In general, there are almost 10 types of plastics that are used to make packaging for beauty products. We cannot call any of these plastics the ideal one for all kinds of cosmetic products because their product protection, sterility, durability, sustainability, and overall applications are different.
However, each type of plastic works best for certain products. For example, PE works great for sunscreens because of its UV-resistance and PCR is recyclable.
When it comes to eye ointments, it is essential that they are packed in clean, durable, and contamination-free packaging. This leads us to the question, which plastic is best for eye ointments?
Stay tuned to find the answer.
What are Eye Ointment Tubes?
Eye ointment tubes are cosmetic containers that are used to pack, store, and dispense products designed for use on eyelids, in the eyes, or under the eyes. These products include,
- Cosmetic eye tubes like undereye treatments
- Pharmaceutical products like ophthalmic ointments
Whether it is inside the eyes or just below the eyes, it is a sensitive area and even a little contaminated product can cause infection. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure that the product is dispensed safely to the eyes.
Therefore, the design and material used in the production of eye ointments must be practical, ergonomic, and safe.
Challenges to Overcome When Packaging Eye Ointments
Cosmetic packaging manufacturers face multiple challenges in designing packaging for different beauty products. For eye ointments, here are the 5 challenges that they need to overcome.
1. Sterility
There is a chance of contaminating the eye ointment tube material and packaging during manufacturing. In the case of eye products, there is no room for even minor contamination.
Therefore, eye ointment tubes undergo sterilization before being packaged. Sterilization is done with heat, radiation, or chemicals. Thus plastics resistant to the effect of these factors are preferred for eye ointments.
2. Product Protection
Eye ointment packaging should be sturdy enough to protect the product from external force that might be applied during the transport and storage of the product. A durable eye ointment tube does not put pressure on the product, leak it out, or alter the consistency.
However, it needs to be squeezable as well. Thus, managing eye ointment packaging’s product protection with a soft material like plastic is challenging.
3. Safe Storage
Sterility ensures eye ointment safety during packaging and a sturdy exterior saves product during transport. However, there is a risk of damage to the eye ointments by environmental factors even when you are not using the product.
This makes the safe storage of the product as important as other factors. So, you need to work towards finding safe plastic to make the packaging storage-friendly.
4. Contamination Risk
Just like the product can leak out of the eye ointment container, the contaminants from the environment can get into the product as well. These include bacteria, UV radiation, dust, moisture, and more.
An ideal eye ointment tube should have a strong barrier to prevent contamination risk.
5. Easy Administration
The treatment of the eyes and the area around the eyes should be both precise and free of risk to poke the eyes. To make administration of the eye ointment both easy and comfortable, it is important to work on the closure and dispensing mechanism of the eye ointment packaging.
Which Plastic is Best for Eye Ointment Tubes?
HDPE and PP are two types of plastics used to make eye ointment tubes. This is because both the tubes of both plastics are free of contamination risk, and have a strong non-porous body.
HDPE is recyclable and more economical. However, it is difficult to clean completely. Thus, considering all the challenges discussed above, the best plastic for eye tubes is polypropylene plastic or PP.
What is Polypropylene Plastic?
Polypropylene plastic is the polymer of propylene that belongs to the family of thermoplastics. The plastic monomers of PP are combined together chemically which ensures a strong breakage-resistant bond.
Thus, this type of plastic is used in manufacturing packaging containers for beauty, industrial, textile, and pharmaceutical products. As eye ointments come in the categories of both beauty and pharmaceutical products, polypropylene is the ideal plastic for eye ointment tubes.
What Makes Polypropylene Good For Eye Ointment Tubes?
Let us discuss the individual properties of polypropylene that make it a good option for making eye ointment tubes
1. Chemical Resistance
Many eye ointments have chemicals or active ingredients infused in them. Moreover, the sterilization process of eye ointment tubes is also done with chemicals.
Polypropylene has excellent resistance to the effect of the chemicals and does not react or break down under the action of any active ingredients. Thus, its chemical resistance makes it suitable for eye ointment tubes.
2. Moisture Resistance
One of the challenges in making eye ointment tubes is the contamination risk, especially because of the moisture when humidity is high.
The packaging structure made of polypropylene does not allow any moisture to enter the tube and deteriorate the product because of its effective ability to resist moisture.
3. High Tensile Strength
One of the major benefits of polypropylene is its high tensile strength. It means that its tubes maintain their original shape no matter how you squeeze or twist the tube.
Furthermore, it is not easily scratched or damaged by regular wear and tear allowing you to repurpose, recycle, or reuse polypropylene eye ointment tubes several times.
4. Thermal Resistance
In addition to chemicals and moisture, the extremes of the temperature due to changes in weather or during the manufacturing process might damage the eye ointment container.
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic which is thermally stable. So, you can store your eye ointments in PP tubes under temperature ranges of 250 to 350 degrees Celsius.
5. Microbial Barrier
The walls of PP cosmetic tubes are highly non-porous. As bacteria only require little space to enter and contaminate products, the non-porous walls of PP prevent bacteria and other microbes from contaminating the product.
Additionally, PP can be coated with an anti-microbial coating to inhibit bacteria from growing.
Safety Considerations for Polypropylene Tubes
Although PP is nearly an ideal plastic for eye ointment tubes, here is why you might reconsider using it for your products.
1. Keep Away from Direct Sunlight
While PP offers little UV resistance to the product packed inside it, this resistance is neither strong nor long-lasting. If you keep a PP eye ointment tube in direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time, the UV can damage the container and affect the product inside it as well.
Thus, it is recommended to store PP eye ointment tubes in a dark and cool environment.
2. Vulnerable to Impacts
Polypropylene plastic can resist the action of moisture, microbes, heat, and chemicals efficiently. However, it does not quite stand well against physical impact.
Therefore, eye ointment tubes might be damaged if they are transported roughly with large containers that put pressure or impact on them. The best way to prevent this is to put a bubble wrap around the PP tubes during transport.
Conclusion
The cosmetic tube packaging for eye ointments needs to be free of any contaminants and risk of contamination. Also, it must not be affected by chemicals, moisture, or heat.
The only plastic that provides all these properties in one place is polypropylene. It is not UV-resistant but all of its other features make it an ideal plastic for eye ointments.
So, if you want flawless eye ointment tubes for your cosmetic or pharmaceutical brand, we are here to provide you with high-quality plastic tubes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Polypropylene a Safe Plastic?
Definitely, PP is a safe plastic and one of the most commonly used plastics for packaging pharmaceutical products. It is because,
- PP is not toxic and does not harm the product by releasing dangerous chemicals in it
- It is resistant to contamination by a variety of external factors
- It is easily sterilized by chemicals, heat, and radiation
- It meets the product packaging safety regulations as well
- Its non-porous nature adds to the safety
2. What is Polypropylene used for?
Polypropylene plastic is used in unlimited industries and has a wide range of applications. From the automobile industry to the cosmetic industry, propylene is used to make,
- Batteries
- Cosmetic packaging
- Plastic bottles
- Tanks
- Bumpers and other vehicle components
- Pipes
- Kitchen equipment and utensils
- Cables
However, its appreciable uses are in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry because of its sterility and ease of use. Thus, it is used to make,
- Face masks for medical purposes
- Medical equipment
- Eye ointment tubes
- Laboratory vials
- Labware
3. Can Polypropylene Be Recycled?
One of the benefits of polypropylene that makes it a go-to choice for making cosmetic tubes is its recyclability. PP is highly recyclable and is a sustainable material. It is broken down into small pellets, melted, and then used to form other types of plastics like PCR.
Thus, you can use it without worrying about its impact on the earth.
