In today’s world, there are countless of packaging materials to choose from for your cosmetics. But how do you know whether you’re using the right bottle or jar for your lotions or creams? The truth is, there are so many different materials, styles, and packaging techniques on the market, which makes it difficult to make a decision on which one to use.
When you’re choosing a packaging for your cosmetics, there are several things you have to keep in mind. For instance, are you using the packaging to store liquid lotions and thus need a bottle? And, if so, does your bottle require a pump, spray, or dropper cap? Or are you looking for a packaging for your cream and thus need a container instead? It is furthermore very important to consider what material you wish to use for your packaging. Are you using your packaging for sensitive products that needs to be stored in a food-safe manner? Are your products sensitive to external light? Do you require vacuum packaging and should you consider an airless bottle? Do you require a corrosion resistant packaging? And what about the sustainability of your cosmetic bottles or jars? These are just a handful of questions you need to ask yourself before you’re able to select the right packaging for your product.
Throughout this sort article, we will have a quick look at the different type of cosmetic jars and cosmetic bottles on the market. While doing so, we will mainly focus on the different materials used to create these packagings. For each type of material, we will briefly cover its main benefits and disadvantages. This will hopefully help you select the right packaging for your cosmetic goods.
Aluminum Packaging
Aluminum tin containers and aluminum bottles are becoming increasingly popular in the cosmetics industry. The main reason why aluminum packaging is becoming more and more popular are its environmental benefits. When we look at the sustainability of different packaging materials, aluminum is, by far, the cleanest option available. Aluminum packaging is 100% natural and furthermore fully recyclable. In fact, aluminum has the highest recyclability rate of any type of packaging material available. Besides, it’s extremely light in weight which makes it cheap and easy to ship compared to other, heavier, packaging materials such as glass.
Besides its environmental benefits, aluminum also brings along the added benefit of being food-safe. Aluminum is a material that can be used safely for the storage of sensitive products such as cosmetics but also for foods and medicine. Because it is a natural material, aluminum packaging also does not include any chemicals such as BPA. Besides, aluminum is fully corrosion resistant, giving it an advantage over traditional tin packaging. Aluminum packaging furthermore features a sleek and premium appearance thanks to its metal finish. That being said, it is a relatively affordable packaging material, which makes it attractive to both large and small companies alike. If you’re looking for a safe, affordable, and sustainable packaging material; you can’t go wrong with aluminum.
Glass packaging.
Glass bottles and jars have always been a classic packaging for cosmetics, foods, and a whole lot of other products. Unlike aluminum, glass packaging has been around for ages. And given the benefits of this material, it’s no surprise that it has been around for so long.
Just like aluminum, glass is a 100% natural material. Both glass jars and bottles are considered to be a sustainable packaging material that is free from chemicals such as BPA. Glass is furthermore fully recyclable, however, it has to be kept in mind that many glass packagings come with a plastic lid. As a result, not the entire packaging will be sustainable. There are, however, some alternatives for glass jars that can be supplied with an aluminum lid instead. Besides being free from chemicals and recyclable, glass packaging is furthermore completely food-safe. It is safe to store your cosmetics into a glass bottle or jar without having to worry about the packaging affecting the quality of your goods. Glass furthermore brings along the added benefit of being UV-resistant, making it perfect for light-sensitive lotions or creams.
The disadvantage of glass packaging, on the other hand, is that it’s relatively expensive. Compared to plastic and aluminum packaging, glass certainly is pricy. Besides, glass is furthermore heavy which results in higher shipping costs. Also, because of it’s weight, shipping glass is far less environmentally friendly compared to shipping light weight aluminum. It has to be kept in mind that glass is a fragile material that can easily break.
Plastic Packaging
When we look around us in the market, plastic packaging is everywhere. Although plastic packaging is becoming more and more criticized due to its negative impact on the environment, it still is today one of the most popular packaging materials. So, why is that?
Simply put, plastic brings along a number of benefits. Plastic is extremely cheap to produce, easy to mould in different shapes, and very durable. All-in-all, it has all the requirements that companies require for their packaging. That being said, plastic packaging does bring along some disadvantages.
Plastic is not a natural material and producing plastic is quite a chemical process. As such, plastic packagings are often full of (sometimes) harmful chemicals. In some cases, these harmful chemicals may leach out of the packaging and into the product stored inside – affecting its quality. One of the most famous chemicals is BPA. Therefore, if you do choose to go for plastic packaging, it’s highly recommended to pick a plastic that is BPA-free and food-safe.
Besides the health concerns, one of the main disadvantages of plastic is the impact it has on the environment. Plastic is hard to recycle and thus leaves a large impact on our nature. This is one of the main reasons why more and more companies choose to move to aluminum or glass packaging instead.