Tube packaging offers a range of benefits over more traditional packaging options like glass jars and plastic bottles. In addition to being convenient and versatile, they are affordable, eco-friendly, and provide active ingredient protection.
Gels, creams, ointments, and serums are ideal substances for tube packaging, and with so many products on the market consumers are becoming pickier than ever before. It is becoming more and more important to have aesthetically appealing packaging without sacrificing product integrity.
Tube packaging for cosmetics and other products is quickly becoming the packaging of choice for many consumers and brands. Personal care and cosmetic care tubes are projected to be valued at $2.8 billion by 2022. Tube packaging is completely customizable with a range of closures, sizes, and design options.
Tubes are an excellent choice for a range of applications. From promoting your brand to protecting your product, tube packaging offers many benefits, including:
Tubes are a cost-effective packing solution. Brands can easily adapt their packaging to stay in line with current marketing trends by using custom artwork. Tubes may require additional packaging to be displayed directly on shelves at retailers.
Brands across different industries can use tube packaging for countless applications and products. Personal care items, pharmaceutical products, household items, food, and health and beauty products are just a few of the applications that have already taken advantage of the benefits of tube packaging.
Tube packaging comes with a variety of heads that allows for clean and easy dispensing. This feature allows the user to easily control the amount of product dispensed without creating a mess. All of the product contained in the tube can be accessed and used, unlike glass and plastic containers in which product is left inaccessible at the bottom or corners of the packaging.
Tubes have secure lids and exteriors, protecting the contents against possible contaminants from users, light exposure, or air. Preventing content contamination and degradation helps brands maintain a good reputation with their customers and allows customers to get the most use out of their purchase. Users extract the contents of the tube by squeezing it, avoiding direct contact with the product and thereby reducing contamination. Tubes also feature protective barriers like ethylene vinyl alcohol or aluminate laminate that keeps active ingredients from deteriorating the packaging.
Squeeze tube packaging is convenient and easy to transport. Tube packaging is lighter and more compact than more traditional packaging options and can easily be thrown in a bag to be taken on the go. Flip-top tube packaging further enhances convenience by allowing users to simply flip the top to use the product without the worry of losing the lid.
The design capabilities for tube packaging are virtually limitless. Manufacturers can make 3ml tubes for specialty cosmetics or 270ml tubes for a hair cream. Different heads and lids are available to suit your product, including slanted needlepoint tips, needlepoint tips, or lid choices like screw-top lids or flip lids. If the product is meant to be applied directly to a surface there are a range of applicator heads, including titanium roller balls for serum or brush tips for lip gloss. Most importantly, the tube’s external appearance can be customized to reflect the brand and product.
At E2Global, we specialize in custom manufactured tube packaging. Our experts will consult with you throughout the process to choose the best materials and design for your product. To learn more about the benefits of tube packaging, contact us today. We offer extensive knowledge and expertise in tube packaging and can create professional end result that meets your needs.
Tube Configurator
The packaging of skin care products serves for product protection but also is intended to persuade people to buy. What particular functions and requirements are important for the packaging of cosmetic products?
The four main aspects that matter for the selection of a cosmetics container are the type of container, compatibility, functionality and the protection of the products.
Depending on the purpose
The type of packaging depends on the particular application and the product to pack. Each container has its advantages and disadvantages and the pros and cons have to be weighed in each individual case.
Table: Containers for skin care products
Container type
Purpose
Advantages
Disadvantages
Jars
(plastics,
glass,
ceramic)
Home care
Tubes
(plastics,
composite materials,
aluminium)
Home care
Aluminium
The "one-way discharge" from aluminium tubes avoids the penetration of germs
Bottles
(plastics,
glass,
ceramics,
aluminium)
Home care, beauty institute products
Variable synthetic materials
Glass/rubber
Pipette kits with rubber sealing for sera (instead of ampoules)
Aluminium
Aluminium pressure cylinders (CO2, propane, butane): hygienic "one-way discharge"
Dispensers
(plastics,
glass)
Home care
Cans
(plastics,
glass)
Home care, beauty institute products
Refill cans
Wide opening
High surface powders absorb water from the air at frequent opening
Ampoules
(glass,
plastics)
Beauty institute products
Sachets
(plastic foils)
Home care, beauty institute products
Enzyme peeling (powder)
The products in the containers listed in the table that come in contact with the outside air become contaminated with germs and thus, they usually contain more preservatives. In microbiological terms, these containers have to be handled like jars which are subject to carry the open jar symbol, as is generally known. This consumer information symbol indicates the period of use in months after opening the product, as for instance 3 M which means 3 months. Although it actually makes no sense that airless dispensers bear the symbol, it is required by law.
Material characteristics
Besides the basic purpose and the microbiological and physical aspects, also the compatibility of container materials and content is of significance. Stability measurements are carried out over a longer period though before the container material is actually used. Very often a whole series of different materials have to be taken into consideration. Just to state an example in this context: the insides of an airless dispenser consist of one or of several different types of plastic, flexible sealing gaskets (made of elastomers) and possibly a spring made of blank, zinc-coated or laminated steel. The following examples show the potential problems involved with the different types of materials:
Plastics
Essential oils may diffuse into plastics and potentially even have dissolving effects depending on their specific chemical composition. Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most resistant plastic materials, if in doubt however, it is recommended to select glass or ceramics.
Various synthetic materials absorb short-chained esters which then have plasticizing effects.
Short-chained amphiphilic preservatives also are absorbed by plastics and sealing gaskets. This may result in a reduced concentration of preservatives, possibly even below the minimal inhibitory concentration with the effect that the product will become microbiologically instable with longer storage.
The double wall jar is not intended as a bluff package though: the hard outer jar made of styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) is more appropriate for decorative purposes (surface, imprint) than the softer polypropylene inner jar that provides higher product stability.
Plastics may embrittle due to the release of substances into the filling material. Even double wall jars may show fissures on the outer jar after a certain time if they contain water-free products.
Recycled plastics sometimes are contaminated with substances that diffuse into the filling material which then may cause skin reactions when consumers use the product. The product specifications of the recyclates that often originate from China frequently list a lot of different components with sub-marginal thresholds however they may also contain additional chemicals that are not listed at all.
Plastics are subject to electrostatic charge. They get dusty easily which should be kept in mind for the storage.
Elastomers (sealing gaskets)
Sealing gaskets can soak or shrink, depending on their material properties and the filling material. Hence, just as for the containers, a compatibility check is required - particularly in presence of low molecular organic substances.
The use of natural rubber may involve allergenic reactions (latex allergy).
Glass
Inexpensive soda lime glass may release sodium ions into aqueous media and, depending on the buffering capacity of the filling material, increase the pH level.
Glass and ceramic containers are advantageous insofar as they are absolutely impermeable for gaseous substances like oxygen and water vapour. Synthetic materials, by contrast, usually are permeable to some extent. The diffusion occurs in both directions and depends on the respective gradient. Oxygen-sensitive products that are filled under protective gas atmosphere hence are packed in glass containers.
When using pipette containers with rubber seals, it should be considered that liposomes or liquid nanoparticles that get onto the screw thread will work like perfect ball bearings. The compressed sealing gasket then is powerful enough to unscrew the closed container. The bottles may empty when stored in a horizontal position. A trick may help in this case though: the containers should be equipped with artificial "brakes" or, in other words, with protruding glass knobs.
Metal
Although the steal springs in airless dispensers will not come in contact with the filling material they can corrode in a warm and damp atmosphere.
The use of aluminium containers or aluminium tubes with non-resistant or damaged internal coating may lead to a chemical reaction between metal and acidic components of the filling material particularly in presence of complexing agents. Soluble aluminium compounds may form then.
Airless dispensers
There are different designs of airless dispensers:
Type 1: At filling, the dispenser is equipped with a double bottom part. After the filling, the top section of the dispenser is attached and snapped in.
The interior double bottom is then traced upwards due to the vacuum generated by the dispenser top with each use. Characteristic for this type of dispenser is a tiny opening in the dispenser bottom which allows the air to fill in when the interior part moves upwards.
Type 2: Before filling, the dispenser top is tightly connected with the bottom part that is open at the back. The bottom part is now filled from the rear side with a sliding disk applied on the filling material. After the surplus air escaped via an opening in the sliding disk, this opening is tightly sealed with a plastic nipple. The dispenser bottom part is then equipped with an even bottom panel. Now, the dispenser is ready for use. If the bottom panel is then removed with the product use, the upward movement of the sliding disk can be observed.
Time and again there are new technologies with regard to the internal mechanical system but also concerning the design of the different dispenser parts. Hence, the dispenser head can be designed like a plate with a central opening to dispense the content. By pressing the plate, the product is dispensed onto a fleece without touching the material. Said system can be combined with a wall mount for hygienic formulations ("moist tissues", baby care) and fleece masks for the use in the beauty institute and is particularly recommended for preservative free products.
Dr. Hans Lautenschläger
The publication was reprinted: H. Lautenschläger, Gut verpackt - Tiegel, Tuben, Spender & Co, medical Beauty Forum 2012 (3), 16-18