"Airless packaging technology helped us drive innovations in formulation" explains Christophe Coquard from Sisley

How airless packaging technology drives innovations in formulation, a key study with Sisley and Aptar

A Preservative-free System (PFS) has been chosen by Sisley for their new Sensitive Skin Southing Care, made from 100% natural-origin key ingredients. The Aptar Irresistible packaging solution offers a highly protective airless design featuring a patented barrier technology inside the actuator, designed specifically for formulas with little or no preservatives.

With a packaging made exclusively in France, which is often a favoured solution for French brand Sisley, the question of packaging “appeared from the outset of this project,” explained Christophe Coquard, Director of Packaging Development at Sisley, in our recent interview. 

re/sources: What were the constraints in this specific development process?

Christophe Coquard: 

There were two main constraints for this packaging: it had to be airless with an extremely tight seal to protect the formula from any retro-contamination. And it had to be sterilizable while retaining its functionality and without compromising its appearance.

The Aptar solutions offer a metal-free path pump and bag-in-bottle airtight packaging, and allow optimised formula compatibility. In addition to the airless system, the multilayer inside pouch adds barrier properties against air and other contaminants.

Further benefits include consistent dosing at 150 mcl, a lockable actuator, and a POM-free cartridge. As part of the product’s ongoing improvements, a switch to a full polyolefin container and a PFAS-free micro filter are currently under development and will be available early 2026.

Christophe Coquard - Director of Packaging Development - Sisley

re/sources: Airless technology is well known in the industry. Why go further? Why use UHT technology?

Christophe Coquard:  This choice was dictated by the need to find even more advanced protection than “traditional” airless technology for our formula, which contains no preservatives.

To ensure preservatives are safely and effectively removed from Sisley’s expert dermocosmetics formula, Aptar Beauty partnered with P&B Group to use Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) technology. UHT technology is an innovative, patented process of sterilisation by rapid heating, followed by immediate cooling. The exposure time and temperature are controlled and adapted to the formula type and viscosity to preserve the quality and properties of the galenic. A dedicated under-vacuum filling line was developed in a sterile environment to avoid any contamination of the UHT-treated bulk during filling or assembly.

Moreover, Irresistible has passed CVIT¹ and TSIT² microbiological protocols, which guarantee no contamination before and after PAO (period after opening). Throughout its use, the packaging protects Sisley’s minimalist formula from microbial contamination within the bottle, as well as from external factors, such as consumer contact or surrounding air.

re/sources: Why develop a product without preservatives? Are preservatives “problematic” for sensitive skin?

First of all, it is important to remember that preservatives play an essential role in the vast majority of cosmetic products. They protect formulas from microbial contamination, ensuring product safety for consumers and stability over time. However, the question may differ for sensitive skin, which has an impaired skin barrier and a particularly low tolerance threshold. By definition, sensitive skin is skin that reacts excessively to normally harmless stimuli and, sometimes, to certain ingredients. For this new Soothing Care product, our goal was to take it one step further: we wanted to offer a very high-tolerance formula to meet the specific needs of sensitive skin, even the most demanding. This guided our decision to develop a preservative-free formula. More broadly, from ingredient selection to packaging choice, everything has been designed to minimise the potential for reactions. 

re/sources: Formulating without preservatives is a recurring challenge in the cosmetics industry. What challenges did you face in ensuring the formula's preservation? Did you proceed by eliminating the preservatives listed in Appendix V?

The main challenge facing Sisley's Research and Development department was to develop a skincare product designed entirely for sensitive skin, with very high tolerance, without compromising on either efficacy or sensoriality. To achieve this, it required real formulation expertise, particularly in ingredient selection. We selected multi-functional active ingredients to guarantee maximum effectiveness while optimising the number of ingredients in the formula. No preservatives or fragrances were added. Our Laboratories have developed an extremely comforting texture, naturally scented with plum kernel oil. But of course, avoiding preservatives requires a complete rethink of the “formula-packaging” combination. The choice of perfectly airtight packaging was key to this development (→ see PACK section).

re/sources: Did you also favour more “robust” active ingredients or formulas?

For this Soothing Care product, and at Sisley in general, we select our active ingredients primarily based on tolerance and effectiveness criteria. Sisley Research had a twofold objective: to identify active ingredients that were not only extremely well tolerated by the skin but also multifunctional, in order to effectively meet the needs of sensitive skin while limiting the number of ingredients. To ensure the formula's “robustness,” we carried out double sterilisation. On the one hand, the formula is sterilised using Ultra High Temperature sterilisation technology. This is a process of rapid passage through high temperatures, followed by immediate cooling, that ensures the elimination of microorganisms while preserving the integrity of the formula. Secondly, the packaging is sterilised by ionisation. Finally, the product is packaged in a clean room under controlled conditions to ensure antimicrobial protection throughout its shelf life. 

re/sources: We know that the shelf life of a cosmetic product is typically 3 to 5 years. Has removing preservatives reduced this use-by date?

The choice of packaging, the double-sterilisation process, and the packaging environment ensure the formula remains stable and well-preserved over time. If the product has not been opened, there is no expiry date as long as it is stored in the right conditions (away from moisture, between 15 and 30°C). Please note that once the product has been opened, customers have 6 months to use it.

re/sources: what about sustainability?

Christophe Coquard: On the sustainability front, Sensitive Skin Soothing Care’s 40ml packaging solution is manufactured and decorated in France. A sophisticated decoration was applied, with white colouration and a double silk-screen pass, in line with Sisley’s brand aesthetics. A glossy silver metal collar adds a statement luxury touch to the product’s visual identity