Airless Packaging
Airless Bottles
An airless bottle dispenses product with a vacuum piston or pouch system instead of a dip tube, so the formula never contacts air between uses, the dose is metered and up to 95% of the fill volume is usable.
- 15 ml
- 20 ml
- 30 ml
- 50 ml
- 75 ml
- 100 ml
At a glance
- Best for
- Vitamin C, retinol and peptide serums · Clean-beauty lines with reduced preservation · Medical-aesthetic and clinical products
- Formula fit
- Serum and concentrate · Face cream and emulsion · Eye cream
- Materials
- PP (body and engine) · PCR PP · Acrylic outer with PP inner
- Decoration
- Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap · Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall
What are airless bottles?
Airless packaging is the most protective primary packaging available for skincare: it separates the formula from air, limits contact with the same surfaces, and delivers a fixed dose with every stroke. For actives that oxidise — vitamin C, retinol, bakuchiol, peptides, probiotics — this can decide whether a formula holds its claims through the shelf life.
An airless bottle is a system, not a bottle. Body, inner container, piston, pump engine, actuator and overcap must be engineered together, and performance is measured in five numbers: dose per stroke, priming strokes, residual product, leak resistance and stroke life.
Typical specification range
Values below are the ranges we quote most often. Confirm against your formula viscosity, fill weight and destination market before freezing a specification.
| Parameter | Options we quote |
|---|---|
| Capacities | 15 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 50 ml, 75 ml, 100 ml, 120 ml, 150 ml, 200 ml |
| Materials | PP (body and engine), PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP inner, PE/EVOH pouch systems |
| Closures / dispensing | Airless pump with overcap, Twist-lock actuator, Metal-look collar, Airless pump with fine tip, Refill cartridge |
| Customisation | Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap, Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall, Hot stamping and metal-look collars, Soft-touch, satin, matte or frosted coating, Metallised actuator and collar finishes, Refill cartridge colour differentiation, PCR or mono-material outer components |
| MOQ | 1,000 pcs per design for stock moulds; 3,000 pcs for decorated orders; 10,000 pcs per size for custom moulds. |
| Sampling time | Stock samples in 5–10 working days; custom colour and decorated samples in 10–20 working days. |
| Production lead time | 15–30 working days after sample approval, depending on quantity, decoration and assembly complexity. |
Product features
Air-free dispensing
Product leaves the pack only through the pump, so the remaining formula is never exposed to oxygen between uses.
Metered dosing
Dose per stroke is fixed at production, typically 0.15–0.30 ml for 15–30 ml serum packs and 0.30–0.50 ml for 50–100 ml creams.
High evacuation
Piston systems evacuate a large share of the fill volume — typically 90–95% — which matters when the formula costs more per ml than the pack.
Who it is suitable for
- Vitamin C, retinol and peptide serums
- Clean-beauty lines with reduced preservation
- Medical-aesthetic and clinical products
- Premium e-commerce launches
- Body and sun care with precise dosing
Suitable formulas and products
- Serum and concentrate
- Face cream and emulsion
- Eye cream
- Sunscreen fluid
- Body serum
- Foundation and tinted products
Customisation options
Airless Bottles can be delivered as a stock-mould pack with your colour and decoration, or developed into a proprietary format. Decoration is specified against the final surface finish so print adhesion and colour hold in use.
- Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap
- Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall
- Hot stamping and metal-look collars
- Soft-touch, satin, matte or frosted coating
- Metallised actuator and collar finishes
- Refill cartridge colour differentiation
- PCR or mono-material outer components
How these are manufactured
Parts are moulded by injection, injection blow or extrusion blow moulding depending on the format and material, then assembled, decorated and inspected in lots. Moulding parameters are recorded per mould so repeat orders match the approved sample. Read the manufacturing process.
Quality control
Dimension and weight checks, closure torque, leak and dose testing where relevant, colour verification (ΔE ≤ 1.5 opaque parts) and AQL 1.0/2.5 final inspection. Lot records are supplied with the shipping documents. See the inspection checklist.
Materials for this range
- PP — material guide
- PCR plastic — material guide
- Acrylic — material guide
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions buyers ask most about airless bottles. Send any specific question through the contact form and a packaging engineer will reply in writing.
How does an airless bottle work?
When you press the actuator, a vacuum is created under the piston or inside the pouch. The piston rises or the pouch collapses as product is drawn to the pump chamber, so air never replaces the dispensed volume. Priming — a few strokes at first use — fills the pump chamber.
What is the dose per stroke of an airless bottle?
Typical outputs are 0.15–0.25 ml for 15–50 ml serum formats, 0.20–0.30 ml for 30 ml face creams, and 0.30–0.50 ml for 75–200 ml body or sun-care formats. The engine determines the dose, so choose it before fixing the label quantity.
Which formulas benefit most from airless packaging?
Formulas with oxidation-sensitive actives (ascorbic acid, retinol, peptides, probiotics), preservative-reduced clean-beauty formulas, and products where the brand wants precise dosing such as eye creams and concentrates.
Are airless bottles refillable?
Yes. We supply reusable outer bottles with replaceable inner cartridges, and mono-material refill constructions where the outer body is reused and only the inner container and piston are replaced.
What is the MOQ for airless bottles?
1,000 pcs per design for stock moulds; 3,000 pcs for decorated orders; 10,000 pcs per size for custom moulds.
Can I customise the colour?
Yes. Colour is matched to a Pantone reference or a physical sample and verified on production-resin parts. Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap is the standard route, and we supply samples for approval before the run.
Can you print or emboss my logo?
Yes — printing, hot stamping, coating, labelling and custom closures are all available for airless bottles. Choose the method with your surface finish in mind: gloss print or foil works best on matte and soft-touch surfaces.
Can I request samples?
Stock samples in 5–10 working days; custom colour and decorated samples in 10–20 working days. Stock samples are supplied free (up to five pieces per SKU, courier at your cost); custom colour and decorated samples are quoted per project, typically USD 120–450.
Can you develop a custom mould?
Yes. Custom tooling is quoted as a separate line item with the cavity plan stated, usually from around 10,000 pcs per size and 25–40 calendar days from drawing approval to first-article inspection.
What is the production lead time?
15–30 working days after sample approval, depending on quantity, decoration and assembly complexity.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. We ship airless bottles to the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and Latin America, quoting FOB, CIF, DDP and air freight.
Which materials are available?
PP (body and engine), PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP inner, PE/EVOH pouch systems. Selection is driven by formula compatibility, clarity requirements, decoration and any recycled-content target.
Still have a question? Talk to a packaging expert.
More in Airless Packaging
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An airless jar keeps the familiar wide-mouth cream jar format but dispenses through a central plate with a piston underneath, so the formula stays protected and only the dose is exposed.
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Airless Pump Bottles
An airless pump bottle dispenses a metered dose from a sealed chamber, using a piston or a collapsible pouch so the formula is never exposed to air, contamination or back-flow.
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Airless Cosmetic Containers
Airless cosmetic containers are sealed systems — bottles, jars, dual-chamber packs and compacts — that dispense cream, serum or fluid without exposing the remaining formula to air.
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Refillable Airless Packaging
Refillable airless packaging combines the protection of an airless pump with a reusable outer body: the decorated shell stays, the inner cartridge and piston are replaced.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 50 ml · more
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Double Chamber Airless Bottles
A double chamber airless bottle holds two formulas in separate sealed chambers and dispenses them together through a single actuator or a dual outlet, so incompatible actives can be applied in one step.
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Airless Serum Bottles
Airless serum bottles are 15–50 ml sealed packs with a fine-dose airless engine, designed for concentrated actives such as vitamin C, retinol, bakuchiol and peptides that must stay protected from air and light.
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View range →Continue researching
Quotes and samples for airless bottles
Send the capacity, quantity, colour reference and decoration you need. We reply with MOQ, unit price band, sampling time and lead time — and we will tell you if a different format suits your formula better. Stock mould formats from 1,000 pcs per design; decorated orders typically from 3,000 pcs; custom moulds usually from 10,000 pcs per size.
No account required · NDA available · Quote replies within one business day (Mon–Sat, GMT+8)