How Do You Feel About Pump Products?

Right Brain

In an email to the Brains, one of our community (Jill) raised an interesting question about pump products. She says she kind of feels ripped off because products that have pumps leave too much product in the bottle and she's asked us to comment on why companies use pumps. I'll be answering that question in the next day or two, but I'd love to know what the Forum thinks about pumps in general. Any thoughts Ladies?

Karen

I HATE pump bottles! :devil:

Reason #1: Jill is absolutely right: Some of what you're pumping is left in the pump mechanism. If you use the product again relatively soon (but exactly how soon is soon enough?), the product that's in the pump might be usable. If not, you get that nasty hard plug that needs to be separated from the usable portion that was dispensed. If the product was expensive, you feel like you're throwing money away when you wipe the plug away.

Reason #2: Sometimes one pump is not enough. If you need a little more but not a full pump worth, you try to do a half pump. That rarely works out. Either it ends up not being enough product so now you have to try and do a quarter pump (way too tricky!), or you pump another half a pump which turns out to be too much. But no matter how little you pump, it always results in PRODUCT STUCK IN THE PUMP.

And just how do they come up with the amount to be dispensed from the pump? Why don't I get to decide how much product I want?

Grrr.....

I'd like to hear what the rationale for pump bottles is and why a tube wouldn't do the trick. Good pick on the question, Right Brain!

cate

**And just how do they come up with the amount to be dispensed from the pump? Why don't I get to decide how much product I want? **

Clearly Karen the companies know our skin oh so much better than we do! lol!

I hate that I have to waste some when Itry and close it to take it on vacation and half of the time I can't close it! And sometimes it opens up anyway and leaks on all my other toiletries

PurpleRules

My understanding is that the pump has to dispense the labeled amount (I'm in the process of testing this on products in a pump dispenser and a tube but I'm not sure my scale is accurate enough to tell) so I'm willing to give the manufacturer the benefit of the doubt on that. I don't like the lack of control of how much is dispensed and I really don't like it when they design their pump in such a way that you can't open it and see how much is left. I hate this so much I started a discussion about it earlier (the offending product is Relastin Eye Silk,) which I would link to if I weren't lazy and eating a really messy sandwich for lunch. In general, I prefer tubes to pumps.

anonymousblonde

I prefer tubes to pumps, however, I find that using pumps makes the product last longer because I am forced to get a certain amount each time.

I do NOT like having to unscrew the pump and turn it upside down to get the last of the product out as if I were trying to get ketchup out of the bottle. Or when the product leaks of doesn't have a lock function for the pump. Or that nasty dried up plug that jill was talking about.

However, my pump products seem to hold up better than my tube products in my shower. They don't get water stuck in them or go 'bad' (get discolored, smell funny).

I also hate hate hate pump sprays for styling products. I should not have to rinse the pump to unstick it.

Left Brain

I've never understood why pump toothpastes didn't catch on. Those aluminum tubes seem so messy.

anonymousblonde

I liked the pump toothpaste that had he little plastic bag inside- it looked like the baby formula bottles that shrink up as they get used?

It seemed pretty effective.

Anabeana

I dislike pumps. You cannot get all of the product out of the bottle via the pump. I have been using the same lotion for weeks, but the volume that was capable of being reached by the pump was depleted weeks ago. I dislike having to take off the top and bang the bottle against my palm or dig out the contents with the blunt end of an eye pencil.

Ally E.

i love pumps. actually it's my new obsession. (just bought 2 pump lotions) and i use clinique dr. different lotion with a pump and you can actually learn to make a quarter pump :) the first days the freakign lotion was all over my bathroom walls, but now I'm totally in control. takes practice. i just like knowing I didn't put my finger in it, no water got in etc. So it's bacteria free.

JamiSings

I prefer pumps to squeeze bottles. Both both stink in comparison to a jar.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories