Unboxing With: TaraLee Naturals

When it comes to packaging, it turns out that consumers don't treat all industries equally. According to a study by Keenpac, consumers expect a more luxury approach to packaging design for certain kinds of products. In particular, consumers buying jewelry, cosmetics, or specialty food items rated premium packaging as 'extremely important' to the purchase.

So, what does this mean for brands in those industries? That your customers are likely to have much higher standards. As the unboxing phenomenon grows more widespread, consumers are craving their very own exclusive experiences that give them a stronger connection to the brands they support.

In this 'Unboxing With' segment, we speak to TaraLee of natural skincare brand TaraLee Naturals. She talks about her journey into formulating her own products, and how a great unboxing experience helps her to show appreciation to her customers in the most authentic way possible.

Above: How Tara puts together her eye-catching unboxing experience

(In Tara’s Own Words):

My name is Tara and I'm 25 years young. I've worked so many different jobs, but never really had a passion for anything in particular. Until one day I learned that you can make your own skincare products! I was instantly hooked. I’ve always had very sensitive skin, which is what led me to discover tons of blogs and youtube videos of people formulating their very own products. I've always been a creative person, but I never would have thought to create my own skincare products. I made products for fun for a couple of years until I realized I could make this my business!

I started TaraLee Naturals because I wanted to be my own boss, make my own hours, work from home, and create something that I can call my own and be proud of. I didn’t only create my brand for myself, but for everyone else looking for natural skincare products.

Q: What does sustainability mean to your brand? What steps have you taken as a business to lower your environmental footprint?

A: As a business owner, I know lowering your environmental footprint is important. But it’s not only important - it's hard! I order all of my equipment/ingredients for my business online, but if there is something I can buy locally, I will. I also recycle everything! If I can't recycle it, I reuse it.

As I mentioned, I order a lot of ingredients and equipment online. If the package includes, for example; bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or packing paper, I save it and use the packaging material for myself. I also try to avoid using as much paper as possible. I don't include invoice sheets with my orders, because I know customers just throw them away. But if the customer requests an invoice, I'm more than happy to include one. To top it off, all of my products are formulated with environmentally friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients, which can be hard to find in a lot of brands.

For more environmentally-friendly packaging tips, check out our blog!

Q: What was the creative process for designing your custom tissue?

A: I knew that there were a lot of other "natural" brands out there already, but they all had that same green/hippie aesthetic. I wanted to create a brand identity that looked minimal and sleek - a skincare line that you wouldn't even know is natural by looking at the packaging design. I want my brand to appeal to all, not just those looking for natural and safe skincare products.

So, when I designed my custom tissue paper, a minimal color scheme was my main goal. I wanted to keep with the aesthetic of my brand black and white. I also wanted the customer to see my brand name during the unboxing experience so they are more likely to remember it!

Q: Take us step by step through your process of packaging your parcels. How do you make the unboxing experience as unique and personalized as possible?

A: When a customer receives a package from me, I want that customer to feel special - like they are opening a present. I want them to have something to unwrap with anticipation and excitement. I know how big social media is nowadays, so I also want my package to be something that the customer wants to share on their social media feed and create some word of mouth.

My favorite thing to pack my orders in is literature boxes - I believe they are the perfect cardboard boxes to make the unboxing experience more appealing. I use white crinkle-cut paper in the literature boxes not only to keep my products safe, but to make the unboxing process feel even more special and deluxe. I then close everything up using my custom tissue paper, and top it off with my custom stickers from noissue.

If a customer is only ordering 1 or 2 small items, their order may not be packaged in a literature box. But I still wrap them up like a present so it feels like a gift. Packing my orders has become a lot more enjoyable ever since I started using my custom tissue paper and stickers!

Q: Why did you choose noissue? How has custom packaging helped your brand?

A: I actually didn't choose noissue, they chose me! For that, may I say, "Thank you!!!!" I have my YouTube channel where I teach people how to make skincare products and how to start/grow their business. I believe this is how noissue found me. They emailed me and asked if they could send me some custom tissue paper and stickers in exchange for a review. Of course, I said yes!!!! Ever since then, I've been hooked. I absolutely love noissue and they continue to out-do themselves every day. Thank you!