Meld Skincare Dispenser Lets Users Mix Their Own Preservative-Free Formulas

British designer Beth Morgan Lundie has created Meld, a refillable skincare dispenser that allows users to combine ingredients at home, bypassing the need for toxic additives. The system, which was her graduation project from Central Saint Martins, won the PriestmanGoode Rising Star Award at this year's New Designers showcase. Meld consists of a digital platform for creating personalized formulas and a physical dispenser that mixes ingredients at the point of use. The design aims to improve ingredient transparency and eliminate preservatives like parabens, which are found in over 60% of cosmetics and can interfere with hormones. Users create a profile, answer questions about their skin, and receive recommended formulas. Ingredients are delivered in biodegradable cartridges that can be composted, and the dispenser is made from durable materials like ceramic, stainless steel, and natural rubber. Morgan Lundie hopes Meld will transform the cosmetics industry by promoting transparency and a participatory ritual of skincare. Other innovations at New Designers included Safaa Fojdar's portable crease-removing device, and another Central Saint Martins graduate, Audrey Levy, designed a fridge grown from bacteria.