Introduction

Herbal pain-relief oils are among the most widely used traditional remedies in Sri Lanka. Applied and massaged into sore muscles and joints, they are used by people of all ages, from farmers and labourers to office workers and older adults. Many households keep a bottle at home, and smaller bottles are carried for travel or kept at work.

When a single product is sold in several sizes, packaging becomes a system. The carton, the large bottle and the small bottle must all be recognisable as the same product, even though each has a different shape, size and printing method. Shoppers should be able to choose the size they need without confusion, and the brand should look consistent wherever it appears.

This case study describes how Dsigngo Group designed the packaging range for Ruwana Wedana Nashaka Thailaya, a herbal pain-relief oil. The name means “pain-destroying oil” in Sinhala. The range includes a printed carton for the 100 ml bottle, a label for the 100 ml plastic bottle and a label for a 30 ml glass bottle. We also created a product photograph for marketing, showing the range on a wooden table in front of a field of lavender.

The client

Ruwana, known in Sinhala as Ruwana Aushadha Nishpadana, is a Sri Lankan producer of herbal and ayurvedic products. Dsigngo Group has also designed Ruwana Navarathna Herbal Cool Oil and Ruwana Katileja Wardhakaya herbal balm.

The product

Ruwana Wedana Nashaka Thailaya is a herbal oil for external use. The label describes it, in Sinhala, as an effective remedy for vata pains, muscle sprains, bruises and similar conditions. It is sold in a 100 ml plastic bottle with a red flip cap, packed in a carton, and in a 30 ml glass bottle with a gold screw cap.

The brief

Ruwana asked for packaging that would:

• Create a strong, premium look for the brand’s pain-relief oil.
• Make the product’s purpose clear through visuals and Sinhala text.
• Work consistently across a carton, a large bottle and a small bottle.
• Include usage information and producer details.
• Print economically on carton board and label stock.
• Provide a product photograph for social media and retailers.

The challenge

Three formats, one identity

A tall carton, a 100 ml bottle label and a small 30 ml label each have different proportions and space. The design needed a core identity that could scale down without losing impact.

Communicating pain relief

Pain is invisible. The packaging needed to show which areas of the body the oil is meant for, quickly and clearly.

Standing out among herbal oils

Herbal oil shelves are crowded, and many products look similar. Ruwana’s oil needed a distinctive, premium appearance.

A very small label

The 30 ml label has very little space. The brand name, product name, purpose and essential information all had to fit, while remaining readable.

Research and insight

Our team reviewed pain-relief oils and balms in pharmacies, ayurvedic shops and supermarkets. Many used green or yellow designs with herbal imagery, and some showed people in pain. Few used rich, regal colours or a strong emblem for the product name.

The insight was to give the product a sense of authority and trust through a royal emblem: a gold frame with a crown, holding the Sinhala product name. Combined with images of painful joints and a man holding his knee, the design would communicate both what the product does and that it is a trusted, premium remedy.

The creative concept

The concept is “the trusted remedy for pain”. The carton and labels use a deep blue and turquoise background with a flowing golden oil splash. At the centre sits an ornate gold frame topped with a small crown, containing the product name “Wedana Nashaka Thailaya” in bold yellow Sinhala letters outlined in blue.

Above, the Ruwana brand badge, an orange and yellow rounded label outlined in blue, carries the brand name in Sinhala. A green leaf badge reads “100% Herbal”. Below, a photograph of a mature man holding his knee shows the problem clearly. On the carton, a column of circular X-ray-style icons shows the spine, shoulder, hip and neck, each with an orange glow marking the area of pain. A side panel shows the same body areas in square panels, alongside Sinhala usage text and the Ruwana lotus logo.

Designing across three formats

The carton

The carton is the largest surface, so it carries the full story: brand badge, emblem, herbal badge, photograph, X-ray icons, oil splash and net quantity. The side panels hold Sinhala information, the body area panels and producer details.

The 100 ml bottle label

The 100 ml label keeps the brand badge, the emblem and the “100% Herbal” leaf in the same order as the carton. The photograph of the man holding his knee sits at the lower left, with a Sinhala description of the product’s uses beside it. The yellow top band and blue background match the carton.

The 30 ml bottle label

The 30 ml label is a simplified version: the brand badge, a smaller emblem, a row of small body icons and the volume. Producer details and contact numbers run along the bottom. Even at this size, the emblem and colours make the bottle instantly recognisable as part of the range.

Keeping consistency

Across all three formats, the same elements appear in the same order: brand badge, emblem, herbal badge, then supporting images and text. This consistent hierarchy is the key to the range’s recognisability.

Design decisions

The royal emblem

The gold frame and crown suggest quality, tradition and authority. Framing the product name in this way makes it the hero of the pack and gives it a premium, memorable look.

Colour

Deep blue and turquoise suggest calm, relief and cooling, while gold and yellow add warmth and richness. The red cap on the large bottle and the gold cap on the small bottle complement this palette.

The golden oil splash

The flowing golden splash behind the emblem suggests the oil itself, rich and smooth. It also adds movement to the design.

X-ray icons

The circular X-ray-style icons show common areas of pain, such as the spine, shoulder, hip and neck. This visual language is quickly understood and tells shoppers where the oil can be applied.

Photography

The man holding his knee creates an emotional connection, showing a common problem that many shoppers experience.

Sinhala typography

The product name is set in bold, rounded Sinhala letters with an outline for strong contrast. Supporting text uses clear, readable Sinhala fonts at the largest sizes the space allows.

The product photograph

Alongside the packaging, we created a product photograph for marketing. The carton, 100 ml bottle and 30 ml bottle stand on a rustic wooden table, with a softly blurred field of lavender flowers behind them and bright natural light.

This scene communicates nature, calm and freshness. The wooden table adds warmth and authenticity, and the shallow depth of field keeps the focus on the products. The photograph works for social media, online stores, retailer presentations and posters.

One point to consider: lavender is not necessarily an ingredient in this oil. Using botanicals from the actual formula in future photography, or a neutral natural setting, would keep the visual message accurate.

Our design process

1. Discovery: discussing the product, sizes, outlets and budget with Ruwana.
2. Shelf research: reviewing pain-relief oils and balms in local stores.
3. Dielines and label sizes: measuring the bottles and confirming carton and label dimensions.
4. Concepts: exploring herbal, clinical and regal directions, then choosing the regal emblem.
5. Core artwork: emblem, brand badge, colours and splash.
6. Format adaptation: carton, 100 ml label and 30 ml label.
7. Text: Sinhala content and producer details, checked by native readers.
8. Print preparation: colour separations, bleed, safe areas and proofs.
9. Photography: composing and retouching the product scene.
10. Approval and handover.

Printing a packaging range

Carton

The carton is printed by offset lithography on folding box board, then die cut, creased, folded and glued. The gold emblem can be printed as a CMYK imitation, a metallic ink or hot foil, depending on budget. A gloss varnish or lamination protects it from oil and handling.

Bottle labels

Bottle labels are usually printed on self-adhesive stock. For oil products, film labels such as polypropylene resist oil and moisture better than paper. The 100 ml plastic bottle and 30 ml glass bottle may need different adhesives, because plastic and glass surfaces behave differently.

Matching across materials

Blue, turquoise and gold can look different on board, on film and on curved bottles. Comparing carton and label proofs side by side helps keep the range consistent.

Small-format detail

The 30 ml label has fine text and small icons. We kept minimum text sizes as large as possible and avoided fine lines that could break up in printing.

Why offer two sizes?

Offering a product in more than one size is a common and effective strategy for herbal remedies, and the packaging must support it.

The 100 ml bottle with carton is the main household size. The carton protects the bottle, gives space for full information and makes the product look substantial and premium on shelf. It suits regular users and families.

The 30 ml glass bottle serves different needs. It is affordable for first-time buyers who want to try the product, convenient for travel and small enough to keep in a bag, a drawer at work or a vehicle. In many small shops, small bottles are displayed near the counter, where they can be picked up as an impulse purchase.

For the brand, the small size can act as an entry point. Customers who try the 30 ml bottle and like the product may move up to the 100 ml size. This only works if the two sizes are clearly linked, which is why the shared emblem, colours and brand badge are so important.

The two formats also use different materials. The 100 ml bottle is plastic with a flip cap, which is light and easy to use when applying oil. The 30 ml bottle is glass with a metal screw cap, which feels traditional and premium. Each label had to suit its bottle’s shape, surface and handling.

Pricing should reflect the convenience of each size, and price points should be planned before the labels are printed, especially if prices are printed on the pack.

Regulatory note for ayurvedic products

The packaging describes the oil as an effective remedy for vata pains, sprains and bruises. These are medicinal claims. In Sri Lanka, ayurvedic products with therapeutic claims may need to be registered with the relevant ayurvedic authority, and the claims on packs should match the approved registration. The word “nashaka”, meaning destroying or eliminating, also implies a strong effect, which should be supported by the product’s approval.

The “100% Herbal” claim should be checked against the formulation, and the photographs of people should be licensed for packaging use.

Safety information on the pack

Pain-relief oils are applied to the skin, and users should know how to use them safely. Beyond the “for external use only” notice, we recommend that the carton and the 100 ml label include short, clear advice: do not apply to broken skin or near the eyes, wash hands after use, test on a small area first, keep out of reach of children, and seek medical advice if pain continues. On the 30 ml label, where space is limited, the most important warnings should take priority.

Building the Ruwana range

The Wedana Nashaka Thailaya packaging shares elements with other Ruwana products, including the Sinhala brand badge, the lotus logo and the “100% Herbal” leaf. A unified range guide, setting out logo positions, badge styles and typography, would help future Ruwana products look like members of one family while keeping each product’s own colour and character.

Supporting retailers and online sales

To support the range, Ruwana could use:

• The product photograph for social media, online stores and retailer presentations.
• Shelf posters showing the body area icons and the emblem.
• Short videos demonstrating how to massage the oil into sore muscles.
• Leaflets in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

Measuring success

Ruwana can track sales of each size, new outlets, reorders and customer feedback. Comparing the performance of the 100 ml and 30 ml sizes helps plan production and promotions.

Deliverables

• Carton artwork with all panels.
• 100 ml bottle label.
• 30 ml bottle label.
• Product photograph for marketing.
• Print-ready files for carton and label printers.

What made this project work

• A royal emblem that gives the product authority and recognition.
• A consistent hierarchy across three formats.
• Clear visual communication of pain areas.
• A calm, premium blue and gold palette.
• A product photograph that supports marketing.

Lessons for brands with multiple pack sizes

• Define a core identity that scales from large to small formats.
• Keep the same order of elements across all formats.
• Simplify, rather than shrink, for very small labels.
• Check colour consistency across materials.
• Use photography that reflects the real product and ingredients.
• Confirm claims before printing.

Relevance for Sri Lankan herbal producers

Many Sri Lankan herbal producers sell products in several sizes, for home use, travel and trial. A consistent packaging range helps shoppers choose confidently and builds brand recognition. Dsigngo Group supports herbal producers with packaging ranges, labels, photography and print management.

Frequently asked questions

Can you design packaging for multiple sizes?

Yes. We create packaging systems that keep a consistent identity across cartons, labels and bottles of different sizes.

Do you create product photographs?

Yes. We create product photographs and composite scenes for social media, online stores and retail marketing.

Can you add gold foil to cartons?

Yes. We prepare artwork for foil stamping and advise on whether foil, metallic ink or a printed gold effect suits your budget.

Which label materials work best for oils?

Film labels, such as polypropylene, with suitable adhesives usually work best for oils. We recommend materials based on your bottles and product.

Do you check health claims?

We flag claims that may need registration or approval. Final regulatory approval remains with the brand owner.

Conclusion

The Ruwana Wedana Nashaka Thailaya packaging shows how a single product identity can work across a carton and two bottle sizes. A royal gold emblem, a calm blue palette, clear pain-area icons and a consistent layout make every format recognisable, while careful print preparation and a supporting product photograph help the range succeed in stores and online.

Planning packaging for a product range? Talk to Dsigngo Group about cartons, labels and photography that work together.

Design Your Packaging Range

Sources

• Dsigngo Group project files.
• Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961 (Sri Lanka), for general reference on the regulation of ayurvedic products.