USA Sales & Service
April 15, 2024
A growing challenge for cosmetic tube manufacturers is the trend among beauty brands towards smaller run sizes and SKU proliferation. In recent years, wholesale cosmetic tubes are gaining popularity among stock packaging options.
Stock Cosmetic Tubes
There are now multiple packaging suppliers offering in-stock tubes sold by the case which have no minimum order quantity. These are blank undecorated plastic squeeze tubes, white or natural in color, usually offered in mono-layer or multi-layer COEX variants with flip-top caps or flat screw-on cap choices. This is a great option for indie cosmetic brands to launch new products quickly and cost-effectively, however, the challenge of tube decoration was always a problem.
Up until now, decoration options for stock tube packaging have been limited to self-adhesive labels or silk-screen printing. Both have drawbacks for new beauty product launches. Self-adhesive labels do not look as professional as surface printed tubes. Often the label will get creases or small tears during the tube sealing process. Wrap-around labels create an unsightly seam on the cosmetic tube and graphics cannot extend into the tube seal area.
Silkscreen printing limits artwork freedom by not allowing photo-realistic graphics or intricate color gradients, shades and fade effects. Furthermore, each unique color in the tube artwork requires costly custom screens which results in a high cost per tube for small order quantities.
The future of Cosmetic Tube Decoration
Finally, there is now a better option to decorate a flexible tube! New digital printing technology is poised to revolutionize the tube packaging industry across multiple segments including but not limited to, personal care tubes, pharmaceutical tubes, and cosmetic tubes. The combination of digital print and instock plastic tubes enables cost-effective small order sizes, greater speed to market, and nearly unlimited graphic design freedom. Personalized packaging with high-resolution photorealistic graphics and a professional no-label look is now possible. Cosmetic brands are steadily moving towards a future where customized packaging of niche beauty products will gain market share amongst younger generations. We believe digitally printed tubes are a real game-changer for indie brands interested in launching new products which up until now have been limited to using cosmetic bottles or jars.
In keeping with our company name, we can now offer our customers The Whole Package combining tube sales, tube sealing machinery, and tube filling services. As a specialty company, we have focused 100% on the tube packaging industry for over 15 years. Give us a call or email, we’re always happy to talk tubes!
