Essential oils is a nearly $11 billion industry, and much of that success often hinges on packaging choices made by manufacturers. Effective essential oils packaging enhances the overall user experience and can improve the brand’s reputation in a competitive market. Poor choices and oversights can seriously jeopardize both the customer experience and the brand’s credibility. There are three primary considerations associated with packaging that improve the quality and longevity of essential oil.
- Leakage
Leakage stems from one of two causes: incompatible components or issues during the filling process. Oil leaks can mar the appearance of the bottle, create a mess for the consumer and result in wasted product. The consequences of a leaky product can lead to a perception of having low-quality or poorly manufactured products. In an age where online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are a huge consideration, negative experiences can quickly cause a decline in trust.
Product Compatibility
The best way to avoid leaking is to choose the right dispensing system from the start. EuroDrop® caps and dropper bottles are the industry standard for dispensing and storing essential oils. Why? Because they use 18DIN caps and bottle necks, which are universally designed to create a proper fit every time, reducing the chance of leakage.When it comes to essential oil packaging, deciding how to transfer these extracts from the bottle to the diffuser becomes a crucial consideration. It’s not just about aesthetic appeal—other variables such as cost, materials and color come into play. Let’s consider some of the things you need to think about when selecting an essential oil bottle.
Filling Process
Leakage can also be caused by the filling process. This can be costly in terms of time and money. If oil gets onto the bottle thread during filling, the cap cannot seal correctly due to skip threading and cap back-off. To reduce product leakage, consider recalibrating the torque setting on the capping machine.Reduce Leakage with Carow
When you need to minimize the risk of leakage, Carow’s dispensing solutions are the perfect fit. Our dropper bottles not only provide an effective means of dispensing essential oils but they also come with a built-in tamper-evident feature through the transfer ring. Paired with a tamper-evident EuroDrop cap, these bottles effectively eliminate the need for shrink wrapping, keeping the product secure and totally leak-proof.Carow Packaging has also meticulously designed our EuroDrop caps to surpass the most stringent design standards. Made in the USA, you can get them quickly and without exorbitant overseas shipping costs.
You can read more about quality control issues and troubleshooting here.
- Safety
Safety is a crucial aspect of essential oils packaging, governed by regulations such as the Poison Prevent Packaging Act from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).
Child-resistant packaging requires an intentional design to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion or exposure to potentially harmful substances. Having a child injured due to faulty packaging is a tragedy and a worst-case scenario for any company. It is important to understand the rules and testing procedures of child-resistant manufacturing so producers can utilize appropriate and safe essential oils packaging for their customers.
Carow offers a diverse range of caps tailored to improve safety and packaging efficiency. Our selection includes regular, push-turn, child-resistant, tamper-evident, and child-resistant caps. We notably offer a line of caps 100% compliant with CPSC standards.
Bear in mind that just because a protocol test has been passed by the closure manufacturer, doesn’t necessarily mean the product is compliant when it reaches the end user. This is because while protocol testing means the packaging can pass child-resistant tests, the filling and bottling provider must manufacture it correctly in order to keep it secure.
You can learn more about the CPSC guidelines and proactive steps you can take to maintain regulatory compliance in all steps of the packaging process here.
- Spoilage or Product Longevity
If the product has an ill-fitting cap, it increases the chances of uncontrollable evaporation or spoilage. The primary culprits that directly affect product longevity are exposure to oxygen and light.Essential oils are highly concentrated products with delicate chemical compositions. When introduced to oxygen, it can significantly alter the chemical structure of the oil, resulting in adverse effects on its aroma and reducing its shelf life. Light, particularly ultraviolet rays, can exacerbate the effects of oxidation, leading to the formation of undesirable by-products and diminishing the quality and efficacy.While there are a variety of colors and materials to choose from, it’s important to factor in how light will affect the product.Glass bottles are inert and are the best choice for naturally aggressive essential oils. The four most common color options for glass bottles include:
- Amber or Brown
- Flint or Clear
- Cobalt Blue
- Green
Each color has its own aesthetic and protective factors. In regard to light protection, darker and more opaque glass offers greater protection against oxidation.
Read about which colored glass is best for essential oils here.
Let Carow Be Your Trusted Partner
As both a manufacturer and distributor, our goal is to provide the best solution for every customer. At Carow, we routinely test ALL products in our office lab for form, fit and function. Our quality assurance ensures that all products, whether designed in-house or resourced from another manufacturer, meets the highest quality standards. EuroDrop provides better sealing, no insert corrosion and the precise measuring necessary for essential oils, tinctures, herbal extracts, and aromatherapy products. Request a free EuroDrop sample kit today.
Ready to improve your essential oils packaging? Download our free Essential Oils Dispensing Success Guide for even more in-depth information on your packaging choices.
We are experts in providing high-quality dispensing solutions, such as dropper pipettes and adaptor caps that sustain the integrity and potency of essential oils. For assistance with your essential oils packaging or optimizing your flow rate, contact Carow Packaging’s Account Specialists at 815-455-4600.
