Types of Cosmetic Jars: PS, PP, PET, Double-Wall & Airless

Quick answer

There are two ways to tell types of cosmetic jars apart. The first is construction: single-wall jars, double-wall jars, capsule and novelty-shaped jars, airless pump jars, stackable multi-layer jars, sample jars and large PET storage jars. The second is material: PS, PP, PET, AS and acrylic are the plastics you will see most. Choose the construction for the product and the price position, then the resin for your formula, and confirm it with a compatibility test on samples.

This guide is written by Hongye Packaging, a cosmetic packaging factory in Yuyao, Zhejiang. Every example below is a jar we make in our own factory, with the model number so you can open the product page. We only make plastic jars, so glass and aluminum jars are mentioned for comparison, not as our products.

Types of cosmetic jars by construction

Type	How it is built	Typical sizes	Best for	Our models
Single-wall jar	One molded jar plus a screw cap	3g–100g	Mass-market creams, balms, masks	HY-W003, HY-W025, HY-W027
Double-wall jar	Thick outer shell over a separate inner jar	20g–120g	Premium face creams	HY-W022, HY-W023, HY-W026
Capsule and novelty jars	Round, ball, diamond or character shapes	5g–50g	Gift sets, lip and eye products, kids’ lines	HY-W012 capsule, HY-W010 ball, HY-W007 diamond
Airless pump jar	Press-down pump and rising piston, no scooping	15g–50g	Air-sensitive creams	HY-W018
Stackable multi-layer jar	Several screw-together layers in one column	5g or 10g per layer	Pigments, travel kits, sample sets	HY-W008, HY-W014
Sample jar	Small clear or colored jar	3g–5g	Trial sizes, hotel and retail samples	HY-W004, HY-W005
Large PET jar	Wide-mouth clear PET with PP or aluminum cap	20g–500g	Body butter, scrubs, hair masks, gels	HY-W020, HY-W029, HY-W032

Single-wall jars

The simplest and lowest-cost jar: one molded body and a cap. Most single-wall jars are PP (opaque or frosted, tougher) or PS (clear and rigid). Look at the base and the wall: a recessed base such as on our HY-W003 PP jar makes the jar look fuller than its fill, which is common for small sizes. For face masks and body creams, wide 100g jars like the HY-W031 face mask jar make scooping easier.

Double-wall jars

A double-wall jar has a thick outer shell and a separate inner jar. The cream touches only the inner jar, and the outer wall gives the weight and depth that buyers associate with premium skincare. Two practical points:

• Ask what the inner jar is made of. On our HY-W022 it is a PP inner jar inside an AS outer jar; on HY-W023 and HY-W026 both walls are PP.
• The label capacity is the inner jar. A 50g double-wall jar is much bigger on the shelf than a 50g single-wall jar, which helps shelf presence but adds packaging weight and carton volume.

Capsule and novelty-shaped jars

Capsule jars are round, low jars with a domed or flat clear lid; our HY-W012 acrylic capsule jar comes in 10g, 20g, 30g and 50g with white, gold or silver caps. In the same family are ball-shaped jars (HY-W010, AS shell with a PP inner jar, 5g, gold or silver), diamond jars (HY-W007, PS, 5–15g), the mushroom jar (HY-W006) and a cartoon cat jar (HY-W015). They sell on looks, so approve a decorated sample: printing on a curved or faceted surface has a smaller usable area than on a straight wall.

Airless pump jars

An airless jar dispenses through a press-down pump while a piston rises behind the cream, so the product is not scooped and the space left is not filled with outside air. It reduces repeated air exposure but does not make a pack oxygen-free. Our HY-W018 acrylic airless jar comes in 15g, 30g and 50g. Dispensing must be tested with your real formula; see our airless pump jar guide for the four tests to run.

Stackable, sample and powder jars

• Stackable multi-layer jars (HY-W008 at 5g per layer, HY-W014 at 10g per layer, clear PS) screw together into one column, useful for eyeshadow pigments, sample kits and travel.
• Sample jars (HY-W004 square base, HY-W005 round, 3g and 5g, 26mm neck) come in ten standard colors including clear, white, pink and black.
• Loose powder jars: our HY-W013 clear PS jar (10–25g) works for cream or loose powder.
• Window-lid jars (HY-W016, 10g PS) show the product color through the lid.

Large PET jars

For 100g and above, clear PET is the usual choice: it is lighter than glass and less brittle than PS. Our PET jars run from 20g to 500g with a PP or aluminum cap (HY-W020, HY-W029, HY-W032), there is a bamboo-grain cap version (HY-W030), and the HY-W028 clip-top seal jar in food-grade PET (100–200ml) suits bath salts and scrubs.

What about refillable jars?

Refillable jars, where the consumer replaces only an inner cup, are a growing design in premium skincare. We do not list a dedicated refill-cup model in our catalogue today. If refill is a requirement, send us your target design and we will tell you honestly whether one of our existing molds can do it or whether it needs a new mold.

Types of cosmetic jars by material

Material	Look	Main strength	Watch out for	Our jars in this resin
PP (polypropylene)	Opaque, frosted or translucent	Tough, broad chemical resistance	Less clear than PS or acrylic	HY-W003, W006, W021, W023–W026, W031
PS (polystyrene)	Crystal clear, rigid	Low cost, sharp clarity for small jars	Brittle if dropped; test with oils and fragrance	HY-W001, W002, W004, W005, W007, W008, W011, W013, W014, W016, W019, W027
PET	Clear, light	Large sizes, good clarity, shatter resistance	Wide mouths need a well-matched cap liner	HY-W020, W028–W030, W032
AS (SAN)	Glass-like clear	Outer shells of double-wall and ball jars	Usually paired with a PP inner jar	HY-W010, W022 (outer)
Acrylic (PMMA)	Thick, heavy, glass-like	Premium look and weight	Can craze with some oils and solvents; test the decorated jar	HY-W012, W018

Our jar models are rated for -20°C to 60°C. That covers normal storage and shipping, but if your filling process is hot-fill, give us the filling temperature before you choose a resin.

Glass and aluminum jars are also common in the market, mainly for luxury and solid products. They are heavier and more expensive to ship than plastic, and they are not part of our range.

How to choose: match the jar type to the product

Product	Usual size	Jar type to start with
Eye cream	10g–15g	10g capsule jar, small PS or PP jar, or 15g airless jar
Face cream	30g–50g	Double-wall jar (premium) or single-wall PP jar (mass market)
Air-sensitive serum-cream	15g–50g	Airless pump jar
Body butter, scrub, hair mask	100g–500g	Wide-mouth PET jar
Face mask	100g	Wide single-wall PP jar
Samples and trial sizes	3g–5g	PS sample jar
Pigments, loose powder	5g–25g	Stackable jar or powder jar
Lip balm and solid products	5g–10g	Small PS or PP jar, ball or diamond jar

Three questions decide most choices:

1. Who touches the product? Scoop jars (single or double wall) are opened and touched with fingers or a spatula; an airless jar avoids that.
2. What is the price position? A double-wall or acrylic jar costs more per unit and weighs more, but looks more premium than a single-wall PP jar.
3. What is in the formula? Oil-rich, fragrance-heavy or solvent-based formulas need a compatibility test on the finished, decorated jar, regardless of the resin.

Ordering any of these jar types from our factory

All jar types above are ordered on the same terms. You can compare all 32 models side by side in the cream jar spec table and see the full wholesale ordering terms.

Item	Hongye cosmetic jars
MOQ	5,000 pcs per model
Samples	Free stock samples, freight collect
Custom order (existing mold, your color and printing)	~15 days after deposit and artwork approval
Special finishes	+5–10 days
New mold	35–45 days
Decoration	Silk screen, hot stamping, labels, custom colors
Shipping term	FOB Ningbo

If you are building a travel or discovery kit, the small jars above are also used in our travel bottle sets. For bottles with pumps instead of jars, see airless bottles and cosmetic bottles.