Innovation Awards spotlight | Darphin Stimulskin Plus Sculpting Cream Jar

March 23, 2026

In December 2025, our prestigious jury — featuring leading names including Chanel, Dior, PUIG, Interparfums, and many more — came together to evaluate the entries for the PCD Innovation Awards. The winners were then unveiled, celebrated, and honoured at the inaugural Innovation Awards Gala, held on the eve of Paris Packaging Week 2026.

Please describe the brief for the pack. What were the objectives for the innovation project? What were the requirements and constraints?

The brief was to design a premium, refillable container for the new Stimulskin Plus Sculpting Facial Cream, developed from 65 years of expertise in morphological aging. This advanced cream targets visible signs of aging like sagging and moisture loss while providing deep hydration.

The packaging needed to reflect exceptional quality and transform the skincare ritual into a luxurious, lasting experience. The design had to capture Darphin’s sculptural sophistication and align with modern consumers’ focus on sustainability. Key goals included creating a refillable, elegant, and timeless jar that seamlessly integrates into the luxury skincare experience, ensuring it is lightweight yet durable, and achieving a perfect blend of form and function.Constraints involved engineering a refillable system that balanced premium design with practicality, ensuring precision, ease of use, and durability.

How did the pack fulfil the brief?

The Darphin Stimulskin Plus Sculpting Cream Jar embodies timeless elegance and technical innovation, creating a sustainable yet luxurious skincare experience. Its distinctive gold zamak cage encases a refillable glass jar, combining aesthetic appeal with durability. A key innovation is the threaded collar system, precisely engineered to secure the glass jar and allow easy replacement without affecting design integrity. Achieving a seamless finish across zamak parts was a major challenge, solved through advanced joining and molding techniques that ensured a flawless, polished surface. The jar’s shape and angles were calculated to prevent pressure issues during injection, preserving structure and beauty. Harmonious golden tones and ergonomic design enhance the user experience, striking the perfect balance between opulence and practicality. Through refined craftsmanship and sustainable engineering, the Stimulskin Plus packaging sets a new benchmark for refillable luxury skincare.

Why do you believe this pack deserves to win an Innovation Award?

This pack exemplifies how thoughtful design, and technical innovation can solve modern challenges without compromising on luxury. Its groundbreaking refillable design—encased in a sculptural, gold zamak framework—proves that eco-conscious innovation can elevate, rather than compromise, the indulgent beauty experience.