Every Last-Drop
Baralan is a company that designs, engineers, and manufactures packaging for beauty and cosmetic brands. They work primarily with skincare, makeup, and fragrance packaging, with a focus on performance, design, and long-term sustainability. Baralan has designed packaging that reduces the amount of material used, incorporates high-quality glass, and helps preserve the integrity of product ingredients. One technology that caught my attention is their LastDrop packaging system, which they are still evaluating.
I think this technology addresses a very common problem. People buy a cosmetic product and think they have used the last of it, but when they open the container, there can still be a surprising amount of product left inside. Some people will cut open the packaging and scrape out what is left, but not every container can be cut open, and not everyone wants to go through that trouble. No one wants to spend money on skincare or beauty products only to throw away part of the product they paid for.
Baralan’s LastDrop system is designed to solve this problem for products such as nail polish and lip brushes. Its' push mechanism allows the applicator to extend farther into the container, helping reach the product that would normally be left at the bottom. I think this is a simple but important example of how designers can prevent waste by changing the packaging itself rather than trying to deal with the waste after it has already been created.
The new device integrates a button-activated mechanism that allows the applicator to reach the product at the bottom of the bottle through a simple and controlled gesture. This solution eliminates the need to repeatedly unscrew and screw the brush when the product is nearly finished, making usage easier while reducing product waste in the final stages and improving overall system efficiency. (Baralan, 2026)
Additionally, the system is designed to ensure flexible application and adaptability to different types of applicators, including nail polish brushes, lip brushes, mascara, concealer, and other make-up solutions, thereby expanding usage possibilities for brands. (Baralan, 2026)
The brush is also equipped with an automatic return system that retracts it into position when the cap is closed, ensuring a cleaner, more precise, and user-friendly experience aligned with contemporary consumer expectations. From a materials perspective, the component is made of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), a design choice oriented toward recyclability and the simplification of end-of-life processes. This approach is part of Baralan’s ongoing commitment to developing solutions aligned with evolving European packaging regulations and brands’ sustainability goals. (Baralan, 2026)
I think this packaging is very innovative, and I like that it feels consumer-centered rather than focused only on the brand. It shows that Baralan is thinking about the sustainability of the bottle and the people who use it, rather than only the business side of the product.
I also think this type of packaging could make the recycling process easier. Makeup and nail polish containers can be difficult to clean because of the formulas left inside them, and I can only imagine the processes cosmetic packaging has to go through before it can be sorted and recycled. If the packaging allows consumers to get closer to using the entire product, there would be less product left inside the bottle when it reaches the recycling process. Cosmetic packaging can also be difficult to recycle when it contains a mix of different plastics and other materials, so using simpler packaging could help reduce some of these challenges.
I like the direction Baralan is taking with this technology, and I hope they are able to continue developing it after their trials.
References
Baralan. (n.d.). The New LastDrop System Debuts At Luxe Pack New York. https://www.baralan.com/press/the-new-lastdrop-system-debuts-at-luxe-pack-new-york/
Luxe Pack Monaco.(2026, September 2). Baralan rethinks glass airless packaging with DEA 2.0. https://www.luxepackmonaco.com/en/actualites/baralan-repense-l-airless-en-verre-avec-dea-2-0
