A silver or gold cosmetic package can contain a metal shell, a decorated plastic housing and several different internal components. Calling the complete assembly “metal” leaves their construction unclear.

The material description should follow the individual component. Surface appearance and the material underneath it are separate pieces of information.

A metal shell

A metal shell is a component whose body is made from metal. Depending on the design, it may surround a separate plastic mechanism, reservoir or locating insert.

The shell does not establish the material of everything inside it. Nor does a metal exterior establish which surface contacts the cosmetic formula.

Metal components can also carry coatings or decorative layers. Describing the substrate as metal does not mean that the visible surface is bare metal.

A metallized plastic surface

With metallized plastic, a plastic substrate carries a deposited metal layer. Vacuum deposition is one route to this construction; the selected process and coating stack should be identified separately.

The deposited layer can create a reflective appearance without replacing the plastic substrate. The part remains a layered construction with distinct material roles.

Electroplating is another process and should not be treated as interchangeable with vacuum metallization. Preparation and intermediate layers can differ.

A metallic-looking pigment or foil decoration may create yet another appearance. A photograph alone cannot identify which process was used.

Identify the internal component

“Insert” describes a component's role or location, not a particular material. A locating sleeve, formula reservoir and mechanism carrier can have different functions within one pack.

Their material selection must follow those functions. The component touching the formula requires its own compatibility assessment; an outer-shell description cannot substitute for it.

Likewise, the component carrying a snap, thread or hinge has its own geometry and loading conditions. Its behavior cannot be inferred from the exterior finish.

Keep the description component specific

A bill of materials can name the outer shell substrate, its finish, the internal carrier and the reservoir separately. This makes proposed substitutions visible before parts are combined.

For example, “metal outer shell with a plastic inner carrier” gives more useful information than “metal cap.” It still needs the agreed material specifications and drawing references.

The coating description should identify the receiving component and the intended layers. A finish approved on one substrate does not establish suitability on another.

Packaging sample showroom.

Weight and touch can support an initial observation, but hidden inserts and coatings make them unreliable substitutes for component documentation.

These distinctions are useful when reviewing cosmetic packaging from SamBound New Material Technology Company Ltd., whose product information is available at sambound.com. The construction of a selected model should be confirmed from its own records.

Precise material descriptions also help later disassembly and material declarations. They do not, by themselves, prove recyclability, formula compatibility or compliance of the finished assembly.

sambound.com
SamBound New Material Technology Company Ltd.