When it comes to metals for packaging, the first one which comes into our minds may be aluminum and combinations of aluminum, tin and lead, one of the lightest materials. They are environmentally friendly since they are recyclable. Besides, the performance is outstanding as the metals can protect products. Additionally, they are blink so they look high-end. Whereas, it is easy to harden resulting in leakage during using. One of the reasons why metals are used is that they can prevent products from pollution and they are sustainable.

As for plastic tubes using plenty of Polymers, fillers, plasticizers and anti-oxidants, the chemical substances may remove to products. What is worse, some plastics will melt causing permeability to gases and stress cracks due to high temperatures but packaging needs high temperatures for sterilization. And products are easier to be polluted in plastic tubes since plastics have a suck-back property and some polluted products may be sucked back into tubes. However, plastics have a lower cost and they are flexible, odorless and inert.

At present, most packaging tubes are made from both metals and plastics, called lami-tubes, which means that foil layer is laminated on to the plastic layer combining advantages of two sorts of materials to ensure the safety of products. The appearance of the material looks like plastic but it has tough barrier properties like aluminum. Lami-tubes are airtight and they can prevent products from wind, particles and dust so the cosmetics can be kept fresh.