What makes a good skin care product can to some extent come down to personal opinion and also depending on our personal requirements. But there are very important criteria that can be agreed on both by professionals [dermatologist] and common people. Choosing a reliable skin care manufacturer is a very important process in order to start a product line, important criteria to verify include;
First, entrepreneurs have to choose between a private label and contract manufacturing;
- Private labels means acquiring purchasing already existing formulas that are for sale and branding them as you desire.
- While contract manufacturing is working together with a manufacturing company to create formulations unique to your brand. Contract manufacturing us usually more expensive and time consuming as compared to private labels.
- Formula ownership ; It is a very important topic that need to be addressed, assumptions should not be made about formulation ownership. These issues should be addressed prior to commencing any work and ensure that the terms and conditions are put into writing.
- Budget ; It is very important to determine the total price of a formulation because it has a serious impact on the price of the skincare manufacturing. Also specific costs such as ; ingredient cost, labor, taxes, final packaging costs and delivery will also affect the overall formulation cost, and this will have an impact on the final costs of the goods.
- Global reach of production facilities ; It is important and advisable to choose manufacturers that have additional manufacturing facilities and distribution in different countries and continents, because it can facilitate distribution and sales. But, it is also important to inquire about any possible issues with formulations and processing methods in any other available locations, as these will greatly influence the product in these areas.
- Minimum order quantity ; The minimum amount of units that must be purchased per order . It determines the amount of product that the skin care line manufacturer has to produce to make it worth their time and effort. It is always important to inquire about the maximum order quantity to ensure that the manufacturer will be able to accommodate any future orders made.
- Lead time ; This is the time it takes between initiating an order and the completion date of the product. Factors such as packaging, order quantities, raw materials available, determine lead time.
- Certifications ; Certifications are absolutely necessary in order to sell the product. Some certifications allow you to legally sell your product [ FDA and or GMP], while others help create a strong product benefit claim.
- Formulation capabilities ; This determines the format of your product – powders, liquids, lotions , etc. Each format requires a different set of skills and knowledge to be able to develop the product to the format desired.
- Manufacturing capabilities ; It is important to know if the manufacturer has the skills and equipment necessary to manufacture your product, because some manufacturers only specialize in the equipment they have available.
- Breadth of services ; Manufacturing is just one part of the production process, it is also important to consider additional services the manufacturer might offer such as ; filing, packaging, raw material sourcing , etc. It could prove important for immediate or future needs.
Finding a contract manufacturer is not an easy task and needs a lot of research and time to find a good partner. It is important to determine your requirements beforehand and also any possible questions in order to test and ascertain the abilities of the manufacturer.
