Wacky World of Rubber: Dior, Kraiburg TPE give mascara a makeover

Applying mascara seemed simple enough: Dunk the brush, comb the product onto your eyelashes. I've never considered the fact that, perhaps, I was doing it all wrong.

Until now.

Thanks to a thermoplastic elastomer packaging from Kraiburg TPE, Christian Dior S.E. is stepping up its mascara game and making me rethink how I've applied it for all these years. Dior's embraced the use of Kraiburg's Thermolast K compound in the container for its DiorShowPump'N'Volume Mascara. Giving the bottle just enough flexibility to be squeezed allows the mascara brush to be more evenly and optimally coated with mascara.

Plus, it makes your lashes look even better.

"The new functional principle of the Diorshow Pump'N'Volume Mascara means that the mascara is loaded by gently squeezing the container, making it possible to create an extremely expanded lash volume," Marion Defour-Colas, makeup packaging development group manager at Christian Dior, said in a statement.

Kraiburg said the mascara bottles are produced with a two-step injection molding processing, using a copolyester internal structure and a TPE skin.

Thermolast K also has elastic properties that allow it to withstand repeated squeezing.

Aside from being functional, Michael Pollmann, Kraiburg TPE's sales and marketing director, said in a statement that the TPE packaging adds a modern and elegant feel to the packaging.

"The modern packaging market sets high standards for the function and esthetic quality of materials. This applies particularly to cosmetics packaging that creates a long lasting consumer experience using a design that appeals to the eyes and to the touch," Pollmann said. "Whether it's creams, perfumes or lotions—wherever attractive and functional hard-soft combinations are required, our TPE compounds provide the perfect solution."

Erin Pustay Beaven is the online content editor for Rubber & Plastics News. She is an appreciator of life's littlest treasures, a reader of great books and supporter of the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Indians. Erin is an advocate for libraries, arts education and PBS. Follow her on Twitter at @EBeavenCrain.