Containers for Skin Care

Not only are the visual and stylistic elements important to catch the eye of the shopper but knowing which containers to use is essential to maintaining product purity as well as creating a satisfactory functional experience. Choosing the right skin care packaging will create a consistent brand trustworthiness.

There are three elements in the decision-making process of your skin care packaging: the types of skin care containers, container material and closure compatibility.

First impressions are everything, and that’s no exception to your packaging of choice. There are a multitude of factors to choose from such as shape, size, color and labels. Containers for skin care come in the form of dropper bottles, cosmo round bottles, straight sided jars, boston round bottles, cylinder bottles and more. Finding a design that's cohesive with its container will grab the attention of consumers.

In addition, not only is the aesthetic appeal important to grab the attention of your consumers, but it is just as critical to understand the type of container for skin care needed to achieve a convenient user experience.

Dropper bottles are used when precise dispension is needed. Dropper bottles, specifically amber and cobult blue colors are used to filter out ultraviolet (UV) light and is primarily used for UV-sensitive products. Common applications used with dropper bottles:

• Cleaners
• Exfoliators
• Facial toner

Commonly referred to as bullet bottles because of its sleek profile, tall and narrow body and rounded shoulders, cosmo rounds are an excellent and elegant product container for products that require dispensing. Common applications used with cosmo round bottles:

• Cleansers
• Exfoliatiors
• Facial toners

Straight sided jars have a wide mouth opening that allows for an easy dispensing experience. Caps sit flush to the sides of the plastic jar for a sleek, streamlined look. Common applications used with straight sided jars:

• Moisturizers & creams
• Scrubs & peels
• Mud or gel-based masks

Boston round bottles, also known as Winchester bottles feature rounded shoulders and rounded, broad base. The bottles are a popular choice due to their stability during dispensing. Common applications used with boston round bottles:

• Cleaners
• Exfoliators
• Facial toners

Cylinder bottles are characterized by their square shoulder combined with a sleek, tall profile that allows for easy handling. Common applications used with cylinder bottles:

• Cleaners
• Exfoliators
• Facial toners

Selecting an incompatible material to use with your product can cause leakage and contamination. Factors as small as the color of the packaging you choose can affect the product’s shelf life as well as purity. For an example, in order to maintain the potency of essential oils, this product must be stored in amber or cobalt blue glass because this material will not affect the chemical composition of the product.

Materials such as glass, plastic, and metal are commonly used for skin care packaging. Each material carries its own unique characteristics, benefits, and shortcomings, based on the specific purpose it will serve. It is best to determine which kind of skin care packaging is most suitable for your product so that it will not interfere with its chemical formulation or purity.

Glass is often used to manufacture luxurious or high-end skin care packaging. Its clear, sleek appearance and sturdy build give great appeal to consumers. Glass can come in transparent, frosted, or tinted finishes. Because glass is non-porous, it has the best chemical composition compatibility due to its pure or undiluted form, making it the best option to package essential oils and serums.

Glass is the most environmentally friendly packaging option as it can be continuously recycled without degrading its quality or affecting its shape. Although sustainable, glass is can be an expensive choice. Due to its weight and fragile properties, shipping costs are higher in comparison to plastic or metal choices.

Plastic is a great alternative to glass. While glass can interact with a wider variety of chemicals, plastic is less likely to shatter and contains lightweight properties resulting in cost-efficient shipping. Plastic also offers versatile packaging styles because it is easily moldable.

When it comes to plastic, consumers take many considerations into account when deciding which products are right for them on the shelves. This can easily affect your decision to choose your container for skin care packaging. Is this packaging easily recyclable? Does it contain BPA?

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) offers a similar appeal to glass due to its clarity, although it can be dyed different colors such as green, amber and blue. This semi-rigid plastic has a high impact resistance and excellent barrier properties against oxygen, light and moisture. PET is often BPA free and widely accepted by waste collection systems making for an eco-friendly skin care packaging option.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a semi-transparent (frosted) plastic. HDPE is the most used plastic because of its versatile application compatibility. HDPE’s strength and high resistance to chemicals makes it an attractive plastic to choose from. All HDPE bottles are BPA free and widely accepted by recycling facilities.

Polypropylene (PP) specializes in its ability to resist heat. This plastic commonly pairs with grease, oil and chemical applications. This material is often used for creams or lotions that require pumps. PP is less widely received by recycling facilities than other resins. PP is often a BPA free plastic.

Metal is easily recyclable and has high impact and chemical resistance. Metal keeps light and air from coming into contact with your product, potentially elongating its shelf life. Like plastic, metal is also a lighter option compared to glass. Metal does not leave a carbon footprint when manufacturing, making it another environmentally friendly packaging option.

If your product requires dispensing, it is important to determine which dispenser is most efficient and convenient for your customer. Understanding how much product is needed for one single use will help your decision in determaning which closure is best for you.

For instance, disc top caps and dispensing pumps are often used with thicker liquids to dispel controlled amounts of product at a time. Thinner liquids such as oils may need closures such as fine mist sprayers, dropper caps or snap top caps to help dispense evenly without splattering or using too much product.

Shop the largest selection of bottles, jars, and sprayers online and compare our huge offering of individually priced and wholesale items. Intersted in lining your product? Check out our selection of liners!

Not finding the product you want? Have no fear—we can source it for you! The Cary Product Sourcing Team will help you find the perfect container for your skin care packaging needs.