Packaging Considerations for Serum Formulation

Asked by: pepsi On: November 04, 2013 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

Regarding the following serum formulation, should it be packaged in glass or plastic bottles? Should the bottles be amber/opaque or clear?

Formulation:

  • น้ำกลั่น 75.5 g
  • aloe vera extract 0.5 g
  • allantoin 0.3 g
  • vitamin b5 3 g
  • liquid beta glucan 10 g
  • calendula extract 5 g
  • moist72 5 g
  • hyaluronic acid standard + nano = 1 g
  • phenoxyethanol 1 g

Answer

Regarding the packaging for your formulation:

  • Glass vs. Plastic: Modern cosmetic-grade plastic like HDPE offers similar resistance to acids and bases as glass. The choice between glass and plastic is now primarily based on aesthetics and brand image, rather than material properties, assuming you use quality packaging. Cosmetic ingredients are generally not corrosive.
  • Amber/Opaque vs. Clear: Most cosmetic ingredients degrade faster when exposed to UV light. While marketing considerations might lead to using clear packaging to showcase the product, from a technical perspective, using opaque or amber packaging to protect the contents from UV light is always better for product stability.