An ABL tube (Aluminum Barrier Laminate tube) is a multi-layer laminated tube that includes a thin aluminum foil layer between plastic layers. This structure offers excellent barrier against oxygen, moisture, light and aroma loss, making ABL tubes ideal for toothpaste, medicated creams, whitening formulas and sensitive cosmetics.

ABL Tubes – Aluminum Barrier Laminate Tubes for Sensitive & High-Protection Formulas

Q: How is an ABL tube constructed?

A typical ABL tube has a structure such as PE / Adhesive / Aluminum / Adhesive / PE. The inner PE layer contacts the formula, the aluminum layer provides barrier, and the outer layer supplies print surface and mechanical strength. Thickness and foil gauge can be adjusted for barrier and squeeze feel.

Q: When should I choose ABL tubes instead of PBL or mono-PE tubes?

ABL tubes are recommended when formulas are highly sensitive to oxygen or light, when strong flavors or fragrances must be preserved, when active ingredients need long-term stability, or when brand and regulatory standards require maximum barrier performance.

Q: What types of products are best packed in ABL tubes?

ABL tubes are widely used for toothpaste and oral-care gels, whitening and medicated creams, topical ointments where allowed, and high-fragrance or active-rich skincare formulas where aroma retention and active stability are critical.

Q: How good is the barrier performance of ABL tubes?

The aluminum layer in ABL tubes provides very high barrier to oxygen, water vapor, light and aroma loss. This helps prevent oxidation of actives, control product drying, protect against UV degradation and maintain flavor or fragrance during shelf life.

Q: Can ABL tubes support high-quality printing and premium finishes?

Yes. Because the laminate web is pre-printed, ABL tubes can achieve high-definition graphics, full-wrap designs, combinations of flexo or gravure with silk screen and hot-stamping, and a range of finishes including matte, gloss, pearl and soft-touch.

Q: Do ABL tubes feel different from plastic tubes when squeezed?

ABL tubes usually feel slightly more rigid and crisp than extruded PE tubes while still being easy to squeeze. The aluminum layer helps maintain shape and a smooth appearance during use, giving a clean on-shelf look.

Q: What are the typical MOQ and lead time for ABL tubes?

Typical minimum order quantities for custom ABL tubes are around 10,000 pieces per size and design. After artwork and pre-production samples are approved, mass production usually takes about 25–35 days, depending on tube structure, decoration and closures.

Q: What information do you need to recommend the right ABL tube for my project?

Suppliers need to know the formula type, pH, presence of solvents or strong actives, required shelf life and target markets, desired volume and diameter, cap style and branding requirements. With this information, they can propose a suitable ABL structure, decoration and MOQ plan tailored to your brand.

ABL (Aluminum Barrier Laminate) tubes are high-barrier packaging solutions widely used for toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and industrial products that require strong protection against oxygen, moisture, and light. At Xinfly Packaging, we supply custom ABL tubes that combine excellent barrier performance, attractive appearance, and user-friendly squeezing.

What Are ABL Tubes?

ABL tubes are a type of laminated tube constructed from multiple layers of plastic and aluminum. The aluminum layer in the middle provides a strong barrier, while the inner and outer plastic layers offer compatibility with the product and the required look and feel.

ABL tubes are commonly used for:

Toothpaste and oral care products
Pharmaceutical creams, ointments, and gels
Chemical and industrial pastes
Food products that require strong barrier protection
Certain cosmetic or dermocosmetic formulas

They are ideal for products that are highly sensitive to oxygen, light, or humidity and need long-term stability and protection.

Advantages of ABL Tubes

1. Superior Barrier Performance

The aluminum layer provides excellent protection against oxygen, moisture, and light, helping to maintain product efficacy, flavor, fragrance, and color over the entire shelf life. This is critical for pharmaceutical, oral care, and certain food applications.

2. Extended Shelf Life for Sensitive Products

ABL tubes are designed to keep formulas stable for longer periods, reducing the risk of degradation and ensuring consistent performance from the first to the last use of the tube.

3. Good Mechanical Strength & Durability

The laminate structure offers strong resistance to puncture, cracking, and deformation during filling, transportation, and everyday use, making ABL tubes suitable for both mass-market and professional products.

4. Attractive, High-Quality Printing

ABL tubes support high-resolution printing with vivid colors and clear details. This allows brands to communicate important information and create impactful designs, even for highly technical or regulated categories like oral care and pharma.

5. Familiar Consumer Experience

Consumers are very familiar with ABL tubes in segments like toothpaste and pharmaceutical creams. The squeezable body and standard closures provide a trusted, comfortable experience for daily use.

Typical Applications of ABL Tubes

Due to their strong barrier properties and durable construction, ABL tubes are especially suitable for:

Toothpaste & Oral Care: Fluoride toothpaste, whitening toothpaste, sensitive-care formulas, medicated gels.
Pharmaceutical & Dermocosmetic: Prescription creams, over-the-counter ointments, medicated gels, treatment products.
Food & Condiments: Highly sensitive sauces, flavored pastes, products that require extended shelf life.
Industrial & Chemical: Adhesives, automotive pastes, and other technical products that must be well protected.

For brands operating in regulated or high-sensitivity categories, ABL tubes are often the preferred choice.

Custom ABL Tube Options

Xinfly Packaging offers a wide range of customization options for ABL tubes to meet specific technical and branding requirements.

Laminate Structures

Different aluminum layer thicknesses based on barrier needs
Various plastic inner layers for formula compatibility
Customized total laminate thickness to balance flexibility and strength

Diameters & Filling Capacities

Standard diameters for ABL tubes typically range from Ø16 mm to Ø40 mm, with filling capacities from about 10 ml to 150 ml. We can recommend the appropriate tube size based on your product and market.

Caps & Closures

Flip-top caps (flat or rounded)
Screw caps and stand-up caps
Child-resistant or tamper-evident closures for pharmaceutical use
Custom-colored caps to match your brand or indicate product variants

Printing & Surface Options

High-resolution flexo or offset printing
Silk screen printing for bold, opaque elements
Hot stamping for premium metallic logos or details
Matte, glossy, metallic, or soft-touch varnishes
Registered varnish and spot effects for eye-catching design

Why Choose Xinfly Packaging for ABL Tubes?

Technical Expertise in High-Barrier Tubes

We have deep experience in producing ABL tubes for oral care, pharma, cosmetics, and other sensitive applications. Our team understands regulatory requirements and performance expectations in these markets.

Consistent Quality & Strict Control

Our production lines and quality systems are designed to ensure stable laminate quality, strong sealing, and accurate dimensions, which are critical for filling, sealing, and long-term storage performance.

Support from Development to Mass Production

From sample development and compatibility testing to full-scale production, we provide responsive service and technical support to help you launch or upgrade products with confidence.

Flexible MOQ for Different Project Sizes

Whether you are introducing a new formulation, running a pilot batch, or planning large-scale commercial production, we offer flexible minimum order quantities and competitive lead times to fit your project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key questions about ABL (Aluminum Barrier Laminate) tubes – structure, barrier, print quality, applications, recyclability, MOQ and lead time.

Q1What is an ABL tube?

An ABL tube (Aluminum Barrier Laminate tube) is a multi-layer laminated tube that includes a very thin aluminum foil layer between plastic layers. This structure gives excellent barrier against oxygen, moisture, light and aroma loss, making ABL tubes ideal for toothpaste, medicated creams, whitening formulas and sensitive cosmetics.

Q2How is an ABL tube constructed?

A typical ABL structure looks like PE / Adhesive / Aluminum / Adhesive / PE. The inner PE layer is in contact with the formula, the aluminum layer provides barrier, and the outer layer gives print surface and mechanical strength. Different thicknesses and foil gauges can be selected depending on barrier and squeeze feel.

Q3When should I choose ABL tubes instead of PBL or mono-PE tubes?

You should consider ABL tubes when:

Your formula is highly sensitive to oxygen or light
You need to protect strong flavors or fragrances (e.g. mint toothpaste)
Active ingredients (whitening, medicated or pharma-type) must remain stable for a long shelf life
Regulatory or brand standards demand maximum barrier

For less demanding formulas or eco-focused projects, PBL or mono-PE tubes may be more suitable.

Q4What types of products are best packed in ABL tubes?

ABL tubes are commonly used for:

Toothpaste and oral-care gels
Whitening and medicated creams
Topical ointments and dermatological products (where allowed)
High-fragrance or active-rich skincare formulas

Any product where aroma retention and active stability are critical can benefit from ABL packaging.

Q5How good is the barrier performance of ABL tubes?

The aluminum layer in ABL tubes provides very high barrier to:

Oxygen (O₂) – reducing oxidation of actives
Water vapor – helping control drying or thinning
Light – especially UV, which can degrade sensitive formulas
Aroma loss – keeping flavor and fragrance longer

This is why ABL is the traditional choice for toothpaste and medicated tubes worldwide.

Q6Can ABL tubes support high-quality printing and premium finishes?

Yes. Because the laminate web is pre-printed before forming the tube, ABL tubes can achieve:

High-definition graphics with fine text and gradients
Full-wrap designs with precise registration
Combination of flexo/gravure, silk screen and hot-stamping
Matte, gloss, pearl or soft-touch over-varnishes

This makes ABL tubes suitable for both mass-market and prestige product lines.

Q7Are ABL tubes recyclable or eco-friendly?

ABL tubes contain a thin aluminum foil layer, which makes them more complex to recycle than mono-PE or PBL tubes. However, they can still contribute to sustainability by:

Extending product shelf life and reducing formula waste
Allowing thinner walls compared with some traditional metal packaging

For brands with strong recyclability targets, we often recommend evaluating PBL or mono-PE structures as alternatives, while keeping ABL for the most demanding formulas.

Q8Do ABL tubes feel different from plastic tubes when squeezed?

ABL tubes typically feel slightly more rigid and “crisp” than extruded PE tubes, while still being easy to squeeze. The aluminum layer helps maintain tube shape and smooth appearance during use, which many oral-care and medicated brands prefer on shelf.

Q9What are the typical MOQ and lead time for ABL tubes?

Because we must prepare laminated webs, printing plates and tooling, typical MOQ for custom ABL tubes is around 10,000 pcs per size/design. After artwork and pre-production samples are approved, mass production usually takes about 25–35 days, depending on structure, decoration and cap type.

Q10What information do you need to recommend the right ABL tube for my project?

To recommend the best ABL solution, we need:

Formula type (toothpaste, medicated cream, cosmetic, etc.)
pH, presence of solvents or strong actives
Required shelf life and target markets
Desired volume, diameter and cap style
Branding requirements (print effect, finish, color limits)

With these details, Xinfly Packaging can propose ABL structure, decoration and MOQ tailored to your brand.

Need high-barrier ABL tubes for toothpaste or medicated creams?

Share your formula, shelf-life target and artwork — we’ll help you choose the right ABL structure, diameter and cap, then provide samples and a clear production schedule.

Request ABL Tube Quote

ABL Tubes – Aluminum Barrier Laminate Tubes for Sensitive & High-Protection Formulas

What Are ABL Tubes?