Hey there, if you’ve ever stared at a makeup tube that says “10ml” or “0.34fl oz” on the packaging and wondered if that number’s actually legit, you’re not alone. As a makeup tube supplier, I get asked this all the time by small brand owners and even some big players who swear their tubes are holding more than they label—half the time it’s a mix-up in measuring, not a trick. Today I’m breaking down exactly how to measure makeup tube capacity like a pro, no fancy lab equipment required, and no guesswork. Makeup Tube
First off, let’s get one thing straight: makeup tube capacity isn’t just about the “filled space” inside. There’s air at the top (that’s called headspace, for anyone who cares about the jargon) and sometimes even leftover product that’s stuck to the walls you can’t squeeze out. But when brands label capacity, they almost always mean the net content of actual usable product, right? So I’m focusing on that real usable number, not just how much liquid fits if you fill it to the brim.
Let’s start with the easiest method—no dismantling anything, no messy transfers. This is the one I teach all my new clients because it’s quick and works for squeeze tubes, foundation tubes, lip gloss tubes, even those thick cream tubes. Grab a scale first—any kitchen scale that can measure in grams or fluid ounces will do, and don’t worry, you don’t need a fancy lab scale. We’re going for accuracy within 0.5g, which is more than enough for makeup tubes.
Here’s the step-by-step: First, weigh the empty tube completely. That means remove the cap, squeeze out every last drop you can (I know, it’s annoying, but do your best), then wipe the inside with a paper towel until there’s no product left. Weigh that empty tube and write down the number—let’s say it’s 15g. Now, take the full tube, remove the cap, weigh it, and note that number too. If your full tube weighs 25g, subtract the empty tube weight (15g) and you get 10g of product. Wait, hold up—makeup isn’t water, so grams don’t always equal milliliters? Yeah, that’s a thing. If it’s a water-based product like lip gloss or serum, 1g = 1ml almost exactly. But if it’s thick, like foundation or cream, density changes it. A good rule of thumb: divide the product weight by 1.15 for thick creams, 1.05 for average liquid makeup, and that’ll get you close to the actual volume. For that 10g thick cream, that’s ~8.7ml of usable product—if the label says 10ml, there’s probably headspace they didn’t account for, which is totally normal.
That method works 90% of the time, but what if your tube’s super flexible, or has weird shaped parts at the bottom? Like those squeeze tubes with a pointy tip? Then we need the water displacement method, which is old school but super accurate, especially for weirdly shaped containers. No, you don’t have to dump makeup down the drain—just take the empty tube (the one you used earlier) and fill it with water, but only up to where the product actually was. Wait, first: fill the empty tube with water, seal it, squeeze out until it’s exactly as empty as it was when you removed the product. Then, take a graduated cylinder (or even a measuring cup with ml markings) and pour that water into it. That volume is exactly the amount of product that was in the tube. Again, adjust a tiny bit if the product is thick—water is density 1, so if your product is denser, the volume will be a touch less, but this is way closer than just measuring the tube’s height and width.
Wait, but what if you’re making new tubes and need to test before filling them? Like, you have an empty tube on your production line and want to know exactly how much it can hold so you don’t overfill or underfill? That’s a different scenario, and I see brands mess this up all the time because they just calculate the tube’s internal volume with basic geometry. Let’s be real—most makeup tubes aren’t perfect cylinders. They have a narrower neck, a flat base, maybe some ridges to squeeze. So measuring them like a can of soda is wrong. Here’s what I do for my clients: take a tube, remove the nozzle or tip if there is one, fill it with water all the way to the very top (no cap, so it’s not spilling), and then pour that water into a graduated cylinder. That’s the total internal volume of the empty tube. Then, when you fill it with product, you leave a little headspace (usually 5-10% of total volume) so it doesn’t leak when you cap it or squeeze it. So if a tube’s total internal volume is 11ml, you’d label it 10ml of product—makes total sense, right?
I should also mention the mistakes brands make all the time that throw capacity off. One big one: temperature. If you’re measuring product in a warm room, it might expand a tiny bit—water expands about 0.2% per degree Celsius above room temp, so if your lab is 30C instead of 20C, that’s a 1% difference. Not a huge deal, but if you’re labeling to the nearest ml, it adds up. Another mistake: leftover product we don’t count. When you squeeze a tube, there’s always a gram or two stuck to the walls—so if you measure the full tube minus empty tube, that number is the total amount that came out, not what’s actually usable. That’s why some people feel like they got ripped off, but it’s just physics.
Oh, and what about tubes with pumps? Those are different. A pump tube doesn’t have all the product at the bottom—each pump dispenses a set amount. So to measure that, you take the empty pump tube, prime the pump a few times, pump out all the product you can, and measure the total weight difference, same as before. Then divide by the number of pumps to get per-pump volume. And always test with a few different pumps, because sometimes the pump’s flow can be slightly off—one might give 0.5ml, another 0.55ml.
As a makeup tube supplier, I see so many brands skip these steps and end up with overfilled tubes that leak, or underfilled ones that get bad reviews. Last year, a small brand came to me saying their 15ml foundation tubes were testing at 13ml, and they thought I was selling them undersized tubes. Turns out they were just weighing the full tube minus the empty tube, which left out the small amount of product stuck in the pump and on the tube walls. Once we tested it with water displacement, we saw the tubes could hold 16ml, so I adjusted their fill line to account for the usable product, and they haven’t had a complaint since. That’s the stuff that matters—getting the numbers right so your customers are happy.
Another thing to keep in mind: different regions have different labeling rules. The FDA in the US requires net content to be accurate within 10% for products under 4oz, for example. So if your tube says 10ml, it just needs to be between 9 and 11ml, not exactly 10. That’s why brands leave a little headspace—they’re not trying to scam anyone, they’re just following regulations. But if you’re a brand that wants to nail it to the exact ml, these methods will get you there.
Let’s recap real quick, so you don’t have to scroll back:
- For filled tubes (checking label accuracy): Weigh full tube, subtract empty tube weight, adjust for product density.
- For empty tubes (calculating capacity): Water displacement method, pour water into empty tube to measure total volume, then subtract 5-10% for headspace.
- For pump tubes: Measure total pumped product, divide by number of pumps to get per-pump volume.
No fancy tools needed, just a scale, some water, a little patience. And if you’re a brand looking for makeup tubes that fit your exact capacity needs, don’t overcomplicate it. Hit me up to chat through your specs—whether you need a 5ml lip gloss tube or a 30ml foundation tube, we’ll make sure the capacity is spot on, no guessing.
Lotion Tube References:
- Personal communication with cosmetic packaging industry quality control specialists (2022)
- FDA Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 101 (Food Labeling) (2023)
- Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology, 5th Edition, Volume 2 (2018)
Yangzhou NewGreatWall Plastic Co., Ltd.
Yangzhou NewGreatWall Plastic Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional makeup tube manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing high quality custom service. We warmly welcome you to wholesale makeup tube for sale here from our factory. Contact us for quotation.
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