Cosmetic containers often represent the largest part of a cosmetic product’s cost, and stand as a key way for manufacturers to distinguish their product on the shelf. Well-chosen or innovate cosmetic containers play a vital marketing role in attracting a consumer’s eye and reinforcing the decision to buy. At the same time, the right cosmetic container makes it easier to use and apply the product, and protects the product from the environment.

Cosmetic Containers for Skin-Prep Products
Skin preparation products include oil cleansers, sugar scrubs, and microdermabrasion creams. All these products are used to keep the skin under the makeup as healthy as possible, minimizing the degree to which makeup must cover up imperfections and allowing the makeup to create a positive effect.

Oil cleansers consist of natural oils, used to cleanse the skin. They are usually dispensed with a pump, either a treatment or a regular pump, and almost always packaged in bottles. Oil cleansers all but require PET bottles, as PET has good resistance to oils.

Sugar scrubs are usually packaged in an enticing, bright-colored jar made of glass or clear plastic. Jars make it easy to dispense and apply the product, and the product may come with a small spoon or spatula to aid in application and as a little “bonus item.”

Microdermabraion creams serve to remove dead skin and soften the skin surface. They may be packaged in both tubes and jars: tubes make them easier to use and dispense while traveling, while jars make it easier to “scoop out” the cream with a finger and spot the product on a store shelf.

Cosmetic Containers for Foundations
A foundation represents the lowest layer of makeup application, smoothing over skin imperfections and creating a good “canvas” onto which more detailed makeup work can be applied. Foundations are generally either mouse/whipped, liquid, or powder mineral types.

Whipped or mousse foundations are almost always sold in jars. When supplied in jars, low-profile jars make it easier for the consumer to dispense the product. Some mixtures can use airless bottles, or bottles with treatment pumps. In this case, it’s important to ensure the pump can properly dispense the highly viscous product. Testing may reveal that it’s necessary to use a higher-output pump to avoid clogging or simply to dispense enough product with each pump stroke.

Liquid foundations usually come in clear bottles or tubes. Simple screw caps or flip closures are possible, but treatment pumps are common on higher-end liquid foundations. Powdered ingredients used in the foundation composition, however, can cause pump clogs if the powder is not fine enough.

Mineral foundations consist of a fine powder. These powders come in shaker or sifter jars, often a clear jar to aid determining the powder color. Labels usually use Pantone color matching to display the true color of the foundation, as the powder may look somewhat different on the skin than how it appears in the jar.

Cosmetic Containers for Blushes, Bronzers, and Eye Liner
Cosmetic containers for makeup intended for detailed application can be more specialized. Blushes, bronzers, and eye liners or eye shadows all are applied to specific areas of the skin, and the container has to be designed with this in mind.

Blushes may be stored in shaker jars similar to mineral foundation containers. It is possible to press blush into solid form and use it in a compact, but this requires more investment by the manufacturer. Pressing into a compact demands specific equipment.

Eye liner is usually packaged in a shallow lidded cosmetic container. It may come with a brush or cosmetic applicator, or in the form of a compact. Eye liner generally must be kept from any form of contamination that could cause infections.

Following is a list of cosmetic containers that includes the benefits and drawbacks of each design.

Pump Cosmetic Containers
Pump bottles vary in price quite a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer; the single-wall models are generally less expensive than the heavy or double walled models. Typically, pump cosmetic containers are ideal for viscous and thicker materials such as liquid soap, lotion, shampoo, and other health and beauty products, and there are always several colors and styles to choose from.

Airless Cosmetic Containers
Airless cosmetic containers and bottles are generally designed to house high-end products and are typically more expensive than standard pump containers. Airless bottles are also known to dispense beauty products more effectively, and they allow the consumer to retrieve more of the expensive products out of the container as well. When using an airless container, you can expect to access about 95 percent of the product.

These airless containers are ideal for beauty products ranging from foundations to serums, although you may need to test the container to ensure the proper amount of vacuum is applied in order to dispense your selected product effectively. The airless models are available in a wide variety of colors that include metallic. They also come in an assortment of shapes, styles and sizes. Additionally, airless containers look quite attractive sitting out on your make-up counter.

Glass Cosmetic Containers
Glass cosmetic containers are also available in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. A great selling point for glass containers is that they can be used over and over. You simply clean and disinfect the container when the product is gone and fill it up with more. Glass containers are non-porous, and work well with a wide variety of beauty products. Glass containers are effective for storing strong products such as essential oils because the glass won’t react with the product or absorb its odors.

There is also a new form of innovative material that falls into this category, and its called glass polymer. Glass polymer is actually a plastic material that offers the look and feel of glass and a high degree of design freedom. These distinctive blown shapes generally include thick bases and strong walls that were previously only attainable with glass. These containers also offer a high degree of transparency, so that you can see the product, as well as a highly lustrous surface. Another exceptional advantage to glass polymer cosmetic containers is that they are unbreakable. You will also be pleased to learn that glass polymer is environmentally friendly as well.

Mist Cosmetic Containers
These types of containers are excellent for applying thin materials such as tanning spray, hydration products, perfumes, toners, spritzers, and a wide variety of skin moisturizing products. Many mist containers are made out of various forms of plastic, so they should not be used for storing stronger materials such as essential oils.

Double Wall Containers
Double walled Containers are generally wide-mouthed containers that include two pieces, an inner section and an outer section. Basically, they are a jar within a jar. These containers are ideal for creams, lotions, powders, and thicker beauty products. The double walls provide an additional barrier from the elements.