​What to know about beautiful amber bottles

If you love vintage style or perhaps have a business that produces its own cosmetics, then you may already be familiar with the beautiful appearance of amber glass bottles. But how much do you know about their manufacturer, uses and care? Let's take a closer look at one of the biggest selling products in our glassware range.

How is amber glass made?

All glass is made from liquefied sand which is poured into a bottle or jar shape. The limestone, soda ash and sand mixture is heated to an incredibly high temperature so that it becomes molten, and then other minerals and chemicals are added to provide colours and different finished properties. The liquid glass is shaped and then cooled so that it takes on the shape of the bottle or glass. It's interesting to note that glass isn't actually a true solid and this is why ancient glass has often slightly moved and shifted. Look at medieval stained glass windows in churches for an example.

Amber glass bottles are made by adding carbon, sulfur and iron to the molten glass. This provides the deep, rich umber shade which often brings a cold fermented drink to mind for many!

What are amber bottles used for?

Our customers use them for a huge variety of purposes. For instance:

- To hold syrups, such as herbal tinctures and pharmaceutical products. In times gone past, amber glass vials were the most common way to store eye drops, tinctures and antibiotics.
- To store homemade pale ales and other beers, ciders and even wine.
- To store and present homemade cosmetics, including essential oils which are very light-sensitive and easily damaged by UV light and heat.

Why amber glass?

Amber glass is used as a natural preservative that protects everything from medicines and beauty products to beer and food. Its most important function is to protect the contents of the glass jar or bottle from the damaging effects of UV light. By doing this, it can act as a natural preservative without the need for chemicals. Amber glass bottles and jars have a number of benefits:

- As glass is inert, it doesn't leach any chemicals into its contents.
- Amber and other coloured glass bottles are affordable and can be recycled.
- Glass can be strengthened by adding various minerals and metals to make toughened glass.
- The material loses heat slowly, especially when compared to materials such as metal. This makes it a great choice for beverages that need to remain cool.

At the same time, amber glass interacts with daylight in beneficial and unique ways. It completely blocks UV blue light and other wavelengths of light under 450nm. This makes it great for storing products that are sensitive to light.

Amber glass bottles and coloured glass bottles are also hugely popular with designers, artists and decorators, as the finish provides a wonderful finish and can be used for contemporary and rustic design styles alike. We sell a lot of amber glass bottles for weddings and other events, for example!

Using coloured glass bottles in your home or business

At Wares of Knutsford you'll find a wide range of coloured glass jars and bottles for all needs. We sell different glass colours, bottle and jar sizes and also different lids, caps and fastening types. If you are a business you'll be pleased to find that we sell in bulk and on palettes so that you can enjoy the best possible prices, thanks to our recent move to larger premises which allows us to increase our stocks.

With the holiday season just around the corner, why not have fun creating your own salves, lotions and bath salts and storing them in pretty glass jars with handwritten labels and ribbons? With simple and natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, glycerin and essential oils, you can make wonderful, natural and organic products without chemicals or unwanted ingredients. And they make wonderful gifts. Try this very simple recipe for homemade salve to get you started:

Natural salve recipe to customise

8 ounces of coconut oil
1.5 ounces of grated beeswax
Half an ounce of optional skin butter, such as cocoa or shea oil
Optional essential oils - up to 30 drops of lavender, orange, geranium, rose or oils that appeal
Ten capsules of optional vitamin E oil to benefit the skin and naturally extend the shelf life

Simply melt the oils and beeswax in a double broiler or in the microwave and then add the essential oils, stirring gently before pouring them into your sterilised glass jars or bottles and allowing them to cool and harden. Simple!

You can also easily make bath salts with added rose petals, lavender flowers or even body salt scrubs flavoured with cinnamon sticks and ginger. Have fun experimenting and stock up on your essential coloured glass jars and bottles at Wares of Knutsford, with the best possible prices and superb customer service!