Airless Packaging
Airless Jars
An airless jar keeps the familiar wide-mouth cream jar format but dispenses through a central plate with a piston underneath, so the formula stays protected and only the dose is exposed.
- 15 ml
- 20 ml
- 30 ml
- 50 ml
- 60 ml
- 80 ml
At a glance
- Best for
- Retinol and vitamin C creams · Clinical and aesthetic skincare · Preservative-reduced creams
- Formula fit
- Face cream · Night cream · Eye cream
- Materials
- PP (body, plate, piston) · PCR PP · Acrylic outer with PP inner
- Decoration
- Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap · Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall
What are airless jars?
Consumers like jars; formulators often do not, because a wide mouth exposes a cream to air twice a day. An airless jar resolves the conflict: the pack looks like a jar, the product is drawn up through a small dispensing plate, and the piston moves up as the jar empties.
The trade-offs compared with an airless bottle are a shorter pump path, a wider opening (so the piston seal design matters more) and a fill process that needs deaeration control to avoid trapped air under the plate.
Typical specification range
Values below are the ranges we quote most often. Confirm against your formula viscosity, fill weight and destination market before freezing a specification.
| Parameter | Options we quote |
|---|---|
| Capacities | 15 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 50 ml, 60 ml, 80 ml, 100 ml |
| Materials | PP (body, plate, piston), PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP inner, SAN accents |
| Closures / dispensing | Flat airless lid, Domed airless lid, Metal-look lid, Refillable outer jar with cartridge |
| Customisation | Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap, Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall, Hot stamping and metal-look collars, Soft-touch, satin, matte or frosted coating, Metallised actuator and collar finishes, Refill cartridge colour differentiation, PCR or mono-material outer components |
| MOQ | 1,000 pcs per design for stock moulds; 3,000 pcs for decorated orders; 10,000 pcs per size for custom moulds. |
| Sampling time | Stock samples in 5–10 working days; custom colour and decorated samples in 10–20 working days. |
| Production lead time | 15–30 working days after sample approval, depending on quantity, decoration and assembly complexity. |
Product features
Jar format, protected formula
The dispensing plate exposes only the dose, keeping the bulk of the cream away from air and fingers.
Clean, controlled dose
Dry-skin creams dispense in 0.2–0.35 ml doses, which reduces waste and keeps contamination risk lower than finger dipping.
Piston-driven evacuation
A piston pushes product upward as the jar empties, ending with a thin residual film instead of the usual leftover ring.
Who it is suitable for
- Retinol and vitamin C creams
- Clinical and aesthetic skincare
- Preservative-reduced creams
- Premium night cream launches
- Brands wanting jar familiarity with better protection
Suitable formulas and products
- Face cream
- Night cream
- Eye cream
- Body cream
- Treatment mask
- Balm-textured emulsions
Customisation options
Airless Jars can be delivered as a stock-mould pack with your colour and decoration, or developed into a proprietary format. Decoration is specified against the final surface finish so print adhesion and colour hold in use.
- Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap
- Screen printing or UV printing on the outer wall
- Hot stamping and metal-look collars
- Soft-touch, satin, matte or frosted coating
- Metallised actuator and collar finishes
- Refill cartridge colour differentiation
- PCR or mono-material outer components
How these are manufactured
Parts are moulded by injection, injection blow or extrusion blow moulding depending on the format and material, then assembled, decorated and inspected in lots. Moulding parameters are recorded per mould so repeat orders match the approved sample. Read the manufacturing process.
Quality control
Dimension and weight checks, closure torque, leak and dose testing where relevant, colour verification (ΔE ≤ 1.5 opaque parts) and AQL 1.0/2.5 final inspection. Lot records are supplied with the shipping documents. See the inspection checklist.
Materials for this range
- PP — material guide
- PCR plastic — material guide
- Acrylic — material guide
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions buyers ask most about airless jars. Send any specific question through the contact form and a packaging engineer will reply in writing.
Is an airless jar better than a standard cream jar?
For oxidation-sensitive formulas yes: the airless jar limits oxygen exposure and avoids finger contact. For a stable, robust cream the standard jar remains cheaper and simpler. We recommend based on the formula's sensitivity and the brand's claim structure.
How is an airless jar filled?
Airless jars are filled from the bottom in a dedicated filling line: the jar is inverted, filled through the base, then the piston and base plate are seated. Air trapped under the dispensing plate is the main process risk and is controlled by fill speed and deaeration.
Can an airless jar be refilled?
Yes. Reusable outer jars with a replaceable inner cartridge are available, and we recommend designing the release mechanism for tool-free replacement.
What MOQ applies to airless jars?
Airless jars normally start at 3,000 pcs per size because of the multi-part assembly and function testing.
What is the MOQ for airless jars?
1,000 pcs per design for stock moulds; 3,000 pcs for decorated orders; 10,000 pcs per size for custom moulds.
Can I customise the colour?
Yes. Colour is matched to a Pantone reference or a physical sample and verified on production-resin parts. Custom colour on outer bottle, actuator and overcap is the standard route, and we supply samples for approval before the run.
Can you print or emboss my logo?
Yes — printing, hot stamping, coating, labelling and custom closures are all available for airless jars. Choose the method with your surface finish in mind: gloss print or foil works best on matte and soft-touch surfaces.
Can I request samples?
Stock samples in 5–10 working days; custom colour and decorated samples in 10–20 working days. Stock samples are supplied free (up to five pieces per SKU, courier at your cost); custom colour and decorated samples are quoted per project, typically USD 120–450.
Can you develop a custom mould?
Yes. Custom tooling is quoted as a separate line item with the cavity plan stated, usually from around 10,000 pcs per size and 25–40 calendar days from drawing approval to first-article inspection.
What is the production lead time?
15–30 working days after sample approval, depending on quantity, decoration and assembly complexity.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. We ship airless jars to the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and Latin America, quoting FOB, CIF, DDP and air freight.
Which materials are available?
PP (body, plate, piston), PCR PP, Acrylic outer with PP inner, SAN accents. Selection is driven by formula compatibility, clarity requirements, decoration and any recycled-content target.
Still have a question? Talk to a packaging expert.
More in Airless Packaging
Airless Bottles
An airless bottle dispenses product with a vacuum piston or pouch system instead of a dip tube, so the formula never contacts air between uses, the dose is metered and up to 95% of the fill volume is usable.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 50 ml · more
View range →
Airless Pump Bottles
An airless pump bottle dispenses a metered dose from a sealed chamber, using a piston or a collapsible pouch so the formula is never exposed to air, contamination or back-flow.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 50 ml · more
View range →
Airless Cosmetic Containers
Airless cosmetic containers are sealed systems — bottles, jars, dual-chamber packs and compacts — that dispense cream, serum or fluid without exposing the remaining formula to air.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 50 ml · more
View range →
Refillable Airless Packaging
Refillable airless packaging combines the protection of an airless pump with a reusable outer body: the decorated shell stays, the inner cartridge and piston are replaced.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 50 ml · more
View range →
Double Chamber Airless Bottles
A double chamber airless bottle holds two formulas in separate sealed chambers and dispenses them together through a single actuator or a dual outlet, so incompatible actives can be applied in one step.
15 ml + 15 ml · 20 ml + 20 ml · 15 ml + 5 ml · 30 ml + 30 ml · more
View range →
Airless Serum Bottles
Airless serum bottles are 15–50 ml sealed packs with a fine-dose airless engine, designed for concentrated actives such as vitamin C, retinol, bakuchiol and peptides that must stay protected from air and light.
15 ml · 20 ml · 30 ml · 40 ml · more
View range →Continue researching
Quotes and samples for airless jars
Send the capacity, quantity, colour reference and decoration you need. We reply with MOQ, unit price band, sampling time and lead time — and we will tell you if a different format suits your formula better. Stock mould formats from 1,000 pcs per design; decorated orders typically from 3,000 pcs; custom moulds usually from 10,000 pcs per size.
No account required · NDA available · Quote replies within one business day (Mon–Sat, GMT+8)