Ever-Evolving Tubes

These tubes from Express Tubes showcase the shimmering effects that foil can provide.

With attributes ranging from cost-effectiveness to decorative capabilities, tubes continue to roll out as a package of choice in the beauty and personal care market.

Written by Steve Katz, Associate Editor

Prior to the latter part of the 19th century, the common practice for brushing one’s teeth wasn’t very hygienic. Families would buy porcelain jars of dental cream, and would simply dig their toothbrushes into the jars, then clean their teeth. Washington Wentworth Sheffield, a dentist in New London, CT, thought the process not very sanitary. Sheffield had seen foreign foods packaged in collapsible metal tubes, and decided to create a flexible tube container for toothpaste. The idea caught on, and Dr. Sheffield’s Creme Dentrifice became a big seller. The tube as a beauty and personal care package was born. And it would go on to be used with numerous other products apart from toothpaste, many in the beauty industry.

Today, the tube market continues to expand. Tin, the material used to construct those first tubes, has given way to plastic as the material of choice, and the evolution continues. Notably, cosmetic and toiletries brands are some of the biggest tube users, accounting for 56% of demand in 2009, according to The Freedonia Group, an international market research company. The firm also reports that squeeze tubes are by far the largest tube packaging product type (with twist tubes being a distant second), accounting for 61% of value demand in 2009.

Through 2014, The Freedonia Group expects squeeze tube demand to climb 4.8% annually to $1.1 billion: “Gains will be supported by production growth in the large cosmetic, toiletry and pharmaceutical markets. Additionally, prospects will be helped by improved barrier properties in extruded plastic tubes, and greater use of laminate tubes in applications beyond toothpaste.”The report also says that good opportunities are anticipated for unit-of-use tubes, which can offer accurate dosing of pharmaceuticals and serve as sample or promotional packaging for cosmetics and toiletries.

Plastic is the dominant material in tube packaging, according to Freedonia, and this is based on its combination of favorable attributes, including its being lightweight, the relatively low cost, decorative capabilities and barrier properties. And while plastic continues to boom, Freedonia says that aluminum tubes are on the decline.

Easy Does It

A key driver behind why the tube market has come such a long way, and continues to grow, is its versatility and ease of use. “A tube is the simplest packaging to fill, is suitable for any kind of viscosity, there are no main compatibility issues according to sleeve construction choices. It’s also inexpensive, and easy to use for the consumer,” says Denis Richard-Orliange, general manager for Cosmogen, a global developer and supplier of cosmetics products, with U.S. headquarters in Fort Lee, NJ.

“Tube packaging is a good fit for most beauty products,” agrees Lou Della Pesca, owner of 3C Inc., a cosmetics packaging developer based in Wyckoff, NJ.“The tube is easy to handle. And the application of the product requires the consumer to come into contact with only the amount of product to be used. Not only that, but the tube is very cost effective and highly durable,” he adds.

Goran Adolfsson, president, Sirius Machinery Inc., a packaging group with U.S. headquarters in Branchburg, NJ, notes that for certain products, tubes are a particularly good fit. “Any time the product calls for variable and controlled dispensing, a tube is a great choice,” he says.

Beauty products with sensitive formulations, such as those without preservatives are also a particularly good fit for tubes, says Monika Rüegg, head of sales and marketing for Neopac, a Swiss provider of tubes for the biotech, pharmaceutical, personal care and cosmetic industries. “Sensitive beauty products without preservatives that need packaging with high barrier properties are a good fit for tube packaging. For instance, Neopac’s high barrier Polyfoil tubes offer protection against light, moisture and oxygen as well as high impermeability to organic and chemical substances,” she says.

Suppliers by and large are reporting that it’s more than functionality and ease of use that’s drawing brands to tubes. “Tubes offer the opportunity to be dynamic, creative and unique in the packaging of beauty products, because unlike traditional bottles, they are completely customizable—allowing beauty products to stand out on the shelves, attract end-users and provide diversity to full brand lines,” says Shanna Massey, sales manager for Express Tubes, a Seattle, WA, based custom tube manufacturer.

As Della Pesca mentions, the tube is durable, which is another reason why the market is growing, in addition to the plethora of other advantages they provide.

Steve Gallo, VP sales and marketing for Global Packaging Inc., Brea, CA, says the tube has always been considered the perfect container for semi-solid formulations such as creams, gels, lotions and ointments. “Tubes have a convenient size, shape and lightweight characteristics,” Gallo says, and “their durability during use, their ability to accept many different decorating techniques and/or labeling, and in the case of barrier tubes, their capability to offer stability with aggressive formulations and highly pigmented products, are also reasons why tube packaging is ideal for beauty products.” Gallo also points out that tubes are capable of offering longer shelf life to products containing fragrance or active ingredients.

Improved Decoration

As noted, tubes have the ability to accept a wide range of decorating technologies, resulting in all kinds of branding possibilities.

“Tubes are easy to decorate by offset printing, silk screening, hot stamping and varnishing,” Richard-Orliange points out, emphasizing that this makes it easy for packaging suppliers to meet customer requests.

And the fact that decorating technology has seen its share of advancements only adds to what a brand can do with a tube. “Printing is the best it has ever been and improved decoration seems to be one of the bigger trends in tube manufacture. There are now more colors, brighter colors and multi-layer foil with colors,” says Chris White of The Filling Station, a contract tube filler in Flemington, NJ. “In addition, equipping tubes with different types of head styles is another trend that’s on the rise.”

Della Pesca also points out the advances made in tube decoration. “Decoration has increased from one or two colors to multiple colors of 10 or more. And the ability to transfer a photographic image gives the customer a ‘live’ image for the product,” he says.

Pressure sensitive labeling is one method of tube decoration, however, that has its drawbacks. With labels, a printer and its lead times have to be relied upon as part of the supply chain.

World Wide Packaging (WWP), Florham Park, NJ, has recently made some serious investments in decorating technology that’s played a major role in the company being up 80% in its tube business the last two years. “We put our money where our mouth is,” says Jeff Hayet, executive VP, global sales. “In the last 24 months, we have invested several million dollars in new decorating technology. We’ve built five in-line silk screening machines that print label-quality graphics directly on a tube. So we’re selling 6-color silk screening at an offset price. There’s no other company doing this, and we’re experiencing massive growth,” he says.

Hayet emphasizes that the company set out on this equipment endeavor with the mantra, “If you build it, they will come.” And they have, according to Hayet. “The new technology has overwhelmed us. We’ve been very fortunate. The machines feature high throughput and impeccable registration, with curing at every station, and we’re not limited by tube diameters.”

Advances in flexo printing are another area that WWP has embraced. “In addition to the silk screening, we also now have a special machine that’s capable of flexo printing a lifelike photo quality image. It really has the ‘wow factor.’ A plastic tube is either round or oval, but we’re pushing the possibilities of what a plastic tube can be. “We’re creating a business built on our printing capabilities, where the focus is on the graphics. And it’s our machinery, so we control the lead times–we’re not waiting for someone to print labels. We can’t duplicate a label; but in 90-plus percent of the cases, we can find a solution based on the investments we’ve made. And most customers don’t want many suppliers–they want less. It’s all about value-added graphics.”

But of course there’s more to tube decoration then what’s printed on the tube, there’s the tube itself, which can serve an aesthetic function. “There seems to be two very distinct and opposite looks right now,” says Massey of Express Tubes. “It’s either organic, natural and simplistic designs or metallic, shiny, high-end foil.” Glitter and hot pink is also very popular these days, Massey adds, which speaks to trends being set by the powerful “tween” demographic. “Metallic and chrome looks have become very trendy in 2010 and tubes can achieve this look through the use of laminates, Polyfoil, shrink-wrap labels, pearl or shimmer finishes and advanced deco designs.”

Adolfsson points out that with the increased use of tubes that are formed from a flat preprinted sheet, printing quality has improved and the amount of options has increased dramatically. He says, “Tubes today come in such a wide range of sizes and materials, that it probably is one of the easier packages to move into.”

Green and Lean

Tubes are generally lightweight. And the benefit of this is twofold—for the budget and for the environment.

Walking through the aisles where tubes are in abundance, a distinct green advantage is fairly obvious. Most of the tubes are standing alone, upright, on their caps. “Most tubes are presented without any secondary packaging and they can be made very lightweight, thus saving on material used,” notes Adolfsson.

Reducing material does present its share of challenges, as well as some give and take, however. Richard-Orliange notes that with materials savings, there are value-added benefits. “On one side, manufacturers decrease prices by reducing weight and sleeve thickness. On the other side, these savings are then used to offer added value features, like applicators, for example,” he says.

As with all segments of the beauty packaging industry today, being eco-friendly is desired, and tubes are no exception. “There is absolutely a heavy push towards ‘going green’ and sustainability, which tubes are great for, as we have the ability to produce with PCR, and all PE tubes are recyclable,” says Massey.

PE has inherently green properties, which make it an attractive tube material. “Unlike laminate tubes, PE tubes do offer the opportunity for full-circle recycling by the consumer,” points out Gallo. “Our customers and brand owners can offer a reduced carbon footprint with our PCR tubes, which can be made with up to 69% total PCR material including the cap, providing one of the highest uses of PCR in the industry. PCR tubes are made from a unique combination of virgin and recycled plastics and are themselves fully recyclable, allowing participation by the recycler, the brand owner and the end user.”

With the drive to offer truly sustainable products to consumers, brands in turn often look toward certified green partners along the supply chain. And having green certification can provide a real boost for business.

Neopac recently appointed Daniel Müller as environmental manager, in preparation for the company’s ISO 14001 certification, which calls for an environmental management system.

“We are striving to achieve Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001 in May 2011,” explains Müller. “My role is to prepare, plan and implement an environment management system, and to build up a useful control mechanism. More and more customers are asking for ‘green tubes.’ says Müller. “They are seeking to offer products with a good eco-balance that are safer for the environment as well as the consumer. In this way, they are not only meeting the needs of the consumer, but also creating an image of an environmentally conscious supplier.”

Global Packaging’s PCR tubes are fully recyclable.

Attachments and Barriers

While improvements in decoration have given tubes graphics that “pop,” enhancements in functionality are also here. Attachments, applicators, multiple chambers, airless pumps, and improvements in barriers are all adding value to the once-simple tube.

Global Packaging Inc. has recently introduced its new airless tube pump on its PE and COEX tubes, which provided a package that allows the potential for preservative-free formulations, and a package that allows for complete evacuation of the product. Gallo explains: “During use, the airless pump collapses the tube completely as the pump dispenses a consistent amount of product each time, to the point of actually collapsing the tube shoulder as it nears the end of its use. The airless tube is a great alternative to the more expensive airless bottles.

“Also, at the recent Luxe Pack show in New York,” continues Gallo, “we introduced a rather unique tube, which is the proprietary marriage of two separate technologies to produce a PBL (Plastic Barrier Laminate) laminate tube in oval. The advantages of the PBL tube in addition to its high-barrier properties is that, because the webstock is decorated in-the-flat, we have the capability to decorate with up to 8-color printing of complex decorations, thereby eliminating the need to use a label. The PBL tube also offers a very competitive alternative to the PE oval tubes,” Gallo says.

Express Tubes has turned to applicators and dual chambers to add value to its tube portfolio. “Dual chamber tubes and brush tip applicators have brought new tube technologies to the next level,” says Massey, adding that the company also offers a wide range of sizing options. “We can produce tube diameters from 13- to 60mm with fluid ounce capacities of .10- to 13-oz., and our wide range of head styles is great for products like lipgloss, cleansers, toners, foundations, bronzers, eye treatments and more.”

The Squeeze’n Puff from Cosmogen comes with a removable and washable puff.

Cosmogen has also added to its line of tubes with unique, innovative applicators. “Customers prefer to use a tube base that’s easy to fill, to decorate, that’s cost effective, and one that provides the consumer with added value with applicators to maximize formula efficiency, make the product highly technical, as well as more hygienic,” Richard-Orliange says.

To meet these goals, Cosmogen has developed several tubes with applicators either for makeup or skincare—the Squeeze and the Mini-Squeeze range. In the Squeeze range is the Squeeze’n Roll and the Squeeze’n Puff. The Squeeze’n Roll is equipped with an ergonomic roller applicator in stainless steel or ceramic.It provides a cool massaging effect and optimizes the contact of the formula with the skin. It’s suitable for body care (anti-cellulite treatment, neck and head massage gel), as well as men and women’s skincare. The Squeeze’n Puff comes with a removable and washable puff. Designed for comfort, it’s suitable for liquid formulas and creams.

Cosmogen’s line of squeezable tubes is also available in “mini” form, with applicators mounted on tubes from 8- to 20ml. Among the applicator tubes in this line is the Mini Squeeze ‘n Tint, an integrated brush, suitable for makeup (glitter gel, concealer) and skin care. And there’s also the Mini Squeeze ‘n Spatula, equipped with a double-sided elastomeric spatula (one is smooth, the other one is scrub) with dual action—the application of the formula and a scrubbing or massaging effect.

Michael Daum, director of sales and marketing for VPI (Vision Packaging Innovation), Clifton, NJ, comments that, anytime a supply side packaging company leaves its “comfort zone” to parlay into an established and crowded market—such as tubes—you better have a consumer readily identifiable benefit. He says, “Differentiation remains the key element. VPI will shortly introduce to the market patent-pending laminate tubes that utilize layers of PET and aluminum and ceramic-coated PET as the barrier layer. Superior to the more commonly used EVOH barrier layer, the identifiable consumer benefit is longer shelf life for ever increasingly sophisticated skin care formulations,” he says.

Cost Conscious

“Cheaper, cheaper, cheaper!” declares The Filling Station’s Chris White, when talking about the trends he’s seeing in the tube market. And this has been a main growth driver for tubes, as well as one of the reasons the market has stood its ground during the current recession.

“The tube is very cost effective,” says 3C Inc.’s Della Pesca. “The tube market has held up very well in light of the economic recession. The fact that it’s so cost effective is one reason for the continued increase in the purchase of tubes,” he adds.

Tubes also make a cost-effective packaging vessel for new product launches and start-up companies. Massey interestingly points out that perhaps because tubes are inexpensive, it has led to the proliferation of more private label beauty products hitting the shelves. “The tube industry, thankfully, has done very well during these tough times,” she says. “Our production lines are busier than ever and I think a lot of new beauty lines have been created as an alternative business and career option due to layoffs and unemployment.”

So it seems the versatile, durable, easy-to-use tube has come a long way, even as it continues to evolve.Dr. Sheffield would be proud.