Testing items and standards for cosmetic packaging materials

Cosmetic packaging material testing items Barrier performance, heavy metals, friction coefficient, tensile strength and elongation rate, appearance, heat resistance, cold resistance, pH value, total bacterial count, total mold and yeast count, compatibility, peel strength, mild hot air resistance, sealing and leakage properties, impact resistance, thickness, solvent residue, printing quality, etc.

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The price of cosmetic packaging materials is going to increase.

It seems that the cosmetics industry has been struggling with price increases throughout this year. Following the price hikes of carbomer, non-woven fabric, glycerin, and silicone, plastic has now taken over the trend of rising prices. "Yes, (packaging materials) raw materials have increased in price," "ABS has gone up," and when upstream raw material prices rise along with the impact of international pandemics on export businesses, some cosmetics packaging companies describe their situation as being "adding insult to injury." ABS prices surged by 33.33% In recent months, from glycerin to silicone and then to plastic, the continuous rise in raw material prices has been testing the nerves of those in the cosmetics industry. A responsible person from a cosmetics packaging company told Qingyan that ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene copolymer) has increased in price, and PP (Polypropylene) has also seen a slight increase, "I heard it's difficult to order materials now." According to data from a business agency focused on commodity price trends, as of November 17th, the price of ABS had risen to 19,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 33.33%. The chart below shows that since October, ABS prices have skyrocketed without any signs of decline. Specifically on November 17th, several companies including PetroChina North China and PetroChina East China adjusted their ABS quotes upwards compared to the previous day, with prices not falling below 17,500 yuan/ton. Under tight supply and demand conditions, some ABS manufacturers have already stopped sales.

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Upgrading cosmetic packaging materials: simplicity, environmental protection, and high quality are becoming trends.

The reporter from "Cosmetics Finance Online" found through exhibitions and interviews that whether it is glass bottles or plastic bottles, cosmetic packaging manufacturers pursue high transparency in their products. "Glass packaging is gradually developing towards the mid-to-high-end direction. In the game of product quality and price, transparency is an important consideration standard." Currently, most skincare packaging materials in the Chinese market are made of plastic, with glass bottles being a niche market. "It is worth emphasizing that the domestic market is still developing, and in the future, the market for glass packaging will become increasingly broad. What we need to do is to clearly control our target customer group and strive for our market share as much as possible." In addition, "thick-bottomed" bottles have also become a major trend in the cosmetics market recently. "Thick-bottomed bottles have better quality, higher technical requirements, and look more textured." Li Feng, a designer at Aida International Trade Co., Ltd., introduced that generally thick-bottomed bottles use injection molding technology, while originally thin-bottomed bottles used blow molding technology; the former has higher technical requirements. The reporter learned from Aida International that currently on the market, PETG material for cosmetic plastic packaging bottles is gradually replacing the original PP and PET materials. "PETG material is equivalent to an upgraded version of PET material; it is more corrosion-resistant, has higher light transmittance, is more drop-resistant, and its forming method mostly uses injection molding technology for better quality." Innovations in paper packaging are emerging endlessly with environmental concepts becoming more deeply rooted in people's hearts. "The paper packaging market is currently stable with significant differences in customer demands." To meet different customer needs, subsequent processing will be done on paper packaging; these 'handcrafted' additions can make products more distinctive and enhance competitiveness. It is understood that customers mainly come from foreign markets such as the Middle East, America, and Europe. "Middle Eastern customers require extremely luxurious packaging; American customers demand simplicity and cost-effectiveness; European customers pursue understated luxury." Based on different customer needs, efforts are made in later processes of packaging such as embedding diamonds on boxes, incorporating velvet fabric, applying pearls, partial pearlescent film effects, realistic touch sensations, and three-dimensional visual effects. "Compared to domestic companies, foreign companies pay more attention to packaging as a way to showcase products and enhance brand image." Yu Liangjie, sales manager for Mohawk Fine Papers Asia Pacific region introduced to reporters that since 2014 domestic companies have also been paying increasing attention to packaging and environmental protection. "Therefore we believe that Chinese paper packaging will become increasingly high-end and environmentally friendly materials will be more welcomed and recognized."

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Classification of cosmetic packaging materials

What are the main types of cosmetic packaging materials? How are they classified? For example, plastic bottles are also a type of cosmetic packaging material. Cosmetic packaging materials are a category within the packaging industry, divided into primary and secondary packaging. Primary packaging is usually provided by cosmetic manufacturers with drawings or general requirements for production by packaging suppliers, while secondary packaging is more detailed and specific based on particular situations and needs, including partial printing, bottle caps, and bottle bodies. Depending on the type of cosmetic packaging, some small accessories can also be outsourced. The cosmetic packaging industry is closely linked to the cosmetics industry; today, the overall homogenization in the cosmetics sector has increased the value of packaging materials. In recent years, industry professionals have also called for low-carbon and green packaging services. 1---PET? Its main characteristics include high gas permeability, good pressure resistance, high water resistance, and excellent transparency with a clarity of up to 95%, which is higher than that of other commonly used plastic containers. However, it is not heat resistant and is commonly used for food items, beverage bottles, and cosmetic bottle bodies. Due to its high gas permeability and lack of capillary pores in its containers, it is used for making alcohol containers. 2---HDPE The Chinese name is high-density polyethylene (commonly known as high-density PE), which has an international material designation number of 2. Its main characteristic is good acid and alkali resistance. Products made from it are semi-transparent; however, its heat resistance is not very good as it has capillary pores in its containers. It is often used in chemical products such as pharmaceutical bottles and cosmetic bottles. 3---PVC The Chinese name is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which has an international material designation number of 3. Its main characteristics include transparency and poor heat resistance. Before PET was introduced, PVC was used to replace PET in mineral water and juice beverages; currently, its primary use is in manufacturing construction materials like water pipes and insulated wires. Containers made from it will have capillary pores; therefore, it should not be used for storing alcohol. 4---LDPE The Chinese name is low-density polyethylene (commonly known as low-density PE), which has an international material designation number of 4. Due to its low molecular density compared to HDPE, it is softer; products made from it are semi-transparent with poor heat resistance but have good acid-alkali resistance despite having capillary pores. This type of material is commonly used in chemical products such as facial cleansers, salad dressings, glue bottles, soft tubes for cosmetics. 5---PP The Chinese name is polypropylene (PP), which has an international material designation number of 5. It belongs to high-density materials; products made from it are semi-transparent with good heat resistance, impact resistance, acid-alkali resistance but have capillary pores. It’s often used for hot-fill food packaging or microwaveable cooking utensils that can hold hot foods as well as everyday household items like bowls or rinsing cups. 6---PS The Chinese name is polystyrene (PS), which has an international material designation number of 6. Products made from this material have good transparency and sealing properties but are brittle and not heat resistant. It’s commonly used for sealing jars or food boxes. 7---PC It has an international material designation number of 7; products made from this material are transparent with high heat resistance and durability against breakage. It’s often used for baby bottles, distillation barrels, heat-resistant barrels, and pharmaceutical bottles.

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The global cosmetics packaging market will reach 223.5 billion yuan in 2024. Which packaging materials are popular?

Data shows that by 2024, the cosmetics packaging market will reach 223.5 billion yuan. Among them, plastic remains the dominant material, while the use of paper and wood is on the rise. Recently, the globally renowned market research company Transparency Market Research released data on the cosmetics packaging market. The data indicates that by 2024, the global cosmetics packaging industry is expected to reach 33 billion USD (approximately 223.5 billion yuan). It is understood that the overall valuation of the global cosmetics packaging industry was 23 billion USD (approximately 115.6 billion yuan) in 2015. Research shows that from 2014 to 2024, the industry's annual compound growth rate will stabilize at 4.4%. Among them, emerging markets such as Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America are seeing an increasing number of beauty consumers, which are considered to be the main driving force for growth in the packaging industry. An engineer from a domestic brand told Cosmetics Finance Online that according to their understanding, the Asia-Pacific region is a major source of revenue for the cosmetics packaging market. In 2016, this region accounted for 32.5% of the global cosmetics packaging market and is expected to maintain this growth rate in the coming years. Transparency Market Research also stated that as more young people gradually urbanize and gain more disposable income, this is also one of the driving forces for growth. The analysis pointed out: "Packaging innovation may have a greater impact on young people, who happen to be a major target group for most cosmetics companies." In addition, research shows that plastic is still expected to be a choice in future cosmetics packaging; however, due to its increasing application in high-end products, glass will also occupy an "important share"; environmental protection has been a hot topic in recent years, and the use of paper and wood in packaging will also show an upward trend.

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Common materials for cosmetic packaging

1. ABS: ABS is an engineering plastic, not environmentally friendly, has high hardness, and cannot come into direct contact with cosmetics or food. In acrylic cosmetic packaging materials, it is generally used for inner caps and shoulder sleeves. The color appears yellowish or milky white. 2. PP, PE: PP and PE are environmentally friendly materials that can come into direct contact with cosmetics and food. They are the main materials for filling organic skincare products, with a natural white color and semi-transparent appearance. Depending on different molecular structures, they can achieve three different degrees of softness and hardness. 3. PET: PET is an environmentally friendly material that can come into direct contact with cosmetics and food. It is the main material for filling organic skincare products, relatively soft in texture, and transparent in color. 4. PCTA, PETG: PCTA and PETG are environmentally friendly materials that can come into direct contact with cosmetics and food. They are the main materials for filling organic skincare products, relatively soft and transparent in appearance. PCTA and PETG are soft materials that are easily scratched, and they are not commonly used for spray printing but rather for printing. 5. AS: AS has low hardness, is relatively brittle (producing a crisp sound when struck), transparent in color with a blue base color, can directly contact cosmetics or food, commonly used as the material for regular lotion bottles or vacuum bottles; it can also be made into small capacity cream jars. It appears transparent. 6. Acrylic: The material is relatively hard, transparent in appearance with a white base color. To maintain its transparent quality, acrylic often undergoes internal spraying during production or coloring during injection molding.

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