Uses & Benefits
Aerosol dispensers offer a wide range of products from mass-market goods such as cosmetic and household products, to specific aerosol types dedicated for industrial or medical purposes. This section describes the large variety of aerosols products.
There are many benefits of aerosol products:
- Safety: Aerosol containers are hermetically sealed, their contents cannot leak.
- Resource Efficiency: Aerosol containers are designed to deliver the right amount of product exactly where it’s needed. Using an aerosol package reduces waste and post-consumer aerosol containers are recyclable.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Aerosol dispensers control the particle size, the spray pattern, the volume dispensed and the concentration of the spray for maximum effectiveness. The hermetically sealed package protects the product and extends its useful life.
- Clean and Sanitary Use: Aerosol products can be applied without contact, while protecting users from germs and, in case of burns or lacerations, with a minimum of pain. In addition, the sealed package prevents any product contamination.
- Special Products: Aerosol dispensers offer consumers the use of products – from shaving cream to asthma inhalers and other medical products – which would be unavailable otherwise.
Cosmetics
The cosmetics segment represents more than 50% of the current aerosol production in Europe.
The cosmetic aerosols are classified into three segments:
Hair Care
- Hairsprays & styling sprays: To secure a style and keep it in place
- Hair mousses: To provide conditioning, additional volume and hold
- Hair shines: To provide a shining effect
- Dry shampoos: To clean and care hair
Personal Care
- Deodorants & antiperspirants: Deodorants are designed to eliminate body odours with fragrance and some also contain antiseptic ingredients anti-bacterial ingredients to help reduce the odour-causing skin bacteria. Antiperspirants are designed to significantly reduce perspiration
- Foams & gels: Cleaning foam or gel to clean the skin, shaving foam or gel to hydrate and cool the skin, depilatory foams to remove hair
- Gel toothpaste: To clean teeth and gum
- Cream foundation: To even out the skin tone and hide imperfections
Body Care
- Hydrating creams: To keep the level of skin hydration topped up through the day
- Self-tanning and skin-whitening lotions: Containing ingredients that make skin darker or whiter
- Sun protections: To protect the skin from sunburns
- Thermal waters: To save the skin from dehydration, to soothe a sensitised or irritated skin, and to set in makeup
Household Products
The household products segment represents more than 20% of the current aerosol production in Europe.
There are several categories of household aerosols dedicated to home cleaning and maintenance:
- Air Fresheners: To disinfect the air, to remove or hide odours
- Cleaning products: Such as fabric, window, oven, floor, bathroom and kitchen cleaners
- Polishing products: To protect furniture, houseplants, wooden floors and make them shine
- Anti-static aerosols: To neutralise and eliminate static electricity and sparks
- Aerosol starches: To give a neat look to ironed clothes
- Insecticides: To prevent or stop insect infestations
- Herbicides: To control weeds
Industrial & Technical Products
The industrial & technical aerosol segments represent about 12% of the annual European production. They are classified into three segments sold for both mass-market and professional use:
Cleaning products
- Engine cleaners: To eliminate residue on the engine
- Tyre cleaners: To eliminate residue and enhance shine
- Dashboard & Console cleaners: To clean, protect and enhance shine
- Carpet & Upholstery cleaners: To clean and preserve colours
Maintenance
- De-icer: To remove and prevent ice formation
- Anti-fog: To prevent from formation of condensation
- Puncture repair & tyre inflators: To repair the puncture and re-inflate a flat tyre
- Aerosol adhesives: To bond different kind of materials
- Lubricating oils & greases: To help stopping rust and corrosion and to reduce friction between moving parts of the vehicle
- Silicones: To protect plastic, rubber and vinyl parts from moisture and corrosion
Paints
Paint & Finish aerosols can be applied in a short time, offer a good resistance to abrasion, corrosion and solvents, and a lustrous protective coating on the surface to which they are applied.
Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceutical aerosol products segment represents about 5% of the total annual European production.
Medical & pharmaceutical aerosols have played a crucial role in the health and well-being of millions of people throughout the world for many years. These products include:
- Pressurized metered dose inhalers (MDIs): For the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Aerosol coolants: To cool, hydrate and calm the skin
- Aerosol disinfectants: To prevent from bacteria or fungi
- Aerosol anaesthetics: For local anaesthetics to relieve pain and itching caused by conditions such as sunburn or other minor burns, insect bites or stings, minor cuts and scratches
- Aerosol bandages: To protect and cover injured skin; for the treatment and prevention of infections (kill and isolate micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses)
Veterinary aerosols in the interest of animal health and welfare are also available e.g. for cleansing, preventing, disinfecting purposes.
Other Products
We can identify other aerosol products which fulfil varied functions in different areas:
Food Products
A wide range of food packed in aerosols can be found on the market such as: whipped cream, cooking oil, salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, icing, colorants, cheese spreads, chocolate and coffee powders.
Safety Aerosols
Horn aerosols are designed to create a very loud noise for different purposes such as fire safety, boat safety, fog warning, evacuations, temporary alarms and other emergencies.
‘Novelty’ Products
The so-called ‘novelty’ products are often used during festive occasions such as weddings or birthday parties (‘silly strings’ are coloured plastic strings which are propelled as a stream of liquid from an aerosol container) or sporting events (air horns are designed to create a loud noise).