Series of innovation
CEP Cosmétique’s two-part mascara sample already, the first of the series, already made the headlines of Premium Beauty News.
The two other innovations are currently undergoing production tests: it is on the one hand a new injected breakable sample tube, which has the particularity of being both resealable and as competitive as a sachet, the "Minicep" and, on the other hand, a new HDPE [1] injected tube, in replacement of LLDPE [2] injected tubes, which about to be launched, and has the advantage of offering totally identical properties to the ones of extruded tubes in terms of flexibility and barrier properties.
Not a start-up, this company located in Thiers, in the Auvergne region (France), whose origins go back to the 1860s but who has not finished drawing attention to herself! Its real start-up in the segment of cosmetic packaging dates back to 1990, when Géry Dambricourt, CEP’s owner and CEO for five years, decides to take-over a unit specialized in the manufacture of caps. The firm distinguishes itself at the same time with the development of the famous bi-injected cap for the range of facials in jars for the brand Vichy (Liftactiv-Neovadiol). A flagship product that is still produced at several million copies each year. But that’s not the end of it! As of 1992, the first researches are launched on the manufacture of a injected tube. During the same year, the decision is made to set up a new plant dedicated to the cosmetic packaging activity.
"The CEP Group, explains Stéphane Léonard, Sales Director, now comprises three separate entities, CEP Industries or Cosmétiques, CEP Agriculture (injected products for the garden and/or agriculture) and CEP Office Solutions (storage accessories for office use).” Total turnover of 28 million euros for a workforce of 210 people.
"The cosmetics activity has grown steadily over the years, especially thanks to the boom in the production of injected tubes (100 million per year) and the latest developments should only help accelerate this progression," points out Léonard.
Walking down the aisles of the production site of the factory in Thiers, in the centre of France, is enough to convince oneself, with its 28 injection presses, including four bi-injection presses, not to mention three offset printing machines, two screen printing machines dedicated to the decoration of tubes with a diameter of 16 and 19, and the impressive "in-house-designed line" dedicated to screen printing and hot stamping of tubes with a diameter of 30 and 35.
At the end of the hall, stands the also in-house-designed new machine for the assembly of the famous sample tube for mascaras that is truly quite astonishing. Located at the end of the injection machine, it assembles the three basic components this sample is made with, namely the tube itself (one piece injected, including the wiper), the cap including the stem also one piece injected, and the fibre or plastic brush. As a result, a sample for mascara whose manufacture and assembly are reduced to their minimum and, more importantly whose filling is achieved from the base (the brush being already inside). "The product development took us more than a year," explained Léonard. Next imminent step, the development of a identical sample for lip-gloss.
"Mini CEP": a cheap and green mini-tube
But that’s not the end of it! The French plastic injection firm is also launching its "Mini CEP", a one piece injected sample tube, cap included, therefore single block that only weighs 1.3 grams and whose head is fully squeezable which allows total and effortless product delivery (3ml). Another extra trick: simply use the other end of the breakable cap to reseal the tube if it has not been fully used.
"A manufacturing concept, insists Léonard, which allows us to be very competitive and to even tread on the toes of the famous sample sachet. In addition, we are certainly more environmentally friendly than the sachet in its multilayer version”.
As for the barrier aspect, the "Mini CEP" has also benefited from progress made by engineers, in recent months, to replace the use of LLDPE resin with HDPE resin which allows to offer a truly flexible tube with barrier properties, which is easily squeezable, surfactant resistant, and with an especially nice touch. "A technique that has forced us to push the boundaries of injection," admitted Léonard, "and that of course we have made available for all our other tubes."
