Dropper Bottles, and Why the Closure Is Where It Fails
A dropper bottle is a small PET or glass bottle with an 18/410 neck and a pipette. 30 ml is the standard serum size; 5–10 ml are tester and travel sizes. MOQ is 1,000 pcs per colour.
Representative image — exact dimensions, colour and finish are confirmed on the approved drawing.
| Capacity | 5, 10, 15, 30, 50, 100 ml |
| Neck | 18/410 |
| Material | PET, glass on request |
| Dropper | Bulb or push-button, glass or plastic |
| MOQ | 1,000 pcs |
| Lead time | 25–35 days |
Not sure the neck fits your pump? Run the spec checker →
Which Dropper, and Why It Matters More Than the Bottle
The pipette decides the dose and the complaints. A rubber bulb is cheap and perishes; a push-button holds the dose and costs 20–30 % more.
For a stable oil, a bulb dropper is fine. For retinol, vitamin C or anything sold on precision, the push-button is the better answer.
Bulb
Cheapest, familiar, and the part that fails first in a humid bathroom.
Push-Button
A button on top draws a fixed dose; no rubber to perish. About 20–30 % more per unit.
Bottle Material: PET or Glass
Glass is inert and reads premium; it is also heavier and breaks. PET is a third of the weight and cheaper to ship, which is why most 30 ml serums now ship in PET with a glass pipette.
What to Send in a Brief
Capacity, formula type (oil, water, alcohol), dose per use and quantity. Alcohol content decides whether PET is safe over twelve months.
Compatibility, Packing and Tolerance
Closures That Fit
Send the neck finish and we match a closure from the same plant: disc-top and flip-top caps, lotion and foam pumps, mist sprayers and droppers. Closures are fitted and tested on the bottle before packing, which is where most leaks originate.
Packing and Freight
Carton quantity, carton dimensions and gross weight are quoted with the unit price. FOB Shantou is the default term; EXW and CIF are quoted on request. Payment is 30 % deposit, 70 % against the bill of lading.
Tolerance
Dimensions hold to ± 1.5 % and weight to ± 1 g against the approved drawing. Anything outside that range is remade, not discounted.
Decoration Options and What They Cost in MOQ
Silkscreen in one to four colours starts at 1,000 pcs and adds about five days; the plate is a one-off, which is why it does not repeat on a reorder. Labels are lower in unit cost for multi-colour artwork and allow short runs. Hot stamp, spray coat and metallising start at 3,000 pcs because the line set-up is heavier and the reject rate is higher.
Decoration also decides the recycling story. A paper label with a wash-off adhesive keeps a PET bottle in the PET stream; a full-body sleeve does not. If the pack carries a recyclability claim, the decoration is part of the claim, not a design detail.
Sampling and Approval
A sample from an existing mould takes 7 days and comes from the production tool, not a showroom piece. For a new shape, tooling takes 15–20 days before sampling. We ship the sample with the drawing it was made to, so the approval is against a number rather than a photograph.
If the formula contains alcohol, a high level of essential oil or a particulate, say so at sample stage — the compatibility test runs four weeks and it costs less to find a problem then than in a container.
How We Quote and Ship
Send capacity, neck, quantity and the closure you intend to use. We reply within one business day with unit price, packing data (pcs per carton, carton size, gross weight) and lead time — the packing data is what your freight forwarder needs, so it is quoted with the price rather than after.
Production is 25–35 days after sample approval on existing moulds, 15–20 days longer if a new mould is needed. Payment is 30 % deposit and 70 % against the bill of lading; FOB Shantou is the default term, EXW and CIF on request.
What We Do Not Do
We do not fill, formulate or design labels, and we do not hot-fill in standard PET above about 60 °C. We hold ISO 9001:2015 (PCC85724Q01277R1S), RoHS reports for PE and PET and an EU 10/2011 migration test — and we do not claim FDA, REACH or GRS certification we do not hold.
Frequently Asked
What is the standard dropper bottle size?
30 ml for face serum; 5–10 ml for testers and travel; 50–100 ml for hair and body oils.
Can a dropper bottle be used for retinol?
It works but retinol oxidises; an airless pack protects it better.
Do you supply glass pipettes?
Yes, glass or plastic pipettes on an 18/410 collar, and push-button droppers.
What is the MOQ?
1,000 pcs per colour, 25–35 days after sample approval.
Will the pipette reach the bottom?
Specify the tube length against the base curve; a short tube leaves 2–3 ml behind.
Related
Send the Spec, Get the Number
Capacity, neck, quantity — we come back with unit price, packing data and lead time.