Plastic bottle, pharmaceutical, clear, 50 ml

A vial-shaped bottle made of transparent PET with a nominal volume of 50 ml is designed for small production runs, samples and travel sizes. It is lightweight, shatter-proof if dropped, and thanks to its transparent wall you can see the contents at a glance – colour, fill level and any changes. Manufactured in the European Union.

Vial is the name for a shape with a narrow neck and rounded shoulders, common in both cosmetics and food packaging. The slim form takes up little space in a cosmetic bag or on a shelf and fits comfortably in the hand when dispensing. The packaging is suitable for use with cosmetic products and is also approved for direct food contact, making it equally suitable for facial oil and homemade herbal syrup.

Why choose transparent PET

• Shatter resistance – PET does not break into shards when dropped, which is appreciated in the bathroom, while travelling and when shipping products to customers.
• Low weight – the bottle weighs a fraction of a comparable glass vial, reducing shipping costs and making it easier to pack larger quantities.
• Visible contents – the transparent wall shows the product's colour, fill level and any changes such as cloudiness or phase separation, which is practical for samples and test batches.
• Resistance to water and common oils – PET handles aqueous solutions, hydrosols, vegetable oils and most cosmetic emulsions well.
• Easy labelling – the smooth cylindrical surface allows labels to be applied without air bubbles.

Nominal and total volume

The nominal volume is the volume for which the container is designed under normal filling conditions – in this case 50 ml. The total volume to the brim is the physical capacity up to the neck and is slightly larger. The difference between them provides a headspace for the closure or dropper insert, which protrudes into the bottle when fitted, and also allows for the expansion of the contents when temperature changes.

For this reason, fill to the nominal volume, not to the brim. Filling all the way to the neck may cause the contents to overflow once the cap is fitted, makes it harder to insert a dropper, and increases pressure inside the bottle when heated, for example in a car in summer.

Choosing a closure

The bottle has a threaded neck, the type of which is specified in the product parameters. It is compatible with closures of the same neck type from the Handymade range – caps, droppers and dispensing closures. Ready-made bottle + closure combinations are available as separate products. With a custom combination, we recommend verifying seal integrity, dispensing comfort and the behaviour of the packaging with the specific formulation in advance, especially with thinner oils and alcohol-based preparations.

What to know when filling

Before first use, wash the bottle, rinse it, sanitise with isopropyl alcohol or ethanol and allow it to dry completely with the neck facing down. Residual water inside could compromise the stability of anhydrous preparations and oils.

The transparent material does not protect the contents from light. Preparations sensitive to light – oils with a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C serums, products containing essential oils – should be stored in the bottle in a dark place or in a box.

With concentrated essential oils, fragrance compositions and preparations with a high solvent content, verify compatibility with PET on a single unit before filling the entire batch. Some components may cause the plastic to cloud or soften over time. Diluted preparations, hydrosols, tonics and vegetable oils do not typically present this issue.

The bottle can be reused after thorough washing and sanitising. When switching to a different type of product, for example from essential oils to a water-based preparation, bear in mind that the plastic may retain the scent of the previous contents. PET is among the more readily recyclable plastics and should be sorted with other plastics after use.

Suitable for products such as

• Facial and massage oils – the transparent packaging shows the colour of the oil; the narrow neck allows precise dispensing with a dropper or dispensing cap.
• Tonics, hydrosols and micellar waters – PET handles water-based preparations well; 50 ml corresponds to a travel size.
• Tinctures and herbal extracts – alcohol-based and glycerin-based, with a dropper for drop-by-drop dispensing.
• Samples and test batches – the lightweight, shatter-proof packaging is suitable for sending samples to customers and for in-house stability testing.
• Homemade food products – flavoured oils, syrups, vinegars or flavourings in small quantities, as the packaging is approved for food contact.

Frequently asked questions