Can one order include boxes for a serum, a jar and a lotion?
Yes. Most skincare orders cover two or three container types. Each gets its own dieline and proof, and the quantities are quoted per box size.
Skincare Packaging Made to Your Bottles and Jars
Six box types for the containers a skincare brand actually sells: dropper bottles, glass jars, lotion pumps, cleanser bottles and hand cream tubes. Send the container size, approve a free proof, and the boxes arrive in about two weeks.
6 boxes in this range · Written prices from £0.25 a box. · Free design proof · Free tracked UK delivery
Skincare Boxes
Full ranges: serum, cream and cleanser in one look
Skincare boxes are printed cartons or rigid boxes made to hold one skincare product, such as a dropper bottle, a jar or a pump. They are cut to the exact container so the product does not rattle, and printed with your name, product line and ingredients panel. We size, print and proof them for UK brands and deliver free with tracking.
Serum Boxes
30 ml droppers for launch runs and clinic resale
Serum boxes are slim printed cartons made for dropper bottles, usually 15, 30 or 50 ml. The box is cut slightly bigger than the bottle including its bulb, so the glass does not move. Most are straight tuck end cartons in folding boxboard, printed and proofed before production.
Cream Jar Boxes
50 ml moisturiser and night cream jars
Cream jar boxes are near-cube cartons or rigid lid-and-base boxes made for moisturiser, night cream and balm jars. Because a jar is short, wide and heavy, the box is cut tight to its diameter and lid height so it cannot roll. They are printed to order for UK skincare and grooming brands and delivered free with tracking.
Lotion Boxes
250 ml body lotion pumps on shelf and online
Lotion boxes are tall, slim printed cartons made for lotion bottles with a pump or disc cap, most often 100 to 250 ml. They are cut a few millimetres larger than the bottle and its pump, so the box stands straight and the pump does not push the lid open. We print them to order for UK bath, body and skincare brands and deliver free with tracking.
Cleanser and Pump Bottle Boxes
120 ml cleansers and 40 ml men's grooming bottles
Cleanser and pump bottle boxes are printed cartons made for face wash, cleansing cream and other pump-top bottles between about 40 and 200 ml. They come as a closed tuck end carton or an open-front display box with a tray that holds the bottle in view. Each is cut to the bottle and pump height, printed in your colours and proofed before production.
Hand Cream Boxes
50 and 75 ml tubes at tills and nail desks
Hand cream boxes are small printed cartons made for 30 to 75 ml tubes and small balm jars. The common formats are a flat tuck end carton for a tube, a slim sleeve with a ribbon pull for gifting and a cube for a jar. They are cut to your tube or jar, printed inside and out if you wish, and proofed free before the run.
What does skincare packaging cover?
On this page it means the printed carton or rigid box around a skincare product.
The bottle or jar is yours. We make the box it sells in.
Most skincare lines use three or four container shapes, so most orders mix two or three box types. A serum carton, a jar carton and a lotion carton in the same colours read as one range on a shelf.
The six products in this range, and what each is for.
| Box | Best for | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare Boxes | A whole range in one house style | Folding cartons and rigid lid boxes in matching print |
| Serum Boxes | 15 to 50 ml dropper bottles | Tall carton with room for the dropper bulb |
| Cream Jar Boxes | 30 to 100 ml glass or plastic jars | Square carton, often with a card collar |
| Lotion Boxes | 100 to 250 ml lotion bottles | Taller carton, insert option for glass |
| Cleanser and Pump Bottle Boxes | Pump and flip-cap cleanser bottles | Height set by the pump head |
| Hand Cream Boxes | 30 to 75 ml tubes | Slim carton, gift version with a tab |
Who orders skincare packaging from us?
Start-up skincare brands make up most of the orders, usually a first batch of a few hundred cartons per product.
Clinics and salons come next, boxing a retail line that sits by the till.
Formulators who fill for other brands order on their clients' behalf. Market sellers want a box that turns a plain bottle into a gift. Subscription and marketplace sellers need a carton that survives a parcel.
If your range has several products, skincare boxes printed as one matching set is the place to start. One artwork, several sizes, one quote.
- Skincare start-ups launching three to six products
- Aesthetic clinics and salons with a retail shelf
- Contract fillers ordering for a client brand
- Market and craft-fair sellers moving to printed boxes
- Marketplace sellers who need a parcel-proof carton
Which carton size suits a 30 ml serum?
A typical 30 ml glass dropper measures about 33 mm across and 100 to 110 mm tall with the dropper fitted.
The carton that fits it is roughly 37 x 37 x 115 mm inside, which gives 2 mm each side and a few millimetres above the bulb.
Measure the bottle with its closure on. Dropper bulbs and pump heads add 15 to 25 mm, and that is the figure people forget. The table gives common starting points; everything is made to your measurements.
Dropper bottles are top-heavy, so a snug carton matters more than it does for a jar. Serum boxes sized to the dropper bulb are the most ordered item in this range.
| Container | Typical container size | A common inside box size |
|---|---|---|
| 15 ml dropper bottle | 28 mm wide, 85 mm tall | 32 x 32 x 90 mm |
| 30 ml dropper bottle | 33 mm wide, 105 mm tall | 37 x 37 x 115 mm |
| 50 ml dropper bottle | 38 mm wide, 120 mm tall | 42 x 42 x 130 mm |
| 50 ml cream jar | 58 mm wide, 48 mm tall | 62 x 62 x 55 mm |
| 100 ml cream jar | 70 mm wide, 55 mm tall | 75 x 75 x 62 mm |
| 200 ml lotion pump bottle | 52 mm wide, 175 mm tall | 56 x 56 x 185 mm |
| 50 ml hand cream tube | 35 mm wide, 125 mm tall | 40 x 28 x 135 mm |
How do you stop a cream jar rattling in its box?
A glass jar in a loose carton knocks on every side in transit.
Two fixes work. The first is a carton cut to the jar with 2 to 3 mm clearance, no more. The second is a card collar or platform insert that holds the jar off the walls.
The sage green box in our photos shows the square style most jar brands choose. The lid sits flush, the jar drops in from the top, and the lid print carries the brand on the shelf.
Cream jar boxes with a card collar suit heavier glass jars of 50 ml and up. Lighter plastic jars are fine in a plain carton.
Which box suits a pump bottle or a cleanser?
Pump bottles are tall, and the pump head decides the box height.
A 200 ml cleanser with its pump locked down is about 175 mm; with the pump up it can be 195 mm. Box for the locked position and say so on the insert.
Cleansers often ship as a pair with a toner or a cream, so a two-piece carton with a drop-in platform works well. The open-fronted box in our photos has a fold-down flap that shows the bottle at the counter, then closes for the parcel.
Cleanser and pump bottle boxes can be made as a plain tuck end, a display-flap carton or a lid-and-base with an insert.
Which board should skincare boxes use?
Folding boxboard at about 350 to 400 gsm covers most skincare cartons.
It prints cleanly, folds without cracking on the creases and carries a 30 ml bottle or a 50 ml jar without bulging.
Heavier items change the answer. A 100 ml glass jar weighs 250 g or more with product, so go to the top of that range or step up to greyboard under a printed wrap. Kraft board gives a natural look that suits balm and oil brands.
Rigid boxes are glued, not folded, so they arrive assembled and take up more space in storage. Folding cartons arrive flat and take seconds to make up. Ask for a different board, a rigid build or a finish and the quote confirms it.
Should a skincare box have a window?
A window earns its place when the container does the selling: amber glass, a frosted jar, a coloured cap.
Cut a window the shape of the bottle on the front panel and the product shows on the shelf without the box being opened.
For plain white bottles a window adds little and costs a dieline change. It also weakens the front panel slightly, so keep windows under about 60 per cent of the panel height on a tall serum carton.
Windows can be left open or backed with a clear film. Open windows suit shop shelves; filmed windows keep dust off stock that sits in a stockroom for months.
What print and finishes work on skincare cartons?
Skincare brands usually print full colour CMYK on white board, then add one finish that does the talking.
A soft touch lamination gives the matt, slightly rubbery feel most premium skincare uses. Gloss lamination suits brighter, clinical designs.
Foil stamping works best on the logo and the product name, not on body text. Spot UV over a pattern, like the lace print on our hand cream carton, lifts the design without adding colour. Embossing the logo gives a touch you can feel in the hand.
Both folding cartons and rigid boxes take inside print. A pale colour or a short message inside the lid costs little extra and shows the moment the box opens. Hand cream boxes with a patterned print show how a single finish carries a small carton.
Do skincare boxes need an insert for the post?
If the product is going to a customer in a parcel, yes, usually.
The carton alone protects the label and the look; the insert protects the glass. A card insert cut to the bottle's base stops it sliding.
For glass lotion bottles, a two-part card cradle holds the bottle at top and bottom. Foam inserts are available for heavy jars and sets. Tissue is the cheapest option and works for plastic bottles and tubes.
Lotion boxes with a card insert are built for exactly this: a bottle of 100 to 250 ml that travels inside a mailer with other items.
Where do skincare brands go wrong with packaging?
The same few mistakes come up on proofs every week.
Most are easy to avoid once you know them.
Measure the finished product, including the closure, and send a photo with the measurements. Our designers check the dieline against it before the proof goes out.
- Measuring the bottle without its dropper or pump fitted
- Leaving no room for a batch code and a barcode on the back panel
- Setting body text under 7 pt, which fills in on soft touch lamination
- Picking a rigid box for something that ships in a padded mailer
- Ordering one size of carton for two bottles of different heights
- Approving a proof on a phone screen without checking the panel order
How do you order skincare packaging?
The quote form on this page covers one product.
If you have several, list them in the message box or send a spreadsheet by email and we quote them together.
- Measure each container with its closure on, in millimetres, and photograph it next to a ruler.
- Pick a box style per product: tuck end, lid and base, drawer or rigid.
- Send your logo or artwork with the quantity per product and any finish you want quoted.
- Get a written quote back within one business day.
- Approve the free design proof, or ask for changes until it is right.
- Production runs 4 to 6 business days; tracked delivery anywhere in the UK is free and takes 2 to 3 more.
Design Your Packaging
Choose a real photo of the box you have in mind, put your logo on it, pick a colour and finish, and send it over. Our designers turn it into a free, print-ready proof.
Brief us on the box you need
The more we know about what goes inside, the bottle or jar, the quantity and the look you are after, the sharper the price. A packaging specialist replies within one business day with a written quote and a free design proof.
- Written prices from £0.25 a box.
- Free design proof before anything is printed.
- Made in 4–6 business days after proof approval.
- Free tracked delivery across the UK in 2–3 business days.
- Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded.
Skincare Packaging: common questions
Not answered here? Call +44 7578 382054, message our packaging team on WhatsApp or email info@thecosmeticpackaging.co.uk.
What is the smallest skincare box you make?
A carton for a 5 ml sample vial, about 20 x 20 x 60 mm, is the smallest we print regularly. Anything smaller is quoted case by case.
Do serum boxes need a neck insert?
Not usually. A carton cut 2 mm larger than the bottle on each side holds it still. A neck insert is worth adding for 50 ml bottles with a heavy glass dropper.
Can you print the ingredients list on the box?
Yes. Send the text as part of your artwork or as a separate file and our designers place it on a back or side panel at a readable size.
Does a cream jar box need a lid or a tuck?
Either works. A tuck end carton is cheaper and ships flat. A lid-and-base box looks heavier on a shelf and suits jars sold as gifts.
Is a window cut-out a good idea on a skincare carton?
It is useful when the bottle or jar is part of the brand, for example coloured glass. Windows are less helpful for plain white containers.
Can the inside of a skincare box be printed?
Yes, on folding cartons and on rigid boxes. A flood colour inside the lid is the most common choice.
Which board is best for a kraft-look skincare range?
Kraft board printed in one or two colours gives the natural look without a coating. Full colour on kraft is possible but prints darker than on white.
How do I box a glass bottle that will be posted?
Use a carton with a card insert that grips the base and neck, then put the carton inside a mailer. Lotion boxes and serum boxes both take an insert on request.
Can you match my existing box size for a reorder?
Yes. Send a sample or the dimensions and we remake it. If your artwork files have changed, we proof the new version first.
Do hand cream boxes come with a hanging tab?
They can. A tab or loop at the top turns a slim carton into a peg-hung gift box. Ask for it when you request the quote.
How many skincare boxes should a start-up order first?
Every quantity is priced per order, so ask for two or three and compare. Many first orders are a few hundred per product.