Custom Printed Hand Cream Boxes for Tubes and Small Jars

It sells at the till, by the card reader at a nail desk and in gift shops.

Three formats appear in our photos. A slim sleeve in a lace-print board with a gold medallion and a ribbon pull at the top. A flat pink tuck carton shown opened out, with full print on the inside as well as the outside. And a pair of tall slim cartons beside two cubes for a jar, in a peach and brown range.

The sleeve is for gifting. The flat carton is the everyday format. The cube handles a balm jar that will not fit a slim box.

Nail studios that also sell polish can match the hand cream carton to their printed nail polish boxes so the desk reads as one brand.

• Nail and lash studios selling a cuticle or hand cream at the desk
• Gift shops and garden centres with a till-side basket
• Soap and bath makers adding a hand cream to a range
• Aromatherapy brands with a lavender or rose hand cream
• Skincare brands offering a travel-size tube as a gift with purchase
• Wedding and event favour suppliers

A 50 ml tube is typically about 38 mm across the crimp, 22 mm deep at the cap and 120 mm long with the cap on.

Give 2 mm extra on width and depth, and 5 mm on length. The crimp sets the width, the cap sets the depth.

Tubes differ between fillers, so send us one. The UK cosmetic box sizes guide has more tube sizes.

It folds flat, prints on all six panels and holds a tube firmly because the box is barely wider than the crimp.

The ribbon-pull sleeve is a tall open-ended sleeve with a loop of ribbon at the top. The tube sits in a card cradle inside and the customer pulls it out by the ribbon. It is slower to pack, but it sells as a present on its own.

The cube carton is for balm jars and tins. It is the same construction as a cream jar box, just smaller. All three are drawn in our guide to cosmetic carton styles. Ask for other board, rigid and finish options on request.

A gift is unwrapped, a till purchase is checked. Inside print turns that moment into a second look at your brand.

The pink carton in our photos prints a beach scene inside and the brand on the outside, with the ingredients on a side panel. Full colour CMYK on both sides costs more than outside only, so decide whether the format is a gift or a till line.

One colour and two colour print are available, and a plain board with a sticker works for very short runs.

A gold foil medallion on a patterned board, as on our lace-print sleeve, reads as a gift from across a shop.

Embossing a pattern on a textured board gives the box something to feel. Soft touch lamination suits a plain carton in a single colour.

Finishes are options on the quote. The guide to foil and embossing on beauty boxes shows what each adds.

The box itself is the weak point, because a crushed corner on a gift box is the whole problem.

Pack cartons tight in an outer box with tissue between layers. For a sleeve with a ribbon, fold the ribbon flat and tape the sleeve into a cradle so the ribbon does not snag.

A small cosmetic mailer box is the usual outer for a hand cream sent as a gift.

Put the product name and the scent at the top of the front panel, not the middle.

At a nail desk, a single carton beside the card reader sells better than a shelf of them. Change the carton with the season: Valentine's, Mother's Day and wedding favours each justify a short print run.

A small window is an option if the tube print is the selling point, though most hand creams sell on the box.

The crimp end is wider and the box jams on it.

Second, printing a tiny ingredients list on the narrowest panel, where it becomes unreadable. Put it on the wide back panel.

Third, ordering a ribbon sleeve for a product that sells at the till. The sleeve is slower to pack and costs more. Save it for the gift edition.

Misprinted or crushed boxes are replaced or refunded if you send photos inside 10 days.

Use the hand cream box quote form to start.

1. Send the tube or jar, or its measurements, and the quantity you need.
2. Choose a tuck carton, a ribbon sleeve or a cube, and any finish.
3. We send the written quote; unit prices start from £0.25 per unit.
4. Our designers set your artwork on the dieline and send a free proof.
5. Approve it and production runs 4–6 business days.
6. Free, tracked delivery follows, 2–3 business days anywhere in the UK.