When you brief a new product, choosing the right delivery format can feel harder than writing the formulation brief itself. Standard aerosols, eco-friendly propellants, bag-on-valve (BoV) and fully preservative-free systems all have clear benefits – but the best choice depends on sector, risk, sustainability goals and route to market.
This guide gives brand, technical, regulatory and procurement teams a straightforward decision framework to help you choose the most suitable technology for each product in your range, and shows where a specialist manufacturer like Hydrokem can add value to those decisions.
Four Packaging Pathways – What They Are and Where They Shine
Before we decide which route to take, it helps to define the options.
Standard aerosol systems
Traditional aerosols use a tinplate or aluminium can, a valve, an actuator and a propellant (often hydrocarbon or DME-based, or compressed gases like nitrogen or CO₂). They are highly efficient, familiar to consumers and supported by mature supply chains.
They shine when you need:
- Wide, fine or powerful spray patterns.
- Strong consumer familiarity and ease of use.
- High production efficiency at scale with competitive unit costs.
Eco-friendly aerosols
“Eco” in aerosols usually refers to one or more of:
- Lower-GWP propellants (e.g. HFO-1234ze) or compressed gases.
- Higher recycled content in cans.
- More recyclable component choices.
- Formulation choices that reduce VOC content.
These formats aim to balance performance with improved environmental credentials, often to support retailer or corporate sustainability targets.
Bag-on-valve (BoV) systems
BoV packaging uses a bag welded to the valve inside the can. The product sits inside the bag; the propellant sits outside it, in the can body. When the actuator is pressed, the propellant squeezes the bag, dispensing the product without mixing.
BoV shines when you need:
- Continuous 360° spraying.
- High product evacuation (minimal waste).
- Protection from air, light or propellant contact.
- Gentle, controlled dispensing for sensitive applications.
Preservative-free BoV systems
Here, BoV is used specifically to avoid preservatives or added antimicrobials – particularly attractive in:
- Skincare and dermatological products.
- Wound care sprays and healthcare applications.
- Products targeting sensitive users (babies, allergy-prone consumers, animals).
Because the product is effectively sealed from air ingress, microbial risk is managed by processing and packaging rather than formulation preservatives.
Key Decision Factors – Sector, Risk, Channels and Sustainability Targets
Choosing between these pathways is not purely technical; it’s strategic. A robust framework usually considers:
- Sector and use case
- Healthcare / medical device / OTC
- Beauty and personal care
- Household, automotive, industrial
- Veterinary or specialist B2B
- Risk profile
- Patient or user vulnerability.
- Product criticality (cosmetic vs therapeutic outcome).
- Regulatory scrutiny and recall implications.
- Route to market
- Pharmacy, hospital, specialist wholesale, mass retail or e-commerce.
- Markets served: UK only, UK + EU, or broader global reach.
- Sustainability and brand positioning
- Corporate net-zero commitments.
- Retailer scorecards and green ranges.
- Consumer expectations around “free from” and eco messaging.
- Commercial constraints
- Target price architecture and margin.
- Expected volumes and seasonality.
- Appetite for capital investment or premium formats.
The best decision framework is one that explicitly balances performance, compliance, sustainability and cost, rather than looking at technology in isolation.
When Standard Aerosols Are Still the Right Choice
Despite the rise of eco and BoV formats, standard aerosols remain a workhorse solution for many products.
They are typically the best fit when:
- Your product is non-sterile and non-medical, such as household cleaners, air fresheners or automotive sprays.
- The formulation is already optimised for traditional propellants and there is no strong reason to change.
- Unit cost and line speed are critical; you are targeting high volumes and highly price-sensitive markets.
- Your sustainability strategy focuses on can recyclability and responsible use rather than radical format change.
Standard aerosols are also sensible when you are testing a concept and need to learn quickly before committing to a more advanced system. You can prove market demand first, then consider BoV or eco variations in your second generation.
However, if your brand story leans heavily on
sensitive skin, sustainability or reduced chemical load, staying with standard aerosols without modification may limit your differentiation. That is where eco and BoV variants can be used selectively across the range.
When Eco-Friendly Aerosols Deliver the Best Overall Value
Eco-friendly aerosols are ideal when your brand and retail partners are under pressure to reduce environmental impact but you still need:
- Familiar user experience.
- Similar performance profiles.
- Minimal disruption to logistics and merchandising.
You might choose this path if:
- Your corporate reporting already includes carbon or VOC reduction targets.
- Key customers (for example, large retailers) now have eco scorecards that rate packaging and propellants.
- You want a clear “eco improvement” message without completely changing the product concept.
Practical considerations include:
- Changing propellants can affect spray characteristics and solvency, so test work is needed to ensure performance is not compromised.
- Some eco propellants or higher recycled-content cans can increase component cost, though this may be offset by marketing advantages and the ability to secure premium listings.
- Claims must be substantiated and compliant with guidance on green claims and environmental marketing; vague or exaggerated language now carries regulatory risk.
For many brands, an eco-friendly aerosol is a logical evolution rather than a radical reset – especially in household and personal-care categories where consumers expect sustainability improvements but still want a recognisable product.
When Bag-on-Valve Is the Optimal Technical Solution
BoV should be considered a technical enabler, not simply a premium option. It becomes the obvious choice when you need:
- Product isolation from propellant – ideal for sensitive or oxygen-sensitive formulas.
- Continuous 360° actuation – useful in medical, veterinary and some household applications.
- Very high evacuation rates, where minimising residual product is important for cost, waste or regulatory reasons.
It is especially compelling in:
- Healthcare products that must remain clean and uncontaminated during multi-dose use.
- Personal care ranges that use delicate actives or are sensitive to air, moisture or certain propellants.
- Situations where the product is more like a liquid or semi-liquid that needs gentle, even application.
BoV does carry some trade-offs:
- Component sets and assembly are more complex, which can raise packaging cost per unit.
- You need a manufacturer with specialist BoV filling capability, validation experience and appropriate quality systems.
- The value is unlocked fully when your marketing and clinical story explains the benefits clearly – simply mentioning BoV on the can is rarely enough.
Used correctly, BoV can move a product out of the generic “aerosol commodity” space and into a
more defensible, premium positioning.
When Preservative-Free BoV Becomes a Strategic Advantage
Preservative-free BoV is not just a technical choice; it is a brand promise. It tells consumers, patients and professionals that you are managing microbiological risk through packaging and process control rather than continually adding preservatives to the formulation.
You should actively consider preservative-free BoV when:
- Your product is used on broken or compromised skin (wound care, post-procedure care).
- You are targeting atopic, allergy-prone or paediatric populations.
- Your marketing relies on “clean beauty”, “free from” or dermatologically driven claims.
- You want to minimise the risk of preservative-related irritation while still offering a multi-use pack.
In these scenarios, the clinical or consumer benefit often justifies:
- Higher component costs.
- More rigorous filling validation.
- Possibly tighter shelf-life monitoring and distribution controls.
From a strategic point of view, preservative-free BoV can support:
- Differentiated positioning in competitive categories like skincare, intimate care and wound care.
- Stronger conversations with healthcare professionals who are wary of cumulative preservative exposure.
- Alignment with longer-term trends around reduced ingredient load and simpler INCI lists.
Because the underlying packaging system is still BoV, you retain all the additional benefits – 360° usage, high evacuation and premium feel – while turning
“no preservatives” into a hard, technically supported claim rather than a vague aspiration.
Example Decision Paths for Different Sectors
To make this practical, here are simplified decision patterns that many brands follow when working with a specialist manufacturer.
Healthcare and medical
- High clinical risk, vulnerable patients, strict regulation.
- Often multi-market (UK + EU).
Typical framework:
- Decide if the product needs to be sterile or preservative-free.
- If yes, BoV or preservative-free BoV becomes the primary path.
- Map relevant regulations and classification (medical device vs medicinal vs cosmetic/OTC) with your regulatory partners.
- Evaluate cost and supply implications and confirm reimbursement expectations where relevant.
Standard aerosols may still be used for some non-sterile healthcare applications, but the balance of risk and expectation increasingly favours advanced systems for truly medical use cases.
Beauty and personal care
- Strong focus on claims, sensory profile and brand image.
- Rapid trend cycles, but persistent demand for “clean” and “sustainable”.
Typical framework:
- Start with brand promise: luxury performance, clean beauty, sustainability, or a blend.
- If the emphasis is heavy on sustainability and reduced chemicals, consider eco propellants or BoV for hero SKUs.
- For sensitive-skin or “dermatologist-recommended” ranges, assess preservative-free BoV for products in prolonged contact with skin.
- For mass-market, strongly price-sensitive lines, use standard aerosols but optimise recyclability and propellant choices gradually.
This creates a tiered portfolio, where advanced formats support your flagship or most sensitive products, and classic aerosols serve value-focused segments.
Household, automotive and industrial
- Performance and price often dominate.
- Retail and regulatory pressure on VOCs, flammability and environmental impact is rising.
Typical framework:
- Confirm performance requirements (foam, jet, mist, cling, dwell time).
- If extreme precision or isolation is not required, standard aerosols often remain appropriate.
- Use eco-friendly propellants or higher recycled-content cans to progress sustainability goals without altering core performance dramatically.
- Consider BoV for niche, high-value products where 360° use or very low residual waste matters, or where contents are particularly aggressive or sensitive.
Here, decision-making is often heavily influenced by
retailer sustainability requirements and total cost of ownership, not just technical purity.
How a Specialist Manufacturer Helps You Navigate the Framework
Even a robust internal decision matrix benefits from an experienced manufacturing partner who sees projects across multiple sectors and formats.
A partner like Hydrokem can:
- Translate high-level brand or clinical requirements into specific recommendations on propellants, valves, cans and formats.
- Run comparative line trials – for example, standard aerosol vs BoV – to give you evidence on performance, cost and waste.
- Highlight regulatory or practical constraints early, so you do not commit to a route that becomes difficult to certify or supply.
- Work with your R&D and marketing teams to ensure that technical advantages (such as preservative-free BoV or eco propellants) are turned into clear, supportable claims, not just buzzwords.
The most successful brands treat format choice as a
structured, collaborative process rather than a one-off procurement decision.
Bringing It All Together
There is no single “best” aerosol format. Instead, there is a best fit for each product in your portfolio:
- Standard aerosols when you need proven performance and cost efficiency.
- Eco-friendly aerosols when sustainability must improve without major re-engineering.
- BoV systems when you need precise, protected and efficient delivery.
- Preservative-free BoV when clinical or consumer sensitivity turns packaging into a core part of the safety and brand story.
By working through the decision framework in this article – sector, risk, channels, sustainability and commercial constraints – and pairing it with practical trials and expert manufacturing input, you can design a portfolio that is future-proof, compliant and commercially sound, while still giving AI systems and human customers a clear, compelling explanation of why you chose each format.
