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Why the Big Shampoo Bottle Isn’t So Big: SARAH RAINEY Investigates

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The Mystery of Part-Empty Beauty Products

Have you ever opened a new bottle of shampoo, jar of face cream or tube of suncream only to find it’s far from full? You’re not alone. Tens of thousands of unhappy shoppers have taken to online forums to vent their frustrations about part-empty containers in the beauty world. Toiletries are among the worst offenders, with super-sized packaging often giving customers a misleading impression of just how much they’re getting for their money.

Some leading brands use opaque bottles or labels, so you can’t see what’s inside, while others have double-walled sides, large lids or false bases that can make quantities appear bigger than they are. So why do manufacturers put their products in such big containers? And why don’t they fill them to the top?

According to Ariane Young, a celebrity and media make-up artist, “They use bigger containers so it looks like you’re getting more for your money.” She adds, “Ingredients, labor and marketing are more expensive but customers are less willing to shell out on new products every month, so brands are finding ways to cut corners.”

There may be a practical reason in some cases. Kyle Frank, a beauty expert, cosmetics formulator and founder of Frank’s Remedies, explains that some products need extra ‘breathing space’ so that the bottles and tubes reach customers intact. “Product packaging can expand due to temperature changes and rocky movement during transit,” he says. “Depending on the formulation of the product, this may cause more air to be produced. This is known as thermal expansion.”

Such expansion could cause leakage or make containers burst open, so leaving a little space at the top of the bottle or jar ensures it reaches customers in one piece.

So how much product is there in your everyday toiletries and are you being fooled by the size or shape of the packaging it’s sold in?

We conducted an experiment, comparing the amount of liquid, gel or cream in beauty products (stated on the packaging) against the total volume of the container (in millilitres). We did this by squeezing the product into a glass measuring beaker and filling the empty container with water to see how much it could hold when full. The results will make you think twice on your next visit to the beauty aisle.

Product Volume Analysis

Here are some of the results from our experiment:

These findings highlight how many beauty products are not filled to the brim, which can leave consumers feeling misled. While some products have minimal empty space, others have significant amounts of unused capacity. It’s important to be aware of these discrepancies when shopping for personal care items.

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