Why consumers have contamination concerns in refurbished personal care products and how to reduce them via design

Abstract

Refurbishment is a strategy to extend products’ lifetimes. However, refurbished products that are used intimately, such as personal care products, feel uncomfortable to use for consumers because they are perceived to be contaminated. In fifteen in-depth interviews, we explored why consumers have contamination concerns regarding a refurbished Intense-Pulsed-Light device and how to decrease them. Participants expected refurbished personal care products with wear-and-tear to malfunction, to have a shorter product lifetime and to be contaminated. Participants’ inferences differed depending on the location and amount of wear-and-tear. To keep refurbished personal care products at their highest value, we suggest five design strategies to minimize contamination concerns by designing a product that smells and looks hygienic after multiple lifecycles: 1. Using color to evoking associations with hygiene, 2. making wear-and-tear less visible, 3. using smooth materials, 4. minimizing the number of split lines, and 5. a clean product smell.