Impact of Pump Head Types on Cosmetic Spraying Performance

In the cosmetics consumption scene, the spraying effect directly affects the user's use experience and product perception - the delicate spray can make the toner quickly absorbed by the skin, the uniform lotion discharge can avoid waste of dosage, and the dense foam can improve the pleasure of using the facial cleanser. The core component that determines all of this is the "invisible hero" in cosmetic packaging materials - the pump head. As a key bridge connecting product content and consumers, the choice of pump head type not only affects the convenience of product use, but also directly impacts the core user experience and brand reputation of the product. This article will delve into the mainstream types of cosmetic pump heads, explore their characteristics, impact on spray effectiveness, and applicable scenarios, providing professional references for packaging material selection for cosmetic brands.

The core function of the cosmetic pump head is to control the discharge form, flow and pressure of the contents through the mechanical structure. Its design needs to adapt to cosmetics with different viscosity and composition (such as toner, lotion, essence, facial foam, etc.). At present, the mainstream pump head types in the market include spray pump, lotion pump, foam pump and constant displacement pump. Each type of pump head presents different spraying/discharging effects due to different structural design.

Spray pump: the core controller of atomization effect

Spray pump is a common pump head type for liquid cosmetics such as toner, makeup setting spray, sunscreen spray, etc. Its core advantage is that it can transform liquid contents into small droplets to achieve large area and uniform coverage. According to the atomization effect and pressure design, spray pumps can be further divided into fine spray spray pumps, wide-angle spray pumps and pulse spray pumps.

From the perspective of structural characteristics, the core components of spray pump include nozzle, valve stem, spring and seal. The size of nozzle aperture and internal flow guide structure directly determine the atomization effect. The nozzle aperture of the fine fog spray pump is usually between 0.15-0.3mm. With the design of high pressure spring, the liquid can be cut into small droplets with a diameter of 5-20 μ m; The wide-angle spray pump optimizes the nozzle guide groove to make the spray coverage angle reach 60-90°, so as to achieve uniform spraying in a large range; The pulse spray pump adopts a press type pulse structure, which does not require continuous pressing. A single press can complete quantitative spray, and the operation is more labor-saving.

In terms of spray effect, the droplets of the fine fog spray pump are delicate and penetrating, and can quickly adhere to the skin surface after spraying without obvious drops of water. It is suitable for products that need rapid absorption such as makeup setting spray and toner, and can improve the freshness and absorption efficiency of products; The wide-angle spray pump has a wide coverage and is suitable for products that need to be applied in a large area such as body sunscreen spray and hair nutrition spray, which can reduce the number of repeated presses and improve the convenience of use; The spray volume of the pulse spray pump is stable, and the error of the single spray volume is not more than 5%. It is suitable for essence spray, pharmaceutical cosmetics and other products that need precise dosage, and can avoid the use effect being affected by too much or too little dosage.

In terms of applicable products, spray pumps are more suitable for liquid products with low viscosity (1-50mPa · s), such as toner, makeup setting spray, sunscreen spray, hair spray, etc. It should be noted that if the product contains granular components (such as frosting particles and essential oil beads), a spray pump with a larger aperture should be selected to avoid nozzle blockage.

Lotion pump: expert in precise discharging of viscous materials

Lotion pump is mainly used for cosmetics with high viscosity such as lotion, face cream, essence milk, makeup remover, etc. Its core demand is to achieve stable quantitative discharge to avoid material residue or waste. Different from spray pump, the discharge form of lotion pump is column or paste without atomization, so the structural design focuses more on sealing performance and discharge flow control.

The structural characteristics of lotion pumps are reflected in the materials of seals and pump bodies: in order to prevent the leakage of viscous materials, lotion pumps usually adopt a double-layer seal design, and a silicone seal ring is set between the valve stem and the pump body to ensure that there is no material leakage during the pressing process; The pump body material is often made of PP or PETG, which has good corrosion resistance and compression resistance, and can be adapted to viscous products containing alcohol, essential oils, and other components. In addition, the discharge capacity of lotion pump can be customized according to the demand. The conventional discharge capacity is 0.2-1.0ml/time, which meets the demand of different products (for example, essence milk is usually 0.3ml/time, and face cream is 0.8-1.0ml/time).

On the impact of discharging effect, the high-quality lotion pump can realize smooth discharging without jamming, uniform and consistent discharging form, and no wire drawing and leakage. If the sealing performance of the lotion pump is poor, it may lead to oxidation and deterioration of materials (especially essence milk containing active ingredients), and affect the user's experience; If the discharge volume is unstable, there may be situations where too much discharge results in waste, or too little discharge requires multiple presses. In addition, the pressing feel of the lotion pump will also affect the use experience. The light and smooth pressing feel can enhance the high-end feeling of the product.

In terms of applicable products, lotion pump is suitable for viscous liquid or paste products with viscosity between 50-1000mPa · s, such as lotion, essence milk, face cream, makeup remover, body milk, etc. For frosted lotion containing particles, lotion pump with filtering device shall be selected to prevent particles from blocking the pump body.

Foam Pump: Founder of Dense foam

The foam pump is a special pump head for facial cleanser, bath gel, shaving foam and other products. Its core function is to fully mix the liquid content with air to form a dense foam, which does not require manual rubbing by users, and improves the convenience and pleasure of use. The key to the design of foam pump is the control of gas-liquid mixing ratio. The high-quality foam pump can achieve the gas-liquid ratio of 1:10-1:15, forming fine and compact foam.

In terms of structural characteristics, the foam pump is equipped with a gas-liquid mixing chamber and a screen structure. When the user presses the pump head, liquid materials enter the mixing chamber from the liquid storage tank, while air enters through the air inlet hole. The two are fully stirred in the mixing chamber, and then filtered and cut through the screen to form a uniform foam. The screen aperture and number of layers of foam pump directly affect the fineness of foam: the smaller the screen aperture and the more layers, the denser the foam; On the contrary, the foam is thicker. In addition, the sealing performance of foam pump is required to be higher. If the air inlet is poorly sealed, the amount of foam will be reduced or foam cannot be formed.

In terms of discharging effect, the foam produced by the high-quality foam pump is dense, delicate and not easy to dissipate, which can evenly cover the skin surface and reduce friction on the skin (especially suitable for sensitive skin cleansing products); If the gas-liquid mixing ratio of the foam pump is unbalanced, the foam may be too thin (more gas and less liquid) or the foam may be thick and easy to break (more liquid and less gas), affecting the cleaning effect and use experience. In addition, the discharge capacity of foam pump is usually 1.5-3.0ml/time, which can meet the demand of single face cleaning or bathing and avoid waste.

In terms of applicable products, foam pump is suitable for liquid cleaning products with viscosity between 10-200mPa · s, such as facial foam, bath foam, shaving foam, pet cleaning foam, etc. It should be noted that the foam pump has certain requirements on the product formula, and the product needs to contain an appropriate amount of surfactant to ensure the formation of stable foam.

Quantitative pump: the core guarantee for precise dosage

The quantitative pump is mainly used for essence liquid, eye cream, pharmaceutical cosmetics and other products that require high dosage accuracy. Its core advantage is that it can achieve accurate control of the discharge amount of each press, ensure that users use the same amount each time, so as to ensure the stability of the product effect. The discharge accuracy of the constant displacement pump can usually be controlled within ± 2%, which is much higher than that of the ordinary lotion pump.

In terms of structural characteristics, the quantitative pump limits the discharge amount per press through precise valve stem stroke design and flow control device. Its material is usually made of corrosion-resistant PP, PE or stainless steel, which can adapt to high-end cosmetics containing acidic, alkaline or active ingredients. In addition, quantitative pumps usually come with a locking design to prevent material leakage caused by accidental pressing during transportation, while also enhancing product safety.

In terms of the impact on the discharge effect, the quantitative pump can ensure that the discharge amount is accurate and consistent each time, and avoid affecting the product effect due to excessive or too little user use (for example, the concentration of active ingredients in high-end essence is high, excessive use may stimulate the skin, and too little can not achieve the desired effect). Meanwhile, precise quantitative design can enhance the high-end and professional feel of products, and strengthen consumers' trust in the brand. In addition, the pressing feel of the quantitative pump is usually thick and smooth, which is in line with the positioning of high-end cosmetics.

In terms of applicable products, the quantitative pump is suitable for high-end liquid or paste products with viscosity between 5-500mPa · s, such as essence liquid, eye cream, ampoule, pharmaceutical cosmetics, medical beauty products, etc. For products that require strict control of usage, quantitative pumps are the core packaging components that improve product quality and user experience.

Summary: Key points for selecting pump head types

In summary, the selection of pump head types should revolve around the core requirements of the product, with key considerations including product viscosity, composition characteristics, usage scenarios, dosage requirements, and brand positioning.

The specific selection suggestions are as follows:

    ·Low viscosity liquid products (such as toner, sunscreen spray): spray pump is preferred, and fine fog or wide angle type is selected according to the coverage requirements;

    ·High viscosity and viscous products (such as lotion and face cream): choose lotion pump with good sealing performance and stable discharge, and customize the discharge amount according to the consumption demand;

    ·Clean liquid products (such as facial cleanser and shower gel): choose a foam pump with reasonable gas-liquid mixing ratio to improve the convenience of use;

    ·High end precision dosage products (such as essence liquid and eye cream): select a quantitative pump with high precision and lock design to enhance product professionalism and safety.

As a professional skincare packaging material foreign trade company, we deeply understand the core impact of pump heads on the cosmetic product experience. We provide a full range of high-quality cosmetics pump heads, including spray pumps, lotion pumps, foam pumps, quantitative pumps and other types. We can provide personalized packaging solutions according to customer product characteristics and customization needs, including material selection, structural design, output customization and appearance color matching. Our pump head products undergo strict sealing, corrosion resistance, and service life testing to ensure stable and reliable product quality, helping global cosmetics brands improve product quality and user experience.

If you have any selection or customization needs for cosmetic pump heads, please feel free to contact MOC PACK at any time. Our professional team will provide you with one-on-one professional consulting services.