Inspiring Design
Grooming Confidence
Aerosol precision enhances product delivery…
It’s no secret that the Men’s Grooming category has exploded
into its own mega-segment over the past several years. Beyond
shaving and deodorant, there is a comprehensive suite of
products for every grooming need. Far more than a functional
get-the-job-done segment, it’s very much about feeling and looking
your best while giving yourself some TLC.
What do sprays deliver for Men’s Grooming? They deliver control,
convenience and even a healthy dose of confidence. Some
personal care products are tricky to work with and a spray format
can be instrumental in creating a desired effect. One favorite
example is dry shampoo, which has become incredibly popular
with both men and women. As a loose powder, dry shampoo is
messy and a real challenge to apply evenly to the hair’s roots. It’s
much better to spray (or “puff!”) dry shampoo directly onto the
roots of hair and distribute it evenly with minimal effort. A spray
essentially becomes an incredibly helpful applicator.
Also consider distributing a thick, waxy hair styling product.
There are several types of products that rely on a thick texture
to hold hair in place, such as styling wax or clay. If you try this
product as a semi-solid, you need to warm it in your hands to thin
it out and distribute it evenly through the hair, otherwise you end
up with glumps of product. With an aerosol spray, you can easily
and evenly apply a styling wax exactly where you want it, without
coating your hands.
Respecting the process
Spraying these high-texture styling products is no simple feat, but
aerosols make it possible through careful design. There are a number
of key considerations. Formulating a spray wax or texturizing
spray requires a balance of solids and solvents. Solids create the
fixative hold and solvents
aerosolize the
fixatives; this blend
must then also meet
low volatile organic
compound (VOC)
requirements. Waxes
or co-polymers and
viscosity modifiers
create the right hairstiffening
effect, but
selecting the right
solvents is critical to
prevent the agglomeration
that can lead
to frustrating spray
clogs. Water can be added as a hair product solvent to meet low
VOC requirements, but too much water sabotages the desired
styling effect. Finally, selecting the right spray valve and actuator
orifices will ensure the fixatives can flow through the system and
create a light spray.
When I think of aerosol development I imagine a tightrope
walker holding a balancing pole. To be successful, each end
point must work in concert with the other. This is especially true
for high-viscosity hair-shaping products. Solvents are needed to
enable spray droplets, but too much solvent makes the spray too
wet. Droplets need to be small enough to create a light spray, but
not so small that they drift away. Developing
effective products requires mindful
and often highly iterative creation and
testing.
User Experience
Product effectiveness is one consideration;
the experience of using a product
is also important to design and formulation.
Personal care products are usually
applied by oneself. This means the spray
needs to account for how an individual
might hold the product and aim
it. Trigger-style sprays are great at
helping target the direction of the
spray, but even small profile trigger
sprayers don’t lend themselves to
self-application. Trigger sprayers
are designed to spray away from
you, not toward you. Therefore,
we need to consider easy-to-hold
and easy-to-use packaging. Other
considerations for personal care
products are where and when
they will be used. Hands are often
wet and slippery with product, so
providing a sure grip is helpful.
Trying to open or depress an
actuator when the can is sliding
through your hands is frustrating
and doesn’t support a confident
or elegant product experience.
Designing with Purpose
I’m a huge fan of design when it serves a true purpose. As I tell
my kids, help when it’s helpful. In the case of Men’s Grooming
products, well-designed spray formats can uniquely enhance the
performance of the product while boosting the confidence of the
user. These products offer more than just basic hygiene; they also
offer a chance to create a sense of self-confidence—and that is a
worthwhile design investment. Spray
Heidi Graham is a product design consultant who specializes in creating user
experiences for brands that understand the power of packaging. As founder
of Shine Advisor, she brings over 20 years of expertise in packaging engineering
and product development to the consumer products industry. Her work
has been recognized for pioneering open innovation and consumer-centric
design, including the development of breakthrough continuous spray sunscreen
that helped transform the sun care category.
20 Spray November 2020
Heidi Graham
Founder, Shine Advisor
Trigger sprayers are designed to spray
away from you, not toward you…