Cosmetic packaging boxes
18pt SBS, soft touch200 minimum · 10 to 14 business daysA cosmetic carton is a folding carton built for lipsticks, compacts, mascaras, foundations and palettes, on 18pt SBS with a soft-touch or matte finish and a panel laid out for the ingredient list. We produce them from 200 units in 10 to 14 business days after proof, with foil, deboss and spot UV. Most run 1 by 1 by 3.5 to 4 by 4 by 1.5 inches.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a cosmetic carton when the product sits on a shelf, in a set, or ships inside a mailer and needs to look right when it is opened. The carton carries the ingredient list, the net weight and the period after opening mark, so it does regulatory work as well as brand work. Soft-touch lamination on 18pt is the finish we usually suggest for beauty because it reads as expensive without adding a process.
Choose a magnetic closure box for a palette or a set that the customer will keep on a dresser, since a carton is opened and recycled. Choose a lip balm carton for very small items under 1 inch square, where 16pt board and a simpler dieline do the job at lower cost.
Specifications
| Board | 16 or 18pt SBS, 24pt for glass over 3 ounces |
|---|---|
| Offset CMYK, one color, Pantone match, metallic ink | |
| Finish | Soft-touch lamination, matte aqueous, foil, blind deboss, spot UV |
| Closure | Straight tuck end or reverse tuck end with friction lock |
| Insert | Paperboard cradle for glass, collar for tubes and mascaras |
| Panels | Front, back with ingredients and net weight, two sides, top and bottom |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 10 to 14 business days after proof |
| Ships | Flat, glued, in bundles of 50 |
| Sizes we run | 1 x 1 x 3.5 in 1.5 x 1.5 x 4.5 in 2.5 x 2.5 x 1 in 3 x 1.5 x 5 in 4 x 4 x 1.5 in any size from 0.75 x 0.75 x 2 to 10 x 8 x 4 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
Which finish do most beauty brands choose?
Soft-touch lamination on 18pt SBS, usually with one foil or spot UV element on the front. It scuffs less than matte aqueous, it photographs without glare, and it feels like velvet in the hand. Gloss lamination suits bright color cosmetics. Matte aqueous is the budget option and is fine for cartons that ship inside a mailer and are not handled on a shelf.
Where does the ingredient list go?
On the back panel or one side panel, set in type no smaller than about 0.06 in cap height so it stays legible. Net weight goes on the front in the lower third. The period after opening symbol and any batch code area go beside the ingredients. We lay out these zones on the dieline before you place artwork so nothing gets squeezed later.
Will a glass bottle be safe in a carton?
Yes with a cradle. A die-cut paperboard cradle or a collar holds a glass bottle upright and stops it touching the carton walls. For a 30 ml foundation or a 50 ml serum on 18pt that is enough inside a mailer. For glass over 3 ounces we move to 24pt and a two-layer cradle. Send us the bottle and we fit it.
Can I foil and deboss the same carton?
Yes. A registered deboss with foil in the recess is a single pass on a foil press and is the finish that reads as most expensive on a dark carton. Blind deboss with no foil is quieter and suits a matte carton. Both run from 200 units. Keep the foil area under about 30 percent of the panel to avoid cracking on the fold.
What is the smallest carton you can make?
About 0.75 by 0.75 by 2 inches inside, which covers a lip liner or a single eyeshadow pan. Below that the tuck flaps become too small to hold. For lip balm sticks and very small items we have a dedicated lip balm carton on 16pt with a simpler dieline that costs less to make and closes better at that size.
How are cosmetic packaging boxes different from the skincare carton?
They are the same family of folding carton, so choose by product. Cosmetic packaging boxes are laid out for color cosmetics, lipsticks, compacts, mascaras and palettes, on 16 or 18pt SBS with a collar for tubes and 24pt for glass over 3 ounces. The skincare carton is built for bottles, jars, droppers and pumps, on 18pt SBS with a paperboard cradle for glass and 24pt above 100 ml, with a back panel for ingredients and net contents. Both start at 200 units in 10 to 14 business days after proof and take the same finishes. Makeup goes in the cosmetic carton; serums and creams in the skincare carton.
How are cosmetic packaging boxes different from the cosmetic mailer box?
Shelf versus doorstep. Cosmetic packaging boxes are folding cartons on 16 to 24pt SBS that hold one product on a shelf or inside another box, with a soft-touch or matte finish and an ingredient panel. The cosmetic mailer box is an E-flute corrugated mailer with a fitted 24pt insert holding one to six items, built to go through a carrier on its own and open like a gift. Both start at 200 units in 10 to 14 business days after proof. Many brands use both: a carton for each product, and the mailer for sets and direct shipments.
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Ready to price your cosmetic packaging boxes?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.