Glass Bottles for Essential Oils FAQ

01 Jul.,2024

 

Glass Bottles for Essential Oils FAQ

One of the most important parts of operating a successful essential oils business is ensuring your products are bottled and labeled properly to protect them from environmental damage. Essential oils are delicate and are quick to degrade when they&#;re not protected from UV light.

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In this post, we&#;ll cover everything you need to know about glass bottles for essential oils &#; the different types of essential oil bottles, including the pros and cons of each, and some of the most commonly asked questions about bottling and packaging essential oils.

What is an Essential Oil Bottle?

An essential oil bottle is designed to both house and dispense essential oils. Although some essential oil bottles are made from impermeable plastics like PET, the vast majority of essential oils are packaged in glass bottles because essential oils are extremely potent. Many types of essential oils are corrosive enough to break down plastic containers over time, making plastic an unpopular choice for bottling most types of essential oils. Glass bottles are inert and won&#;t deteriorate when exposed to essential oils.

Types of Essential Oil Bottles

Essential oil bottles come in many different sizes, typically ranging from 1ml to 30ml. But the 10ml bottle is by far the most frequently used size for packaging pure essential oils. Bottles as large as 4oz can be used with some types of essential oils products. These larger containers typically house diluted essential oil-infused products like room sprays or body misters. 

Nearly every essential oil bottle comes with a cap dispenser. The most common types are a dropper insert and a dropper cap. Dropper inserts are a popular choice, because they allow for very precise control over how much oil is used. Dropper inserts are flat caps that allow single drops of oil to be easily dispensed. There are two main types of dropper inserts. A vertical dropper dispenses single drops of oil when turned upside down, while a horizontal dropper dispenses oil at the rim when tilted sideways. 

Glass pipette dropper tops are another popular dispensing system. These work by squeezing a small rubber bulb at the top of the cap to draw the essential oil into a pipette for dispensing. 

Learn more: Dropper Bottle Size Guide

Frequently Asked Questions About Glass Bottles for Essential Oils

There&#;s quite a lot to consider when searching for the best essential oil bottles. In this section, we&#;ll provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on this topic. 

Can essential oils be stored in plastic rather than glass bottles?

The short answer is it depends. Pure essential oils are highly concentrated and can easily corrode plastic bottles over time. However, some plastic materials are less prone to being permeated by essential oils and can work under certain circumstances. Glass, on the other hand, has the advantage of being completely inert and won&#;t degrade over time like some plastics will. Plastic containers may be a better choice for bottling less-concentrated liquids and creams like essential oil-infused lotions or cosmetics. 

Why do essential oils break down plastic?

Essential oils are raw, highly concentrated plant-based compounds, and plastic is generally porous in nature. The compounds in essential oils permeate and interact with plastic and cause rapid erosion. As a result, many essential oils will easily break down plastic containers. Additionally, when the essential oils interact with permeable plastic, compounds in the plastic can leach into the essential oils, significantly impacting their purity and effectiveness.

Do essential oils need to be stored in dark bottles?    

Sunlight is a leading cause of spoilage. Both visible and invisible (UV) light can negatively impact the quality of most essential oils. Dark blue and green glass offers some protection from visible light, but does little to protect the oils from the most damaging UV rays. Amber-colored glass is unique in its ability to block most UV rays. That&#;s why this color is so popular when it comes to protecting the products that are most susceptible to UV damage, like essential oils and alcohol. 

Does frosted glass protect essential oils?

Any type of clear glass will be more prone to allowing sunlight to interact with the essential oils. Frosted glass does little to block visible or UV light sources. Amber-colored glass is the gold standard when it comes to protecting quality essential oils from the effects of sunlight exposure.

Are there alternatives to amber-colored bottles?

For those who don&#;t like the look of amber-colored bottles, there are a few alternatives. One option for packaging essential oils is to use cobalt blue bottles. These bottles provide more protection from visible light than clear bottles do. But, unfortunately, they don&#;t block UV light like amber bottles do. If you&#;re still interested in using clear glass or another type of colored glass, consider using a label that covers nearly all of the bottle. A strategically placed solid color label can block out much of the visible and UV light from interacting with the essential oils. Additionally, you can put your essential oil bottles in a protective carton display that will sit on the retailer&#;s shelf. 

Protect Your Essential Oils With Glass Bottles

With few exceptions, glass bottles are the best choice for packaging essential oils. Glass bottles won&#;t degrade over time, and they come in a variety of colors well suited to protect them from harmful UV exposure. You don&#;t have to skimp on style to ensure your essential oils will maintain their quality throughout their storage life.

Our team serves essential oils brands of all sizes, helping them to create packaging labels that make them stand out on the shelf. We&#;re ready to answer your questions about labeling and help you choose the right type of cartons and labels for your essential oils products. 

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Which Colored Glass is Best for Essential Oils?

When choosing glass bottles for your essential oils, you will have a variety of colors to choose from. While it may be tempting to choose the most visually appealing color, you need to factor in how light will affect your product. As an essential oil vendor, which colored glass should you purchase to best suit customers&#; needs?

There are four common options for colored glass for essential oil bottles:

Each color has its own aesthetic and protective factors. In order to make the best decision for your products, factor in light protection, shelf life, and marketing. In regard to light protection, the darker and more opaque the glass, the more protection it offers against oxidation. Oxidation breaks down the oils and negate the therapeutic value of essential oils over time.

The Effect of Light on Essential Oils

Light can be broken down into two categories along the electromagnetic spectrum: invisible light and visible light. The invisible light that is most concerning for colored glass for essential oil bottles is ultraviolet light.

Sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) that are harmful. In fact, these rays are why we wear sunscreen and sunglasses&#;we want to protect our skin and eyes from UV ray damage that can turn into skin burns and skin cancer. These UV rays destroy our skin cells in the same way that it degenerates the makeup of essential oils.

Rapid oxidation alters the chemicals in essential oils, causing them to break down and be less effective.

The science behind oxidation in glass bottles involves wavelengths of light, which are measured on the electromagnetic spectrum. A wavelength is measured in nanometers, whereas 1 nanometer (nm) equals 1 billionth of a meter. Ultraviolet light from the sun is 10 nm to 400 nm in length. The light that we see naturally is measured at 400 nm to 780 nm.

The Benefits of Amber Glass

Amber glass offers a protection against light wavelengths within the 10 nm to 400 nm range. This is the ideal spectrum to protect against UV light radiation, which is why many pharmaceutical and beverage manufacturers choose amber bottles.

The Downside to Blue and Green Glass

While blue and green bottles may be more visually appealing, they do not offer as much protection to your oils. These colors provide protection against visible light, but are unable to protect your oils against UV rays. They are also typically a little more expensive than amber or flint bottles.

Should you ever choose clear glass bottles for essential oils?

Clear glass bottles, also known as flint glass, will not directly deteriorate the integrity of the oils. However, these bottles do not offer any light protection. For essential oils that are apt to break down due to oxidation or that are used much more slowly, i.e., the number of drops per application, clear glass is not the best option.

Factor in Shelf Life and Storage

However, there may be times when you can go with a different color for glass and still be safe with consumers. If you are packaging an essential oil that does not have a long shelf life or will be stored in a dark space, then lighter glass colors can make their debut.

If you opt for a clear glass bottle, make sure to include instructions about storing away from light. Or choose clear glass only when packaging oils that must be used in a short time frame, or that are used more liberally and do not last as long in the bottle.

Get Creative With Labeling Decisions

Another way to get around the need for an amber or darker glass color is by choosing a solid, wrap-around label. This type of label will cover the bulk of the glass, blocking both invisible and visible light. The customer will be able to see into the top or bottom of the glass bottle so they can see when they are running low on product. This can be a selling point with clear glass&#;the ability to see their product, which is not an option with amber glass.

To Sum It Up

Choose the best colored glass for essential oil bottles in order to protect the product and enhance your brand. Essential oil customers will want to work with a company that offers a wide selection of colored glass bottles and understands the uses for each one. After all, it is their money that will be wasted if their essential oils lose its therapeutic effect.

To learn more about choosing the best colored glass for your next essential oil packaging project, contact our sales representatives at Carow Packaging to schedule a 15-minute consultation. We will help you make the optimal choice for your clients based on light protection, branding, and budget.

For more 30ml Frosted Essential Oil Glass Dropper Bottle China Manufacturerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.