Jill is perturbed about pumps: When the pump dispenser for a product (Olay eye lifting serum, for instance) no longer dispenses, I usually take the pump cap off and extract the rest by hand. My husband calls this depression-era mentality, but there is often about a third of the volume still remaining, especially in small bottles, that the dispenser can’t reach. Why throw it away? Why do cosmetic manufacturers use the pump dispensers? Do they expect us to toss their product into landfills? Do the same products ever get sold in multiple containers?
The Left Brain squeezes out this reply:
I understand your frustration with some products that are dispensed with pumps. However, cosmetic companies are not necessarily trying to get you to waste product. In fact, most companies want you to perceive their products as being a good value so you’ll buy them again. While it may not make sense for every product, there are several legitimate reasons to use a pump as a dispenser. Here are the Beauty Brains top 5 reasons a pump can be your pal.
1. Improve ease of dispensing
Large bottles, especially in the shower, can be awkward to handle. A pump makes one handed dispensing much easier. That big bottle of Tresemme shampoo could use a pump as far as I’m concerned.
2. Control product purity
Sticking your fingers in an open jar of product can transfer bacteria that can cause the product to spoil. A pump is one way to ensure that a product like Skinceuticals Eye Cream stays pure.
3. Measure dosage
Sometimes too much of a good thing is not good. Pumps can help control the amount of product that is dispensed and prevent you from using too much. This is especially important on expensive products like B. Kamins Cream.
4. Protect active ingredients
Some products, like Mentadent toothpaste, have active ingredients that need to kept separated until they are ready to be mixed. A pump is able to mix products in a way that a tube can’t. Other products, like Hylexin, have active ingredients that deteriorate when exposed to air. A pump protects these ingredients because it doesn’t allow air into the package.
5. Maintain product integrity
Have you seen Olay’s Illuminating Eye gel? There’s an ingredient swirled through the product that gives it an unusual pearlescent appearance. Scooping the product out would destroy the swirl – a pump dispenser keeps the product’s appearance consistent as you use it.
These are a few reasons why companies would want to use pumps on their products. Now, it’s YOUR turn. Tell us the reasons why you DON’T like pumps. Leave your gripes in the comment section and we’ll compile a top 10 list for a future Beauty Brains post.
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Joe Says:
I agree with everything stated and responded to including the landfill issue. My gripe is with the empty pump bottles I’ve bought to reduce the landfill issue. Forget dispensing liquid soap products! I haven’t found a pump dispenser yet that doesn’t allow the soap to gather at the neck and drip down the sides of the container. Lotions don’t seem to have quite that same problem perhaps because they tend to be thinner.
Skin Care » Blog Archive » Are Cosmetic Pump Products a Pleasure or a Pain? Says:
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Michelle Says:
In regards to the “pump or not to pump” question. #1 I agree with the BB regarding the reasons why pumps are good. In regards to Joe’s problem, I will sometimes set the “soap” on a dish/wash cloth to catch drips. In a couple of days you have enough for either dishes/facial cleanser (CHANGE CLOTH FREQ,). For dish soap, when the container is empty, rinse off entire bottle in a sink, inside and out and this gives you enough for washing dishes, if you have a pot/pan that needs some soaking,or if you want to do some kitchen cleaning. Plus your bottle is clean for re-cycling. M. K.
P.S. Hope this helps.
Courtney Says:
My only complaint about pumps is that they sometimes break, and there’s no way to replace them without buying another bottle.
I use Neutrogena foundation in a pump, and I prefer it to regular bottles for all the reasons in the post, but also because it is neater. I tend to make a mess.
Nic Says:
I have issues traveling with pumps. They always untwist from the locked position and get everywhere. And for some designs, to get them into the locked position you have to pump them down and then you get product all over you.
Also, I have really dry skin and like thicker lotions, some of which are too thick to be easily dispensed through a pump.
DeeDon Says:
I think having product in a squeeze tube accomplishes most of the benefits listed for a pump. In addition to not getting all the product out of a pump bottle, you can’t easily store a pump bottle upside down (keeping the product near the opening) like you can a product in a tube. BTW a trick I use with a plastic tube is when you get toward the last of it, cut the tube in half. You can scoop out the last of the product, and you can even fit the remaining end piece over the end and store the last little bits that way (assuming the product is not one that needs to be protected from air). Oh, and one last pump gripe, HATE when you get towards the bottom of the bottle when you get tiny spurts of products instead of a full dose/measure and have to pump and pump to get enough out. I also agree about the difficulty with traveling with the product in a pump bottle.
rosarita Says:
DeeDon covered most of my pump peeves. I use Kiss My Face Alpha Hydroxy facial moisturizer, love it btw, but the pump tube is short enough so that it stops pumping when there’s still 30% of the product still in the bottle. Then begins the messy process of removing the whole pump tube get product out of the bottle. I don’t like lotion with pumps for the same reason; come to think of it, most of the products I use that have pumps are thick, so it is impossible to get all of the product out with the pump. Vaseline Intensive Rescue is my favorite body lotion, and while a pump bottle is available, they also offer a smaller size in a squeeze bottle with a flat top. Love this! I can store it upside down and get every last bit of lotion out of the bottle. I agree too that pumps are hard to travel with.