Airless Packaging
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.
- 15 ml
- 20 ml
- 30 ml
- 50 ml
- 75 ml
- 100 ml
At a glance
- Best for
- Dosing-critical treatments · Preservative-reduced formulas · Premium serum and eye products
- Formula fit
- Retinol serum · Vitamin C serum · Eye cream
- Materials
- PP · PCR PP · Acrylic outer with PP engine
- Decoration
- Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap · Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall
What are airless pump bottles?
Airless pump bottles differ from standard lotion pumps in one structural way: there is no dip tube and no air return path. Instead the product is stored in a sealed inner container — either a bag-in-bottle pouch or a piston chamber — and the pump draws from the bottom of it.
That structure is also what makes airless pumps suitable for formulas that would dry out or separate in a standard pump bottle, and for dosing products where each application should be identical: eye creams, spot treatments, retinol serums and tinted foundations.
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, PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP engine, PE/EVOH pouch, TPE gaskets |
| Closures / dispensing | Airless pump with overcap, Locking actuator, Fine-tip nozzle, Wide-plate cream nozzle, Metal-look collar and actuator |
| 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
Metered, repeatable dose
Output is a fixed engine property, tested gravimetrically at ±10%, so label directions such as 'two pumps per application' stay accurate to the last dose.
No back-flow contamination
Nothing returns into the container, so the remaining formula does not pick up contaminants from the actuator.
Travel-safe sealing
Locking actuators and sealed chambers are tested for inverted leak and pressure change, which makes airless pumps well suited to travel retail.
Who it is suitable for
- Dosing-critical treatments
- Preservative-reduced formulas
- Premium serum and eye products
- Clinical and pharmacy channels
- Tinted and pigmented products
Suitable formulas and products
- Retinol serum
- Vitamin C serum
- Eye cream
- Concealer and tinted fluid
- Body treatment
- Sun care fluid
Customisation options
Airless Pump 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 pump bottles. Send any specific question through the contact form and a packaging engineer will reply in writing.
What is the difference between an airless pump bottle and a regular pump bottle?
A regular pump bottle has a dip tube and lets air into the bottle each time product is dispensed. An airless pump bottle uses a piston or pouch that collapses as product leaves, so the formula stays sealed from air.
Which is better: piston or pouch airless?
Piston systems are simpler, more common and lower cost, and handle medium-viscosity creams and serums well. Pouch (bag-in-bottle) systems separate the formula fully from the outer wall and suit very low viscosity or highly reactive formulas, at a higher cost.
Do airless pumps need special filling equipment?
Yes — airless filling is normally bottom-up or vacuum-assisted to avoid trapped air. We provide filling instructions, recommended fill temperature ranges and filled-sample validation data with production orders.
What is the production lead time for airless pump bottles?
Stock samples in 5–10 working days; custom colour and decorated samples in 10–20 working days. 15–30 working days after sample approval, depending on quantity, decoration and assembly complexity.
What is the MOQ for airless pump 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 pump 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 pump 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, PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP engine, PE/EVOH pouch, TPE gaskets. Selection is driven by formula compatibility, clarity requirements, decoration and any recycled-content target.
Still have a question? Talk to a packaging expert.
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Quotes and samples for airless pump 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)