Have you seen how cosmetic products are packed in different types of materials? From glass jars used to pack high-end beauty products to plastic bottles wrapping everyday use items, makeup, skincare, and personal grooming products are mainly packed in 3 types of materials; glass, plastic, and metal.
The choice of the right material for any cosmetic product depends upon the type of the product, the budget of the cosmetic brand, its goals towards sustainability, packaging trends in the market, and more.
As a versatile cosmetic packaging manufacturer, let us elaborate on the pros and cons of all 3 materials used in cosmetic packaging to help you decide the ideal one for your brand.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the details.
Cosmetics Packaging Market Overview
If we talk about the market value and growth rate of cosmetic packaging, you’d be shocked to know that the cosmetic packaging industry grew from a value of $53 billion to $55 billion in just 1 year.
Furthermore, it is expected to grow at the rate of 4.70% in the coming years as per industry analysis by Fortune Bussiness Insights.
A Quick Comparison
| Material | Glass | Plastic | Metal |
| Appearance | Luxurious and high-end | Stylish | Elegant and sleek |
| Durability | Can break easily | Does not break or dent | Strong but might dent |
| Recyclability | Recyclable | Only a few types can be recycled | Recyclable |
| Sustainability | Environment friendly | Has environmental concerns | Environment friendly |
| Cost Effectiveness | Expensive but cost effective | Economical | Expensive |
| Weight | Heavy | Lightweight | Heavy |
| Contamination Risk | No risk | Can be affected by chemicals | No risk |
| Applications | Luxurious and expensive products | Travel-friendly and affordable products | Products for modern brands |
1. Glass Packaging for Cosmetics
The inert behavior and premium look of glass make it a standard material for packaging cosmetics.
Why Should You Choose Glass Packaging for Cosmetics?
Here are the reasons that make glass the top choice for packaging cosmetics.
1. Premium Luxurious Appeal
The aesthetic visual appeal of glass cosmetic jars is unmatched. The sturdy appearance of the glass coupled with its weight gives the consumer an idea that they are holding a precious product.
Not to mention that its scratch resistance helps the product look as good as new even after a long time.
2. Recyclable and Sustainable
With sustainability being the preference of educated consumers, glass is here to satisfy the needs of your target audience. It is made of all-natural ingredients that are not anywhere near depletion.
Additionally, it can be repurposed, reused, and recycled for unlimited times.
3. Chemically Inert
Glass is resistant to the action of almost all chemicals regardless of their intensity. It is also impermeable and non-porous.
Neither affected by environmental factors like dirt and moisture nor allowing chemicals to melt it down, glass makes it the perfect material for packaging expensive cosmetics prone to degradation.
4. Customizable
Glass is a crystalline non-amorphous solid that can be molded into different shapes. Moreover, it can be laminated, have imprinted labels, and also treated with UV coating and more.
Therefore, cosmetic brands can customize cosmetic jars according to the product type and brand image.
Drawbacks of Glass Cosmetics Packaging
If glass was the best choice for cosmetic materials, no other material would be used, right? So, here are some drawbacks of glass.
1. Delicate
Although glass looks durable and sturdy, its destruction is always just a single step away from accidental falls and crushes. A little pressure on the glass during transport or its slipping from consumers’ hands breaks it down.
2. Weight
The weight of the glass might feel good when it is lying in consumers’ vanity. However, it becomes a burden during transport.
For consumers, heavy weight is not portable and for cosmetic companies, weight adds to the transportation charges.
3. Expensive
Although raw materials used for the production of glass can be obtained easily, the process of turning those materials into glass is extensive and requires high energy consumption.
Moreover, the transportation cost of glass cosmetics is higher. Consequently, it is more expensive than plastic packaging.
Common Uses of Glass Packaging in the Cosmetics Industry
Glass is commonly used for these purposes,
Glass Cream Jars
Creams, clays, and face powders are best stored in glass cosmetic jars.
Palettes
From eyeshadow palettes to blush palettes, every cosmetic with a wide shade range is stored in glass containers.
Serum Bottles
The inert nature of glass makes it suitable for storing serums with active ingredients.
2. Plastic Packaging for Cosmetics
Before the trend of adopting sustainability in cosmetic packaging, plastic was mainly used to make bottles, jars, and more for beauty products.
Why Should You Choose Plastic Packaging for Cosmetics?
While plastic is not the most sustainable material out there, we cannot stop using it for the benefits it provides. Below are those benefits,
1. Lightweight
Consumers often prefer cosmetic jars and bottles that are easy to carry. When looking for travel-friendly packaging, plastic is the material of choice. This is mainly because of the light weight of plastic.
Even large jars made out of plastic are almost weightless. Consequently, it is only the weight of the actual product that matters and not the packaging box itself. It also works well for e-commerce brands.
2. Cost-Effective
The energy consumption during the production of plastic is lower than that of glass. Its raw material is cheap as compared to glass. Moreover, plastic packaging for cosmetics is manufactured in a large quantity. Resultantly, the overall production cost of plastic cosmetic jars is lower than that of other packaging materials.
Thus, plastic serves as the go-to packaging material option for brands with a low budget.
3. Versatile
Customizable cosmetics packaging is essential for the brands to maintain a unique identity. The customization options are endless with plastic. You can get it manufactured in almost any shape and style you can think of.
Moreover, plastic cosmetic packaging comes in a variety of colors and designs. The versatility of plastic is one of the major reasons it is in high demand.
4. Durable
Cosmetics packaged in glass jars are often expensive. Glass cosmetic jars shatter as soon as they come across a minor impact resulting in product wastage. However, that is not the case with plastic containers as it is durable.
Plastic resists impact from the external environment and does not break or mold.
Drawbacks of Plastic Cosmetics Packaging
Let us discuss some of the drawbacks of plastic packaging that make heavy glass a better option.
1. Environmental Concerns
Although some plastics like PCR are recycled and reused, most of the custom cosmetic packaging made of plastic ends up in landfills. Moreover, the production of plastic packaging creates carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases leading to an increase in carbon footprint.
With more and more brands adopting sustainable packaging, the environmental impact of plastic is one of the reasons why it is not an ideal material.
2. Contamination Risk
Plastic is not inert. It is porous and permeable as well. Because of these properties of plastic, chemicals can react with it and deteriorate the product.
Additionally, it absorbs moisture, flavor, impurities, and air from the environment which reduces the shelf life of the products.
3. Perceived Quality
Even if cosmetic brands try to make plastic packaging appear as elegant and as supreme as glass packaging, the use of plastic material is considered to have low quality as compared to glass.
Glass is associated with premium and luxurious products and plastic with economical, or if we dare say, cheap products. Thus, the perceived quality is one of the reasons why it is not used by high-end brands.
Common Uses of Plastic Packaging in the Cosmetics Industry
1. Tubes
For every product that needs adequate dispensing including lip balms, hand creams, facewashes, and, plastic tubes are used. This is because plastic tubes can be squeezed.
2. Bottles
For products that can suffer wear and tear or are prone to falls, plastic bottles are used because of their durability. These include shampoo and conditioner bottles, sunscreen bottles, and lotion bottles.
3. Jars
The lightweight and strength of plastic make it a suitable material for making cream and cosmetic jars for products like scrubs, body creams, and moisturizers.
4. Pumps and Dispensers
The dispensers and bumps of sunscreens, lotion and shampoo bottles, and liquid soaps.
3. Metal Packaging for Cosmetics
Metal packaging has the durability of plastic and the elegance of glass. Let us discuss its pros and cons here.
Why Should You Choose Metal Packaging for Cosmetics?
The advantages of metal include,
1. Durable
When it comes to durability, no other material can beat the strength and protection metal packaging offers to cosmetics. Neither does it mold, nor does it squeeze and waste the product during delivery, traveling, and handling.
2. Recyclable
Mostly, metals like tin and aluminum are used to make cosmetic containers. Both of these metals in addition to the others used, are easily reusable and recyclable.
Metal packaging does not end up in landfills either. Therefore, it is one of the good choices for brands with sustainability goals.
3. Shelf Appeal
Metal is an expensive material and cosmetic jars and bottles made of metal look expensive as well. Not only expensive, metal packaging appears durable, elegant, and luxurious.
Thus, it enhances the shelf appeal of cosmetics and gives you a sense of ecstasy whenever you see such a beautiful cream jar placed on the shelf.
4. Barrier Protection
Metal cosmetic packaging is resistant to the action of air, moisture, microbes, dust, and other impurities because it does not allow anything from the environment to enter the cosmetic jar.
The strong barrier protection that metal boxes offer is one of the best properties of metal packaging for cosmetics.
Drawbacks of Metal Cosmetics Packaging
The disadvantages of using metal packaging for cosmetics are given below,
1. Costly
Metals like tin, aluminum, iron, and brass are all expensive. Even if you use a low-quality metal, its price is higher than that of the plastic.
In addition to the cost of metals, the shipping rates for metal packaging are also higher because of its weight. So, metal is not for brands looking for economical packaging.
2. Weight
Although a thin layer of metal provides a sufficient shield to beauty and skincare products, even the thin layer of metal is heavy. This weight makes metal difficult to carry and costly to transport as well.
3. Risk of Corrosion
As soon as metal packaging comes in contact with any liquid like water or oil and air, corrosion begins. Metal packaging can rust over time and deteriorate the product inside it.
Additionally, any external impact can distort the shape of the metal cosmetic jars.
4. Content Visibility
Glass is 100% transparent and plastic comes in variable transparency. However, you can not see through metal. The inability to look at the contents of the cream jars and cosmetic bottles reduces the aesthetic appeal of the cosmetic packaging.
Common Uses of Metal Packaging in the Cosmetics Industry
Here are some types of metal packaging,
1. Cosmetic Tubes
The cosmetic tubes that need to be sturdy and not squeezable are made of metal. Some examples include lipstick and lipgloss tubes. This is because metal packaging makes lipstick tubes appear high-end.
2. Screw Caps
Regardless of the material used to make the body, screw caps made of metal serve as a sturdy and practical cover for the cosmetic jars and bottles.
3. Surface Finishes
Metal is used for the surface finishing of cosmetic containers. One of the examples of surface finishes is metal imprinting.
4. Fragrance Bottles
Lastly, fragrances and perfumes need durable packaging with strong barrier protection. So, metal bottles serve as the best choice.
FAQ
1. Plastic or Glass: Which Is Better for Cosmetics?
Glass is ideal for luxury products and formulas sensitive to air or light because it’s non-reactive and more eco-friendly. Plastic is lightweight, shatterproof, and versatile, making it great for portability and affordability. For sustainability, PCR plastic is a good alternative.
2. What are the disadvantages of plastic packaging?
- Environmental Impact: It’s a major contributor to pollution and is not easily biodegradable.
- Chemical Leaching: Some plastics can release harmful chemicals into products.
- Perception: Consumers may view plastic packaging as less premium and unsustainable compared to alternatives like glass.
For more sustainable options, consider using PCR plastic or alternative materials.
3. What are the disadvantages of metal packaging?
Metal packaging has several downsides:
- Cost: It’s generally more expensive than plastic or paper options.
- Weight: Heavier than other materials, increasing shipping costs.
- Dents and Corrosion: Metal can dent easily and may corrode over time, affecting product quality.
- Limited Flexibility: Harder to mold into various shapes, which can limit design options.
Need Packaging Consultation for Your Cosmetics Brand? Contact Us Today!
Do you want travel-friendly, lightweight, durable, and cost-effective packaging but cannot decide which material and which type of packaging will suit your brand? If yes, wait no more and contact us for a packaging consultation for your cosmetic brand.
We will help you determine the ideal packaging for your beauty brand.
