Why use airless bottles for cosmetics?

What are airless bottles and how do they work?

Airless bottles are glass or plastic containers designed to keep cosmetic and beauty products air-free to increase shelf life and the effectiveness of active ingredients. Ingredients like Vitamin C and retinol are effective for only a limited time and are susceptible to air, light and bacteria. Once these ingredients are exposed, a serum can turn ineffective. An airless design uses a unique system to keep the inside of the container completely airtight. A piston at the bottom of the container moves upward with each use, creating a sealed environment and preventing air from entering the container. Your product can be protected from oxygen, so the effectiveness of the active ingredients will be maximized. In fact, many cosmetic brands use airless bottles to increase the longevity of active ingredients. In a study, the ingredients of an airless bottle retained over 90% of their activity, while the only standard packaging retained 40% of their activity. Many skincare lines designed for aging skin use airless bottles to keep their retinol from oxidizing and becoming ineffective before consumers can get the full effect of their purchase.

Reduction of Preservatives: Meeting Consumer Demand for Clean Beauty

Keeping consumers' preferences in mind, brands have revealed clean-label beauty products with better-for-you ingredient statements. The industry, however, is facing a hurdle when it comes to preservatives in cosmetic formulation. The beauty sector is designed in a way that the use of preservatives is needed to protect the product from harmful bacteria, especially through open dispensing mechanisms in jars and bottles. By using less preservatives or more natural preservatives, brands want to enhance consumer confidence, regulate with the growing global trend of less preservative use in cosmetics, and ultimately improve product safety. The EU, for instance, has set restrictions on the use of some preservatives in cosmetics through its legislation, and the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 is one such example. Along with meeting these trends, airless packaging and devices are preferred by many dermatologists for their patients with sensitive skin due to the less preservative formulation that elicits less irritation and inflammation.

Precise Dispensing and Waste Reduction: Enhancing User Experience and Sustainability 

Have you ever found it difficult to get the exact amount of lotion you need from a bottle? With lotion jars, it is sometimes impossible to get to the last bit of product. Airless lotion jars solve both of these problems. Airless lotion jars dispense product in the same amount, and every pump is perfect for just one use. This means that you will not use too much product. And you will also never have to scrape the bottom of a product again. For users, this is super convenient, but it is also good for sustaining the Earth. Airless lotion jars also have less waste than standard lotion jars, so it is a win win for everyone. Because of this, brands can get more satisfied customers, and also make a positive impact with their sustainability story. Because many customers these days want to reduce waste, being able to say "Our packaging uses 20% less product than used with other brands."  Customers want to use brands that make their routines easier and also give a positive impact to the environment.

Improved Company Reputation and Ability to Compete: More Than Just the Packaging

Airless bottles have a reputation for being high end, which can help elevate a brand's reputation and image. Sleek, modern designs help them stand out, and the “airless” label communicates to shoppers that the product is advanced. In fact, many high end cosmetics companies rely on airless packaging to separate their brand from lower cost alternatives. But affordable brands do mid airless packaging too and can benefit from even further enhancing their brand image. A brand that previously sold their serums in plastic jars airless bottles and increased their sales by 30% after 3 months. The change in packaging triggered a belief in their customers that the product was of a better quality, even though nothing was different about the formula after. In a highly competitive field, irrespective of the quality of the product packaging is often a decisive factor for making good sales. Brands regardless of their overall price can opt for versatile airless technology to add protective packaging to any of their formulations to better fit the texture of the product without fears of getting blocked. This is an added advantage over more affordable brands.

Maintaining Global Safety Standards

From the US FDA to China’s NMPA, a cosmetic company’s first challenge is the multitude of regulations that come with international distribution. Airless bottles make it easier, as the materials in the packaging (i.e. PET, PP) are used in cosmetics worldwide, and they pass global standards. Brands are also able to customize the packaging to pass regulations in a variety of climates, like the Middle East’s heat and humidity, ensuring that the contents won’t be compromised. The trust of international customers is built through the use of packaging that meets their regulations. Also, the supply chain is simplified by using the same global packaging.