How Do You Size a Carton Around a Mascara Tube?
HCP Packaging publishes the 13 mm standard trade size at 121 mm tall and 16 mm in diameter on a 13 mm neck. That is the tube most private label fillers quote first for a new mascara line.
That published height covers the closed tube with the wand seated in it. Decoration changes the figure, because a shrink sleeve or a collar adds width that the bare tube never shows. Send us one filled and closed tube and we measure the real unit before cutting a dieline.
| 13 mm standard trade size | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Height, closed | 121 mm |
| Body diameter | 16 mm |
| Neck | 13 mm |
| Fill in polypropylene | 13.5 ml |
| Fill in PET | 12.7 ml |
Why Does a Tall Mascara Carton Tip on the Shelf?
A carton wrapped tight around that tube stands roughly seven times taller than it is wide. Anything with that ratio goes over when a shopper reaches past it. The fix is a base wider than the tube strictly needs.
Facing at retail is the other half of the same problem. The narrow front panel of a mascara box carries very little brand at retail, so the long side panel does the work instead. A sleeve and tray turns that long panel into the face and a counter unit built as one of our display boxes holds a row upright. Single cartons still run as straight or reverse tuck boxes for the main retail line.
| Shelf problem | What we build instead |
|---|---|
| Carton goes over when a shopper knocks it | A wider base with the tube cradled in the center |
| Face is lost between wider packs | A sleeve and tray printed down the long panel |
| Units fall flat on a counter | A printed display tray holding a row upright |
What Do the Eye Area Rules Mean for Your Artwork?
Mascara is an eye area product and FDA treats that area separately. Several color additives cleared for cosmetics in general are not cleared for use in the eye area at all. Eyelash and eyebrow dyes that contain coal tar colors sit under an FDA import alert on top of that.
Two practical things follow from that for the carton itself. The ingredient list you print has to match the colorants your formula uses, so nothing carries over from a face artwork file. The statement of identity has to describe the product honestly where a lash tint sells beside a mascara. We lay those panels out on the dieline before the artwork goes around them.
Which Board and Finish Does a Black Mascara Carton Need?
Most of this category prints black or near black and that is where trouble starts. A deep matte carton shows every rub as a shiny line, and the scuff marks show up between our floor and the retail shelf. An anti scratch matte film over the black solves it for the cost of the lamination.
Retail cartons run on 300 to 350 GSM board, roughly 0.35 to 0.46 mm thick. Our guide to choosing a packaging material walks through the same choice across board types. A duo or a gift set needs partitions rather than a plain cavity, and that is where a box insert earns its keep.
| Specification | What we run |
|---|---|
| Material | White SBS folding carton board, kraft board, or wrapped rigid for sets |
| Board weight | 300 to 350 GSM for retail cartons |
| Box structure | Straight tuck end, reverse tuck end, sleeve and tray, two piece rigid |
| Coating | Anti scratch matte film over black, gloss or soft touch lamination |
| Insert | Die cut card cradle, or partitions for a duo and a set |
What Has to Appear on a Mascara Carton?
The carton is the labeled surface, because a 16 mm tube has almost no room. You need the statement of identity, the net quantity of contents, the ingredient list and your name and place of business. Net contents belong in the bottom 30 percent of the front panel. Since December 2024 a domestic address or phone number or website has to appear for adverse event reports.
Net quantity of contents follows the fill rather than the tube itself. The same trade size prints 13.5 ml on a polypropylene run and 12.7 ml on a PET run, so the artwork changes with the resin.
Minimum Order, Lead Time, and Samples
- The minimum order is 100 boxes per size and design, so a two tube duo starts at 100 cartons
- Folding cartons run 8 to 10 business days after you approve the dieline
- Rigid and magnetic sets run 10 to 12 business days after dieline approval
- A plain sample takes 3 to 5 business days and a printed sample takes 7 to 10
- Price breaks land at 500 and 1,000 units on the same artwork
Request a Quote
Send us one filled tube with your run quantity and whether the pack is a single or a duo. We will measure the tube and quote a tuck end and a sleeve and tray option.
The Customized Boxes