Made to your size- 100 boxes
- Custom sizes & styles
- Free dieline support
- Quality print options
- Proof before production
- 8–12 business day production
Serum boxes are slim folding cartons, usually tuck-end, built around small glass bottles with a dropper or pump. The proportions are tall and narrow, so the main face is small and the side panels carry much of the information. An insert or a snug fit keeps the bottle upright and the glass away from the walls, which matters more for a dropper than for a squat jar.
Slim cartons for dropper bottles
Custom Serum Boxes
✓Clear proofing before productionSee our process
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Tell us what you are packing and we’ll reply with practical options.
Product features
Built around the jobNeck or base inserts
Tuck-end or lidded builds
Colour matching across a range
Solid, window-free cartons
Raised platform for smaller sizes
Spare dropper slot
Room for usage directions
Specifications made for your product.
Technical snapshotEvery final specification is confirmed against product weight, packing method, print coverage, route, and order volume.
View artwork preparation guide- SKU
- bm-1121
- Dimensions
- Custom-made around the product and packing workflow
- Materials
- SBS paperboard, Recycled paperboard, Rigid board for premium sets
- Printing
- CMYK, Pantone, white ink, or unprinted
- Finishes
- Matte, gloss, soft-touch, foil, embossing, spot UV
- Quantities
- Starting at 100 on selected configurations
- Proofing
- Dieline and digital proof
Keep the front clean and clear.
Artwork and materialsA serum carton has a small front, so we keep the name, key ingredient and size large there and move the detail to the sides. Our packaging guides cover sizing, materials, print, and cost in more depth.
Small front, working sides
We set the product name and key ingredient on the narrow front, run vertical type up the spine for shelf rows, and plan the sides and back for directions, ingredients and the period-after-opening symbol.
Explore print and finishesBoard and range colours
Plain paperboard holds colour steadily across a range of serums, recycled board gives a softer finish, and rigid board lifts a premium set. A solid carton with no window keeps light off the bottle.
Explore material decisionsChoose your box
Tell us the bottle size with the dropper or pump fitted, and the sizes in your range.
Request a quote
We recommend a carton, insert and board for your serum.
Finalize the order
Approve the carton size, insert, board, range colours and your delivery details.
Build the dieline
We draw the carton to the top of your dropper bulb, with a neck or base insert to hold the bottle.
Approve the proof
Check the front, spine, side panels and colour across your range on the digital proof.
Roll on production
Your serum cartons are printed, cut and folded, then checked for colour and fit and packed for delivery.
Best for
Face serumsDropper bottlesAmpoulesSkincare rangesWhat changes the price.
Cost factorsEvery project is quoted individually. These are the choices that move the price on almost every order.
- Insert
- A neck or base insert that holds the bottle upright is a second die-cut part.
- Board
- SBS gives the cleanest colour; rigid board for a premium serum costs more per box and ships bulkier.
- Range size
- Several bottle sizes each need their own carton size and their own cutting tool.
- Finishes
- Foil, embossing, spot UV and soft-touch coatings each add a step.
Buyer guidance
Choosing this format
Measuring to the top of the dropper
Measure the bottle with the dropper or pump fitted, because the cap is usually the tallest and widest part.
Dropper caps add height and often have a rubber bulb wider than the bottle neck. A carton sized to the glass alone will not close, and one sized loosely lets the bottle tip and knock against the walls. Measure height to the top of the bulb and width at the widest point, then allow a small clearance.
If a range uses one bottle with different caps, the tallest cap sets the carton height for all of them, or each needs its own size.
- Measure with the cap or pump on
- Widest point sets the width
- Allow a small clearance, not a loose fit
Inserts that hold the bottle upright
A card insert at the neck or the base stops a tall bottle from tipping and keeps glass off the walls.
The simplest option is a card platform with a hole that the bottle drops into, sitting at the base or just below the shoulder. A neck insert grips the bottle under the cap and is good for droppers that would otherwise rattle. Both are cut from the same board as the carton.
For a premium serum in a rigid box with a fitted insert, foam or wrapped card can hold the bottle lying down so its front faces the lid.
Designing for a narrow face
A slim carton has a small front, so keep the name and claim large and move detail to the sides.
On a tall, narrow box the front panel might be only a few centimetres wide. Put the product name, the key ingredient and the size there, and let the side and back panels carry directions and ingredient lists. Vertical type up the spine also helps it read on a shelf where boxes stand side by side.
When the carton carries the bottle's text
A serum bottle is often too small for all its label text, so the carton takes it on and needs planning from the start.
That text usually covers the ingredient list, net contents, the maker's details, a batch code and a shelf life or period-after-opening symbol. Send us what your serum carries and we plan it into the side and back panels, rather than squeezing it in late.
Related packaging formats
Compare your options
Cosmetic Boxes
Color-accurate beauty packaging designed to look sharp on shelf and camera.
Explore box style
Essential Oil Boxes
Cartons and set boxes for small amber oil bottles, singly or in rows.
Explore box style
Folding Cartons
Lightweight printed cartons with crisp color, structure, and shelf appeal.
Explore box styleQuestions about serum boxes.
Box style FAQsWe’ll confirm the exact details that apply to your structure and volume.
Read all frequently asked questionsDoes a serum box keep light off the serum?+
Yes. A closed carton keeps light off the bottle while it sits on the shelf, which suits serums with light-sensitive ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol. Amber or frosted glass takes over once the box is opened. If your formula is sensitive to light, we recommend a solid carton without a window, as a window lets light straight onto clear glass.
Will a dropper serum stay upright in the box?+
Yes. We fit a neck or base insert that holds the bottle upright and keeps the glass away from the walls. Upright matters, because a dropper does not seal as tightly as a flat screw cap. For online orders, where parcels get turned over, some brands ship with a flat cap fitted and the dropper packed beside it, and we can cut the insert to hold both.
Can one carton size fit both 15ml and 30ml serum bottles?+
It can, with an insert. We raise the smaller bottle on a platform or hold it in a collar that takes up the gap, so it does not rattle or look lost when the box opens. Separate carton sizes look better on the shelf, and the extra cost is mostly a second cutting tool rather than the board. Send us both bottles' measurements and we suggest which suits your range.
How do you keep colours matching across a range of serum boxes?+
We print the whole range on the same board and coating, and keep a printed colour reference to check each new run against. The same colour prints differently on different boards, and runs made months apart can drift. Ordering the range in one run gives the closest match, so we recommend that when you can.
Is a serum box different from an essential oil box?+
Both are slim cartons for small glass bottles, so the structure is similar, but we size and style them differently. Serum bottles are often taller with a dropper or pump, so the carton is taller and narrower. Essential oil boxes are usually for short 5ml to 15ml bottles sold as a range, so they lean on colour coding and sets more than on a single premium carton.
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