Custom cosmetic boxes, cartons and gift sets

Custom cosmetic boxes from the maker of your cosmetic

Usually the carton is ordered from a box maker or a printer, and the cosmetic from a lab. The result is two orders, two minimums, two schedules, and the risk that the box arrives in the wrong size or after the product.

Paper and packaging processing is one of our strengths. We design the carton around the bottle or tube it holds, have you approve it together with samples and artwork, and deliver the product already boxed, ready for the shelf or for shipping.

Printed cosmetic boxes: what we make

Papers, boards and special finishes

The material depends on how sturdy the box needs to be, the image you want and your budget. Depending on the project, we can offer:

• White or kraft board: the most common choice for folding cartons, also from recycled fibres.
• Natural and textured papers: a more tactile surface, for a crafted look.
• Covered rigid board: for boxes and gift sets with a lid.

On top of the print you can add finishes that make the pack more recognisable:

• Hot foil stamping: gold, silver or metallic details, for example on the logo.
• Embossing and debossing: the logo or a pattern raised or pressed in, with or without colour.
• Varnishes: gloss, matt or spot UV, to play with contrast.
• Lamination: a thin film that protects the print, with gloss, matt or soft-touch effect.
• Windows: an opening, also with clear film, that shows the product.
• Custom die-cutting: special shapes and openings, handles, interlocking closures.

Your project manager tells you which finishes suit the quantity and timeline of your project.

Mandatory information on the carton

Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, and the UK Cosmetics Regulation for Great Britain, when a cosmetic is sold in a carton some information must also appear on the outer pack: the Responsible Person’s name and address, nominal content, date of minimum durability or PAO (period after opening), batch number, the product’s function and the list of INCI ingredients (the international naming system). Some of it may appear on the carton only when the container is too small.

Languages are the other point to plan. Each EU member state decides which languages are mandatory for some of this information, so a carton for several markets needs a careful layout. Packs for Great Britain carry a UK Responsible Person address, which we arrange through partners; Northern Ireland follows specific rules that we check case by case. Our designers apply these rules from the first draft. You’ll find the full list in our guide to EU cosmetic labelling, and the regulatory side in EU and UK compliance.

In-house designers, from draft to print

You don’t need to find an outside designer. Our designers:

1. Prepare the dieline, the technical drawing of the flat box, to the size of the chosen container.
2. Lay out the artwork with your brand and the mandatory information.
3. Send you proofs to approve, together with paper and finish options.
4. Follow the file through to print and check that the result matches.

If you already have artwork or brand guidelines, we adapt them to the format. More details in our graphic design and labels service.

Which products need a carton

A carton goes with almost all our containers: cylindrical bottles, cosmetic tubes, airless packs. It is in high demand for pharmacy own-brand lines, where customers read the pack at the counter, and for dermocosmetics. If you sell online, a sturdy carton protects the product in transit.

Boxes and gift sets take centre stage in custom cosmetic kits: travel sets, promotional kits, event boxes and corporate gifts.

Skincare packaging boxes: how to choose

Three questions help you decide quickly:

• Where will you sell it? In pharmacies and perfumeries a folding carton is almost standard. Online, strength matters more, to protect the product in shipping.
• What is the retail price? A rigid box with special finishes makes sense for a premium product or a gift; for an everyday product a well-printed carton is often enough.
• Should the product be visible? A window shows the colour and shape of the bottle without opening the pack.

Your project manager proposes two or three options with their costs, so you choose knowing what changes.

Frequently asked questions