When it comes to skincare brands, packaging is the “first advertisement”. If it is printed well, it will look luxurious. If it is printed poorly, even the most expensive formula will lose value. Today, we will discuss common printing processes. We will also share which materials and methods are the most cost-effective, effective, and eco-friendly.
1.Airless Pump Bottle
Fillable liquids: essences, anti-aging creams and other easily oxidized formulas
Product structure principle: Cover the bottle body with a vacuum pump and piston. Use atmospheric pressure to push the piston up. This isolates air backflow. It allows for precise dosage and helps avoid waste
Recommended process
- Screen printing: The cylindrical bottle is made in one step. The color blocks are bright and scratch-resistant. They are good for brand logos or simple graphics
- Electroplating/spraying: The cap and shoulder cover are metallized to make the product appear more advanced.
- Hot stamping: The button or the top of the hat is partly hot stamped to provide a visual focus.
2.Lotion Bottle
Packaging application scenarios: daily lotion, toner, body lotion
Product structure: Lotion pump, straw, and bottle, common double-layer structure, made of PP material, simple to recycle, more beautiful
Recommended process
- Offset printing: large area gradient, more accurate color registration, suitable for white bottles
- Screen printing: monochrome or fine line text, low cost and thick ink
- Hot stamping/thermal transfer: metal or rainbow gradient effect on transparent or frosted surface, making the product more colorful
3.Sprayer Bottle
Fillable liquids: hydrating spray, makeup setting spray, sunscreen spray
Product structure: The nozzle has a screw and bayonet. The shell can be made of aluminum or plastic and can be electroplated twice. The bottle body is made of PET, PP, or glass
Recommended process
- Glass spray bottle: High temperature silk screen printing is water-resistant and scratch-resistant, making it suited for high-end products but more expensive.
- PET transparent bottle: Offset printing and partial hot stamping make the bottle clear and transparent; if full light shielding is desired, first spray an opaque primer and then do silk screen printing.
- PP small-capacity travel size: Flexographic water-based ink is environmentally friendly and has a modest capacity to meet airline security regulations.
4.Dropper Bottle
Packaging application scenarios: concentrated essence, essential oil
Product structure: dropper + rubber head + glass bottle / plastic bottle; glass is frequently composed with high-white or brown substance to prevent light
Recommended process
- Low-temperature silk screen printing: Just bake at 150 °C, rich colors, suitable for fine-line ingredient labeling
- Frosting + silk screen printing: First frosting the entire surface, then silk screen the bright surface LOGO on a part to create a texture contrast
- Gold stamping / rainbow electroplating: Add a metal ring to the dropper tip or bottle shoulder to enhance product quality.
5.Cream Jar
Packaging application scenarios: facial cream, sleeping mask, hair mask
Double-layer structure: The outer cover or bottle is made of acrylic or ABS. It has high transparency or an electroplating effect. The inner liner is made of PP and is in direct contact with the material body
Recommended process
- Screen printing on the top of the lid: The broad flat surface of the container is ideal for large-area screen printing. UV ink is excellent for preventing fingerprints.
- Gradient spraying on the can body: First spray the base color as a whole, then screen print the text to highlight the color level.
6.Cosmetic Tube
Product application: facial cleanser, hand cream, sunscreen
Product structure: Aluminum-plastic composite, all-plastic PE, and multi-layer co-extrusion are flexible and easy to extrude. Common tube types are round, flat, and oval tubes
Recommended process
- Offset printing:The initial option for full-color patterns, roll-to-roll printing and then welding into tubes, appropriate for intricate drawings.
- Silk screen printing: partial spot color or glossy UV coating to improve the wear resistance of text.
- Gold stamping / thermal transfer: metal effect on the shoulder or top of the hose to improve recognition
Table Summary
| Packaging Form | Recommended Material | Main Process |
| Airless Pump Bottle | PP/AS double layer | Screen printing |
| Lotion Bottle | Acrylic outside and PP inside | offset printing |
| Sprayer Bottle | PET/Glass | High temperature screen printing |
| Dropper Bottle | High white glass | Low temperature screen printing |
| Cream Jar | Acrylic outside and PP inside | Spraying + Silk Screen Printing |
| Cosmetic Tube | Aluminum plastic/all plastic PE | offset printing |
It is very important to choose the right process for a good product. I hope this table can help you.
