A beauty consumer discovered what appears to be a bottle-in-bottle design for a body care product.
What's happening?
The Onyx Professional Coconut Bliss body lotion features what the company calls a "serum duo" design.
A Reddit user posted an image of the product in the r/Anticonsumption community with the caption "Soooo, we're doing mini bottles in big bottles now?"
The product, which retails at major drugstores, features a design that appears to be dual-chambered. A commenter shared the product description on the company's website: "Hydrating body lotion & serum duo in one! Absorbs quickly & leaves a velvety finish. Flower tip dispenser that mixes the lotion & serum to create a swirled formula."
"Why not just … sell it in one formula?" the commenter asked. "Is this some sort of gimmick?"
Why is excessive packaging problematic?
The bottle-in-bottle design likely drives up the item's production cost, which gets passed on to shoppers already dealing with inflation in personal care products.
When companies create complex packaging, they increase the raw materials needed to make each unit. This approach often leads to higher shelf prices without providing equal benefits to users.
For consumers, such designs create disposal headaches. Different materials might need different recycling streams, and multi-material packaging often ends up in landfills because it's too complicated to separate properly at home.
The design also makes it harder to extract every last drop of product, meaning people throw away products they've paid for but can't use.
Is Onyx Professional doing anything about this?
Onyx Professional markets its Coconut Bliss line with an emphasis on natural ingredients, boasting that the formula contains 90% natural components. However, the company doesn't appear to address the packaging concerns.
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Which materials I can recycle 📦 Companies sometimes use specialty packaging to create a perception of premium value or unique selling points in a crowded market, which may explain the thinking behind this design choice.
What can be done about excessive packaging more broadly?
Many beauty brands are adapting their packaging strategies in response to consumer demand. Companies such as Lush have pioneered "naked" products that require no packaging at all, while others offer concentrated formulas that last longer and need less packaging.
Some beauty companies have begun exploring more sustainable options such as paper wrapping, refillable containers, and concentrated formulas that require less packaging overall.
As a consumer, you can make a difference through your purchasing choices. Look for products with minimal, recyclable packaging.
Supporting brands that offer refill programs or take-back recycling initiatives encourages more companies to adopt these practices. Some specialty stores even offer bulk personal care products that eliminate single-use packaging.
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