Aptar develops custom pump for L’Occitane

Aptar Beauty has developed a customised dispensing pump for L’Occitane en Provence’s redesigned hand care collection, supporting the beauty brand’s transition towards refillable and reusable packaging.

The solution is based on Aptar’s Satine cosmetic pump platform and has been adapted to the new visual identity of L’Occitane’s hand soaps, washes and lotions. The packaging draws inspiration from traditional apothecary jars, combining the brand’s heritage with a more durable packaging format.

Refillability integrated into the bottle system

The redesigned bottles are available in 350 ml and 500 ml formats and can be produced in either glass or plastic. A 24/410 screw-on neck finish allows the pump to be removed so that the container can be refilled and reused rather than discarded after a single product cycle.

This approach extends the functional life of both the bottle and dispensing system while supporting L’Occitane’s wider sustainability objectives.

Custom design supports wider packaging silhouette

Aptar created a larger actuator and oversized collar specifically for the wider proportions of the new bottles. The pump is finished in glossy black to provide visual consistency across the collection and reinforce the premium apothecary-inspired positioning.

The company also developed a technical orientation system that ensures the pump aligns correctly with the bottle when it is unlocked and ready for use.

Controlled dosage improves dispensing

The Satine-based system delivers a 500 μl dose with each actuation, providing controlled dispensing for hand soap, lotion and other personal care formulations.

Consistent dosing can help consumers avoid dispensing unnecessary amounts of product while also supporting a cleaner and more predictable user experience.

Accessibility becomes part of packaging design

The wide actuator surface has also been designed with accessibility in mind. Its larger contact area provides greater stability during use and is intended to make dispensing easier for consumers with reduced hand mobility.

This reflects growing interest in inclusive packaging, where opening forces, grip areas, dispensing actions and other physical interactions are considered during the development process rather than treated as secondary design features.

French facilities support local production

The custom pump is moulded and decorated at Aptar Beauty’s facility in Oyonnax and assembled at its Le Neubourg site, both in France.

Aptar says coordination between the two facilities helped the company complete development and industrialisation of the bespoke solution in less than one year while maintaining local manufacturing and supply-chain control.

Beauty packaging combines reuse and premiumisation

The collaboration illustrates how refillability is increasingly being integrated into premium beauty packaging without abandoning aesthetics or dispensing performance. Brands are looking for systems that consumers will want to keep and reuse rather than treating refillability purely as a material-reduction exercise.

For L’Occitane, the redesigned hand care range combines a reusable bottle, distinctive dispensing system and accessible functionality within a single packaging concept, demonstrating how sustainability and user experience can be developed together.