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A cardboard deodorant tube is a push up paperboard container: a spiral wound kraft or white tube with a paper disc at the base that the customer pushes up with a thumb to raise the stick, and a paper cap that slides over the top. It is the plastic free replacement for the twist up deodorant stick, and it works for lotion bars, solid sunscreen, balm sticks and solid perfume as well. We make them in the standard fill sizes, plain kraft, white or fully printed, with no minimum order. The number that decides everything is fill weight: a 2.65 ounce tube, the common full size, is about 1.5 inches across and 3.75 inches tall; a 0.5 ounce travel tube is about 0.75 by 2.75.
Two things make a paper tube work or fail: the push up disc has to move smoothly under thumb pressure but hold the stick still in transit, and the inner surface has to resist the oils in the formula so the paper does not go soft. Both are decided by the board and the liner, not the print.
Sizes
| Fill | Outer diameter | Height with cap | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 oz (15 g) | 0.75 in | 2.75 in | travel, samples, lip and balm sticks |
| 1 oz (30 g) | 1 in | 3 in | mini deodorant, solid perfume, sunscreen stick |
| 2 oz (60 g) | 1.4 in | 3.5 in | compact deodorant, lotion bar |
| 2.65 oz (75 g) | 1.5 in | 3.75 in | standard full size deodorant |
| 3 oz (85 g) | 1.6 in | 4 in | large deodorant, body balm stick |
Flat oval tubes, the shape of a conventional deodorant, are available in the 2 to 2.65 ounce sizes for brands that want the familiar silhouette; round tubes cost less and fill on more machines.
Board, liner and the push up
The tube is spiral wound from three to five plies of kraft or white paperboard, giving a wall about 1.5 mm thick that does not crush in a bag. The inside gets a liner matched to the formula: a plain paper liner for dry waxy sticks, a PE or wax coated liner for softer, oilier formulas such as coconut oil based deodorants and lotion bars. Tell us the formula base and we will match the liner; the wrong liner is the usual cause of a tube going soft after a month on a shelf.
The push up disc is a paperboard plug with a slight friction fit. It has to hold the stick in a hot mailbox and still move for a thumb. We tune the fit to the tube and send filled samples so you can test both.
Filling
Paper tubes are filled the same way as plastic sticks: the formula is poured hot into the tube with the disc at the base, cooled, and capped. Because the tube is paper, fill temperature matters. Most formulas pour between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit; a lined tube handles that. If your fill runs hotter, tell us and we will confirm the liner. The tubes ship assembled with the disc set and the cap on, so a small brand can fill by hand and a co-packer can run them on a standard stick line.
Print and finish
Plain kraft, plain white, or full color printed on the outer wrap. Matte and soft touch finishes suit natural brands; gloss suits color heavy designs. The cap prints to match or stays plain kraft as a contrast. Add a batch or lot panel on the base if you fill in small runs. Because the wrap is paper, the whole tube goes in the paper recycling once empty, which is the point of choosing it.
In short
What to send us: the fill weight, the formula base (wax, coconut oil, shea, glycerin), your fill temperature, and whether you fill by hand or on a line. What you get back: a tube size, a liner matched to the formula, a disc fit tuned to it, and filled samples to test in a hot car and a cold mailbox. What it costs you to start: nothing. Free design, free samples, no minimum order.
Cardboard deodorant tube questions
What size is a standard cardboard deodorant tube?
The full size is 2.65 ounces (75 grams), about 1.5 inches across and 3.75 inches tall with the cap. Travel and sample sizes are 0.5 ounce at about 0.75 by 2.75 inches. Sizes from 0.5 to 3 ounces cover deodorant, lotion bars, balm and sunscreen sticks.
Do paper deodorant tubes leak or go soft?
Not when the liner matches the formula. Dry waxy sticks use a plain paper liner; softer, oilier formulas such as coconut oil deodorants and lotion bars need a PE or wax coated liner. Tell us the formula base and we will match it and send filled samples.
How do you fill a cardboard push up tube?
The same way as a plastic stick: pour the hot formula into the tube with the disc at the base, let it cool, cap it. Most formulas pour at 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The tubes ship assembled, so they fill by hand or on a standard stick line.
Can the tubes be printed?
Yes. Plain kraft, plain white, or full color on the outer wrap with matte, soft touch or gloss finish. The cap matches or stays plain kraft. A lot number panel can be added to the base.
Is there a minimum order?
No. A hundred tubes for a first batch or a full production run. Free design, free filled samples, and a printed proof before the run.
No minimum order. One or a full run. Free design and dieline, and a printed proof before production. Free samples so you can fill a tube with your own formula before you commit. Price match: send a written quote for the same size, board, print and quantity and we will beat it.
Related: cosmetic paper tubes, paper tube packaging, round paper tubes and all tube packaging.
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