Looking for CBD Oil & CBD Tincture Bottling Options?

Bottles should protect your CBD products and look  attractive to customers.

With the CBD oil industry exploding in 2019, the market flooded with entrepreneurs taking advantage of the boom. In 2020, primarily due to COVID-19 disrupting traditional retail outlets, smaller CBD manufacturers have found themselves struggling to survive. 

For some CBD manufacturers, there's light at the end of the tunnel. The purchase of CBD oils and tinctures to treat depression and chronic pain is steadily increasing. Experts say the industry is still on the trajectory to reach the $3.2 billion mark by the end of 2026.

With demand on the incline, now is an opportune time to assess your CBD products and packaging. Ensuring your products stand out from the competition is one way to get your oils and tinctures in the consumer's hand. How would you say your bottles and labels rate in creating a good first impression? Do they communicate trustworthiness and quality? 

If it's time to up the ante and you want to improve marketability, consider upgrading your branding, bottles, and labels. What bottling options exist? What makes one better than another? This post will address these questions and more.

Glass vs. Plastic

Plastic bottles are less expensive than glass bottles, and for that reason, can seem tempting. They would lower the overall cost (vs. glass), and the savings could be passed on to the consumer. Plus, opaque plastic blocks 100% of the sun's rays, meaning that your product is completely protected from harmful UV light that can cause premature degradation. The problem with plastic bottles, though, is longevity. CBD oils and tinctures react harshly when in contact with plastic for long periods of time and will break down.  

While more expensive than plastic, Glass will not react with CBD oils. Glass is also heavier, which can give you a competitive advantage over those who use plastic. Studies have shown that heavier objects are seen as more valuable and of higher quality. Glass is also non-porous and far better at keeping air from seeping in and damaging your product, even after opening. And since CBD products should be kept cool, glass is the superior choice since it's better at protecting from excessive heat as well. The target demographic for CBD oil is generally environmentally conscious. Glass is more easily recycled and can be reused commercially in as little as 30 days. 

Colored Glass vs. Clear Glass 

Beer manufacturers have known for hundreds of years that dark glass bottles protect beer from sunlight better than clear glass bottles. The same goes for CBD oil. The aforementioned UV light is highly damaging to the structure of CBD and hemp-based products. Ideally, you’d choose a bottle that blocks this light. Brown or amber bottles are the most common, but depending on your branding and design, you might want other colors, such as blue or green. Be aware that lighter colored glass is not as effective as darker glass at blocking light. Large wrap around labels will help block more light if you require lighter colored bottles. 

Not all ultraviolet light is your enemy. Some UV light can be beneficial! Bottles that allow UVA light but block other wavelengths can help protect against bacteria and other pathogens from contaminating your product and contribute to even longer shelf life. 

Clear bottles are generally cheaper than colored bottles but can cause your CBD oils to oxidize and spoil due to UV light exposure. However, if you plan on using shrink sleeve labels to cover your bottles, then clear bottles are certainly an option since the label will do the job of blocking harmful light.

Droppers vs. Drippers 

Droppers are most often preferred when dosing CBD oils and tinctures. The pipettes are usually glass and are attached to a plastic cap and rubber bulb. Some droppers even have measurements printed on the pipettes for greater precision. 

If you've ever purchased essential oils, they probably came in dripper or "Euro" dropper bottles. The dripper insert allows the product to be dispensed one drop at a time. Since dosing is less precise and more time consuming than with traditional droppers, drippers are far less commonly used for CBD oils and tinctures. One advantage that drippers have is that they allow for end dots on the top of the cap, giving more area for product branding. However, since the dripper inserts are often plastic, repeated contact with CBD oil may reduce shelf life. 

Rollerball Bottles

Rollerball bottles are long slender bottles with a stainless steel roller ball at the top protected by a twist cap. Rollerball bottles allow a minuscule amount of oil to distribute evenly as the ball is rolled across the skin. This bottle type provides the easiest way to transport and apply CBD oil blends topically to wrists, feet, back, neck, and pain areas. Like the other bottle option recommendations, dark-colored bottles work best, preferably glass, and wrap-around labels fit the cylinder shape tightly and adhere securely. 

Bottle Size and Labeling 

The potency of your CBD product may impact the bottle size you choose. If the CBD product's strength is relatively low, you may want to use a larger bottle since serving and dosing sizes will probably have to increase. Typical bottle sizes are 15ml, 30ml, and 100ml. Also, if the bottles you choose aren't large enough to properly display the required information, you may need to consider packing your bottles in a secondary level of packaging.  

Regardless of the bottle size, your labels should clearly display serving size, ingredients, and proper dosage. The CBD industry is largely under the control of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Always be sure that you're compliant with their regulations and communicate to consumers what to expect from your product.  

(Photo Credit: Packaging of the World)

Based on your bottle shape, you'll need to pick label type and a label application method. You could consider wrap-around labels, top and bottom labels, front and labels, or even shrink sleeve labels, as mentioned earlier. To apply labels, you can use a hand-held labeler, semi-automatic labeler, or fully automatic labeler, depending on your budget, production line needs, and output goals.