Folding carton
Perfume boxes
Tall cartons with a snug insert for the bottle. Foil and embossing earn their keep here.
Paperboard
Folding carton · Paperboard
Custom cosmetic boxes
Custom cosmetic boxes are printed paperboard cartons sized to your bottle, jar or tube, with room on the panels for ingredients and batch codes. We make them from 50 units per design.
- Over 30 years in print and packaging
- Free structural design
- From 50 units
- Plastic-free options
- Style
- Tuck-end carton
- Board
- White paperboard
- Best for
- Serums, creams, tubes
- Minimum order
- 50 units
- Typical production window
- 10–12 days
- Paper-first materials
- 100% recyclable
- For structural design
- $0
Overview
What goes into a cosmetic box?
Measure the widest point, not the bottle. On a pump bottle, the widest point is the pump. Get that right and the carton fits on the first proof.
Most cosmetic boxes are folding cartons in white paperboard, because white takes full-color print and pale brand colors cleanly. A reverse tuck end suits light bottles; a lock bottom suits heavier jars.
The back and side panels carry the regulated copy. Plan that space first, so the front stays clean.
- Front panel. Brand and product name.
- Back and sides. Ingredients, net quantity, directions, warnings, batch code.
- Insert (optional). Holds a dropper bottle upright.
- Window (optional). A die-cut hole to show the product.
Specifications
Custom cosmetic boxes: specifications
Every box is drawn to your product, so these are the options, not a fixed catalogue. Your specialist confirms the exact spec on the proof.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Style | Reverse tuck end, straight tuck end, or lock bottom |
| Board | White paperboard (solid bleached sulfate). Kraft for natural ranges |
| Every panel, full color. Pantone matching for brand colors | |
| Inserts | Paperboard collar or cradle for bottles |
| Add-ons | Die-cut window, tamper seal, hang tab |
| Size | Drawn to your container at its widest point |
| Recyclability | 100% recyclable paperboard. Soft-touch and window film add plastic |
| Minimum order | 50 units per design |
| Structural design | $0. We draw the dieline around your product |
| Proof | Digital proof on your dieline, checked for bleed, folds and barcodes |
| Production | 10–12 days on most orders, from proof approval. Shipping time is on top |
| Default finish | Aqueous coating on every box. Water-based, and it recycles with the box |
| Point of contact | One packaging specialist, from first sketch to delivery |
Board and build
Which carton for which container?
The container's weight and shape set the closure.
| Container | Carton | Insert |
|---|---|---|
| Dropper bottle | Reverse tuck end | Collar to keep it upright |
| Pump bottle | Reverse tuck end, sized to the pump | Optional |
| Glass jar | Lock bottom | Cradle or none |
| Tube | Slim tuck end | None |
| Sets | Lock bottom or rigid | Multi-cavity |
For a premium set, a custom rigid box with an insert lifts the presentation.
Compare
Soft-touch or aqueous on a cosmetic box?
Soft-touch is popular on beauty packaging. Here's the trade-off.
| Soft-touch lamination | Aqueous coating | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Velvet | Smooth |
| Material | Adds a plastic film | Water-based, no film |
| Recycling | Harder | Recycles with the box |
| Our default | Optional | On every box |
Our take: soft-touch lamination undoes the point of a paper box. Our paper-first materials are 100% recyclable, and soft-touch adds a plastic layer the box didn't have. If plastic-free is part of your claim, skip it.
Sizing
Measure the widest point
Measure each container at its widest point: the pump, the dropper bulb or the jar lid. Send length, width and height (or diameter and height for round containers).
Write the box size from the opening. A tall carton that opens at the top is width x depth x height, where height is the tallest side. How to measure a box explains why.
Products we box
- Serums and oils. Slim cartons with a collar for dropper bottles.
- Creams and balms. Lock-bottom cartons for glass jars.
- Perfume. See custom perfume boxes.
- Lip and eye products. Small tuck cartons, often several sizes from one dieline family.
Finishes
One finish on the name.
Beauty packaging tends to collect finishes. Most cosmetic boxes need one. Aqueous coating goes on every box by default.
Foil stamping
Product name or logo.
Embossing
A raised logo on smooth white board.
Spot UV
Gloss on a logo. Keep it off ingredient text.
Soft-touch
Velvet feel; adds plastic. Optional.
Quote
Get a quote for custom cosmetic boxes
One measurement and a quantity is enough to start. Your specialist replies with a structure, so you can see the box before you commit to anything.
How it works
Four steps, one person.
The specialist who picks up your first email stays with the project until the boxes arrive.
Step 01
Tell us what you're packing
Send the product dimensions, how it ships and how many you need. A photo on a ruler is enough to start.
Step 02
We draw the structure
Your packaging specialist builds the dieline around your product. Structural design is free.
Step 03
You approve the proof
Drop your artwork onto the dieline. We check bleed, folds and barcodes, and send a digital proof.
Step 04
We make and ship
Production takes 10–12 days on most orders. Boxes ship flat, packed in cartons, to your door.
FAQ
Custom cosmetic boxes: questions.
What is the minimum order for custom cosmetic boxes?
50 units per design. Enough to test a launch before a bigger run.
Do you put the ingredient list on the box?
We print whatever copy you supply. Labeling requirements are yours to confirm. In the US, the FDA's Cosmetics Labeling Guide sets out what goes where.
Which board is best for cosmetic boxes?
White paperboard for full color and pale shades. Kraft for natural ranges with one or two dark inks.
How do I measure a pump bottle for a box?
Measure at the widest point, which is usually the pump, and the full height with the pump on.
How long do custom cosmetic boxes take?
10–12 days on most orders, counted from proof approval. Shipping time is on top.
Honest fit
When not to hire us.
Your labels aren't final
If ingredients or claims might change, wait. Printing 50 cartons you can't use costs more than waiting a week.
You need fewer than 50 boxes
Our minimum is 50 units. For 10 or 20, a stock box with a printed sticker will cost you less.
You need boxes next week
Production runs 10–12 days before shipping. If your launch is sooner, buy stock boxes now and switch to custom for the next run.
You want plain brown boxes
If nothing gets printed, a stock box supplier is cheaper and faster. We're worth it once the box carries your brand.
What's the container?
Send its widest point and height, and how many you need. We'll draw the carton and send a proof.
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