Cosmetic tube suppliers are packaging containers made from materials such as PE plastic, aluminum foil, and plastic films. These materials are processed into sheets using co-extrusion and lamination techniques, then formed into tubular shapes using specialized tube-making machines. Flexible tubes are lightweight, portable, durable, recyclable, easy to squeeze, and offer excellent processing and printing adaptability, making them highly favored by cosmetics manufacturers.
Manufacturing Processes
A. Aluminum-Plastic Composite Tubes
Aluminum-plastic composite tubes are made by co-extruding aluminum foil and plastic films into sheets, which are then shaped into tubes. The typical structure is PE/PE+EAA/AL/PE+EAA/PE. These tubes are primarily used for cosmetics requiring high hygiene and barrier properties. The aluminum foil acts as the barrier layer, with its effectiveness determined by pinhole density. Advances in technology have reduced the thickness of the aluminum barrier layer from 40 μm to 12 μm or even 9 μm, significantly conserving resources.
B. All-Plastic Composite Tubes
Made entirely of plastic, these tubes are divided into two types:
Non-barrier all-plastic composite tubes: Used for low-end, fast-consumption cosmetics.
Barrier all-plastic composite tubes: Used for mid-to-low-end cosmetics, with barriers made from EVOH, PVDC, or metalized PET layers. The typical structure is PE/PE/EVOH/PE/PE.
Plastiki. Co-Extruded Plastic Tubes
Produced by co-extruding different materials for varied performance.
Single-layer extruded tubes: Used for fast-consumption cosmetics (e.g., Lipompompo tsa Cream li ka sebelisoa bakeng sa sefahleho kapa metheo) where appearance is prioritized over functionality.
Multi-layer co-extruded tubes: Used for high-end cosmetics.
2.Surface Finishing
Tubes can be colored, transparent, frosted, or pearlescent (e.g., pearl, silevera, or gold), with UV, matte, or glossy finishes. Matte finishes look premium but are prone to dirt. Colored tubes vs. fully printed tubes can be distinguished by the tail cut—white cuts indicate full printing, which requires high-quality ink to avoid cracking or peeling.
3.Printing
Cosmetic tube printing methods include:
Screen printing: For small, solid-color blocks (common in professional products).
Offset printing: For large, multi-color designs (common in daily-use products).
Hot stamping (gold/silver): For decorative effects.
Offset printing typically uses UV-cured inks for strong adhesion and colorfastness. Print alignment must be precise (±0.2 mm), with clear, intact text.
A. Flexible Tube Printing Area Dimension Diagram
| Diameter(mm) | Front centre distance(mm) | Spread centre distance(mm) | Rear centre distance (mm) | circumference(mm) |
| 13 | 10.00 | 20.00 | 30.00 | 40.00 |
| 16 | 12,40 | 24.80 | 37.20 | 49.60 |
| 19 | 14.65 | 29.30 | 43.95 | 58.50 |
| 22 | 17.00 | 34.00 | 51.00 | 68.00 |
| 25 | 19.40 | 38.80 | 58.20 | 77.60 |
| 30 | 23.25 | 46.50 | 69.75 | 93.00 |
| 35 | 27.25 | 54.50 | 81.75 | 109.00 |
| 38 | 29.50 | 59.00 | 88.50 | 118.00 |
| 40 | 31.00 | 62.00 | 93.00 | 124.00 |
| 45 | 34.90 | 69.80 | 104,70 | 139.60 |
| 50 | 38.90 | 77.80 | 116.70 | 155.60 |
| 55 | 42.75 | 85.50 | 128.25 | 171.00 |
| 60 | 46.50 | 93.00 | 139.60 | 186.00 |
B. Flexible Tube Printing Area Layout
Product Structure
The main components of a plastic flexible tube include the shoulder, barrel (body), and tail. The barrel is typically decorated either through direct printing or adhesive labels to display text or patterns, enhancing the packaging’s value. Currently, tube decoration is primarily achieved through direct printing (screen printing or offset printing) and adhesive labels. Compared to direct printing, adhesive labels offer advantages in printing diversity and stability: Traditional extruded tubes use offset or screen printing after tube formation, while adhesive labels allow for diverse printing combinations like letterpress, flexography, offset, screen printing, and hot stamping, delivering more stable and superior color performance for complex designs.
1. Tube Body
A. Classification
By Material: Aluminum-plastic composite tubes, all-plastic tubes, paper-plastic tubes, high-gloss metalized tubes, etc.
By Thickness: Single-layer, double-layer, or five-layer composite tubes.
By Shape: Round, oval, or flat tubes.
By Application: Face wash tubes, BB cream tubes, hand cream tubes, sunscreen tubes, toothpaste tubes, hair conditioner tubes, hair dye tubes, mask tubes, etc.
Standard Diameters (mm): φ13, φ16, φ19, φ22, φ25, φ28, φ30, φ33, φ35, φ38, φ40, φ45, φ50, φ55, φ60.
Standard Capacities (g): 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 80, 100, 110, 120, 130, 150, 180, 200, 250.
B. Tube Dimensions and Volume
During production, tubes undergo multiple heating processes (e.g., tube drawing, jointing, glazing, offset printing curing, and UV drying for screen printing), leading to dimensional shrinkage. Variations in shrinkage rates are normal, so tube diameter and length may fall within a tolerance range.
2. Tube Tail
Some products require filling before tail sealing. Common sealing types include:
Straight-line seal, Diagonal-line seal, Umbrella seal, Custom-shaped seal. Date codes can be printed on the sealed tail upon request.
3. Accessories
A. Standard Accessories
Tube caps come in various styles, such as:
Screw caps (single or double-layer; double-layer caps often feature electroplated outer covers for a premium look, commonly used in professional products).
Flat-top caps, round-top caps, spray caps, flip-top caps, ultra-flat caps, double-layer caps, spherical caps, lipstick caps, etc.
Caps can undergo various finishes: gold/silver hot stamping, colored/transparent coatings, electroplating, etc. Nozzle caps and lipstick caps usually include inner plugs.
Note: Caps are injection-molded, while tubes are extruded. Most tube manufacturers do not produce caps in-house.
B. Multi-Functional Accessories
To meet diverse consumer needs, functional elements like massage heads, rollerballs, and rollers are increasingly integrated into packaging.
C.Schematic Diagram of the Structure of a Five-layer Plastic Composite Cosmetic Tube
Cosmetic Packaging Applications
Flexible tubes are widely used in cosmetics like cleansers (e.g., facial washes), skincare products (e.g., eye creams, moisturizers, sunscreens), and haircare items (e.g., shampoos, conditioners, lip balms) due to their lightweight, portability, durability, recyclability, ease of squeezing, and excellent printability.
