesitating to take risks and create new concepts without any guarantee of orders. Our strength remains, and will continue to be, our ability to innovate and offer perfect service, working closely with brands and striving to grow together. Our teams around the world are all attentive to future trends, such as those we are currently seeing in South Korea, where inspiration is constant." Explanations.
“Our growth is the result of two factors,” emphasizes Moshin Asaria, CEO and Head of Global Sales. "On the one hand, the stability of our key customers, and on the other, the strong growth of
new brands that we support from their inception. Some of them are growing extremely rapidly and
often become major customers within two years.
This has been the magic of California for many years, which remains very dynamic in terms of creating niche brands led by highly proactive founders. But this is increasingly the case on the East Coast of the United States and in Europe. Both regions are experiencing rapid growth, and weare the ideal partner to respond to the enthusiasm and growth ambitions of customers around the world. “
Understanding consumers
”To innovate,“ explains Angela Buggea, Global Director of Creation, Trends, and Sustainable Development, ”we start by understanding consumers. Their needs, their emotions, and their expectations. By observing today’s world, its cultural, technological, and regulatory developments. We imagine concrete solutions for tomorrow. Innovations designed with creativity, but also with responsibility, always placing sustainability, inclusivity, and accessibility at the heart of every project."
According to Angela Buggea, in 2025 innovation revolved around trust and touch. Consumers favored sensory and inclusive packaging, combining clinical clarity, soothing functionality, and well-being with organic shapes and soft finishes. Simplification has become the norm, with lighter, single-material, refillable packs and compact, multifunctional, portable products blurring the lines between beauty and wellness, in a context where sustainability and regulatory pressure have become central.
“In 2026,” she explains, "packaging will become bolder, more expressive, and more emotional, designed as collectibles to be kept. It will combine art, functionality, and longevity through rounded shapes, cheerful colors, sensory finishes, and playful, surreal details that stand out on store shelves and social media. Ritualistic, interactive, and customizable experiences take center stage in a human-centered, intuitive, and inclusive approach, while sustainability gains clarity through circularity, refillability, and technological integration. "
According to Angela Buggea, brands today operate in a reality where regulatory constraints, costs, and sustainability influence choices as much as aesthetics. Materials are selected for their recyclability,
availability in PCR, and compliance, which drives simpler, lighter, and modular packaging. In this context, innovation remains essential to creating sustainable and long-lasting solutions that can adapt to market changes while offering effective, honest, and emotionally engaging consumer experiences. “Our strength,” she insists, “lies in our ability to connect consumer needs, responsible design, and technical reality.” "
4R: A roadmap!
For the HCT team, the HCT 4R framework (Reduce, Reuse, Replace, and Recycle) is much more than a method: it is a concrete roadmap for sustainable innovation. Anchored in the principles of the circular economy, it enables clear sustainability priorities to be defined with partners and customers, whether it’s reducing the use of virgin materials and plastics, developing refill and reuse systems, replacing petroleum-based materials with more sustainable alternatives, or designing packaging with end-of-life and recyclability in mind. This approach enables the company to offer targeted, sustainable, and forward-looking solutions, keeping materials in circulation at their highest level of value.
“Rethinking packaging,” says Angela Buggea, “means rethinking systems from the ground up.”
By integrating circular economy principles from the earliest stages of design and using the 4Rs to set clear priorities, HCT teams can make more informed decisions when faced with inevitable trade-offs. This approach obviously requires agility, collaboration, and the ability to ask the right questions at the right time for more committed, responsible, and forward-looking innovation.
There’s no room for déjà vu at HCT!
“The context is constantly changing,” explains Kerem Oueini, Senior Director of Packaging Engineering & Innovation. There’s no room for déjà vu at HCT! A lipstick from five years ago is no longer the same today. Formulas evolve, expectations in terms of sustainability change, and brands are looking for new gestures, new features, and new sensations. Even when a brief seems familiar, our challenge is to rethink the details, taking into account our experience and current expectations (sustainability, time to market, cost constraints, etc.).
Innovation often comes from reinterpreting something familiar. The framework may be the same, but the solution is never. The good news is that we always find it!
Environment: an opportunity!
For Kerem Oueini, environmental constraints are now an opportunity and one of the main drivers of innovation.
"Constraints push us to invent better solutions. For example, single-material airless systems made of PP or HDPE that maintain performance while simplifying end-of-life disposal; metal-free pumps to comply with recyclability frameworks in the United States and the European Union; and luxury biomaterials to replace petroleum-based resins.
Sustainability is therefore not a constraint. It is a matter of complying with specifications that require a goal and discipline from the outset. This approach quickly becomes second nature. “
Several macroeconomic forces will shape the next wave of innovation in cosmetic packaging, and the HCT teams see three major themes. ”First,“ explains Kerem Oueini, ”what I call ‘sustainable luxury, not
’storytelling.’ In short, high-end, precise packaging that remains beautiful and refined, but with a more honest ecological footprint. Second, a desire for efficiency and speed, i.e., shorter production times, modular tools, and platforms that allow brands to customize their products without reinventing the wheel, in less time. Thirdly, the emergence of new gestures and new sensory experiences. The user experience remains a major differentiating factor (magnetic interactions, unique activation gestures, new materials for applicators, and more tactile components).
Innovation: second nature!
Innovation is second nature to the HCT teams. Whether for lips, eye contours, or skincare, the Californian firm has more than 600 patents and launches more than 40 new tools each year, providing a solution for every need with the motto, “What our customers haven’t created yet, we probably already have!”
“True luxury is intelligent,” emphasizes Kerem Oueini. “It’s the art of combining performance, design, and responsibility in perfect balance. At HCT, we believe that sustainability should never compromise the look, feel, or experience of a product. On the contrary, it should enhance it!” "
Luxury is in the details, even when it comes to skin care. The company also prides itself on its mastery of ultra-precise delivery systems. At the crossroads of the beauty industry and
medical science, the new aluminum pen developed by the teams delivers a perfectly measured dose of formula to the fingertips. “Thanks to our patented cooling tip technology,” says Kerem Oueini, “and ultra-thin aluminum components, we are redefining the future of medical beauty and luxury.”
These patented cooling tips are continuously redesigned in terms of shape and performance. Optimized for the eye contour, they are gaining popularity for the lips and neck.
They offer precise, controlled cooling across multiple areas, with unlimited design possibilities.
Rethinking the stick!
HCT intends to push the boundaries of sticks with a new refillable and fully recyclable oval stick.
The intuitive push-to-lock refill system makes it extremely easy to use.
“And this is just the beginning,” says HCT, “a fully compostable refill and aluminum outer shell are coming soon, setting a new standard for sustainable luxury.”
After more than two years of development, the teams have created a new generation of premium, single-material sticks, the Nora and Pillar series.
Metal springs have been eliminated while preserving their function thanks to smart orientation and locking devices. Composed of only four parts, these sticks embody minimalism (elegant, efficient, and well-designed).
“We are the only ones to have rethought even the gestures,” explains Kerem Oueini, "by redefining the way users apply a stick. Just as the first iPod transformed gestures with its iconic central wheel, our Soft Dial stick introduces a new tactile ritual that elevates formula delivery to an intuitive experience! With the Mira stick, we took the logic even further: the cap becomes the base, eliminating redundant parts and creating a smarter, more durable structure without compromising luxury. “
Full service: An asset!
Full service is undoubtedly one of the keys to HCT’s success! ”Thanks to this strategy," explains Alberto Acquati, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Sales, we have been supplying the most prestigious luxury brands and retailers, playing a key role in their growth and contributing to the launch of their most iconic custom products for several years, while also supplying an impressive number of “independent” brands in the United States, which have since become some of the most prestigious brands. In some cases, they have even been acquired by large groups.
I sincerely believe that what makes HCT Beauty successful and sets it apart from other companies is the combination we offer of a talented and passionate team, efficient customer service, great flexibility in terms of supply chain and business models, and above all, the fact that we are truly a “one-stop shop” company that offers the unique opportunity to combine our formulas with the most innovative packaging and designs. Among our other “differences” we also have in-house specialists in quality control, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs with all the documentation on raw materials. This allows us to track and respond to each customer’s needs, requests, and product development, ensuring the highest quality standards and best manufacturing practices.
In addition to this team, we also have purchasing and quality managers on site in various regions such as Italy, Korea, Japan, and China, who can assist our US team in developing and implementing our programs with our suppliers, and accompany and support our customers during factory visits. It should be noted that while the core business has always been and remains color cosmetics, HCT’s offering and expertise has expanded significantly in recent years to include other categories such as skin and body care, deodorants, patches/sheets/pads, pencils, and fragrances.
It is clear that following the acquisition of HCT by the KDC-ONE group and the addition of more than twenty manufacturing sites worldwide, the range of turnkey solutions has been further strengthened.
“We have continued to strengthen our collaboration with several raw material suppliers,” explains Alberto Acquati, "who are constantly presenting us with their innovations and high-end ingredients, enabling us to develop, present, and launch customized high-end formulations with the most sustainable and functional ingredients possible, in line with market trends and consumer expectations. “
There is constant demand for innovation from all brands and retailers. With its packaging design tools, new distribution systems, and patented technologies, this is a constant challenge for the California-based company’s ”Innovation" team, which strives to research and develop textures and new formulations to offer our customers the best solutions. “Cream-powder, powder-cream, encapsulation, versatile formulations, portability, hybrid textures, lightweight formulas, new filling techniques, highly functional textures, and sustainable ingredients are the new trends we have focused on,” insists Alberto Acquati, "not to mention the 1,000 or so formulas we have in stock. We are able to present more than 100 new formulas each year, which we unveil at the most important trade shows around the world, all combined with our new packaging designs, tools, and accessories. Today, hair care, oral care, and pet care represent new challenges for us. "
The Laffon advantage
Its merger with the KDC/ONE group in 2024 was a strategic moment for the Italian company Laffon, which saw its production capacity increase by 30% from the second half of 2025 onwards, gaining access to new markets and accelerating its innovations thanks to synergies with the Group. Among the investments made in recent months are the adoption of automation technologies, the introduction of screen printing, and product diversification in line with established trends in the cosmetics market, which demand a practical approach to makeup and daily care, leading to a demand for easy-to-use packaging combined with versatile formulas (packaging for loose powders, increasing use of sticks and totes).
Over the coming months, Laffon aims to consolidate its sustainable offering and develop new collaborations with international brands, with a view to further expanding its global presence. The medium-term business plan envisages a significant increase in turnover (doubling the 2024 results over the next 3 to 5 years), with ambitious targets for growth and product diversification.
In line with the requirements of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and as part of the group’s 4R policy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew) policy, the Italian firm has launched major initiatives to make its packaging more sustainable through the use of eco-friendly materials such as PET and PP, the development of innovative solutions such as the refill system for the manufacture of these cases, the removal of mirrors and the elimination of non-recyclable components, encouraging the adoption of single-material packaging. In addition, the Italian firm has developed several types of packaging that allow the end customer to separate components made from different materials. It has also created refillable and customizable eyeshadow cases that the end customer can refill by choosing a different eyeshadow color each time.
“Reducing our environmental footprint is one of our most important objectives,” explains Laffon. "This is made possible by reducing the number of components, which reduces the size and weight of packaging, but also by eliminating non-recyclable components, developing single-material solutions, and designing products that are easy to disassemble. "
Of note is the launch of new customizable packaging lines and the launch of innovative projects that integrate smart technologies and responsible design.
“In the current context of rising tariffs,” explains Luca Rossi, Managing Director, “Laffon’s strategic location close to the main product manufacturers may be the answer to global customers’ search for regionalized production in order to limit the impact of costs and ensure continuity for their customers.”
