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Where can you buy cosmetics ingredients wholesale?
For my products, I am buying cosmetics ingredients individually here and there. I would prefer to buy most of the ingredients (mostly liquid products) at one place for wholesale price. Any suggestions?
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13 Replies
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It might be a good idea to state first which country you are in …
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True. This is an international group, so the answer is different if you’re in the US, UK, Europe, or somewhere in Asia.
Also, most wholesalers have minimum purchase quantities, and want to sell to other businesses, not to individuals. (It’s a liability thing) Have you set up your own business yet? -
I am located in the US. I am just getting started in the business so I am just an individual right now.
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There are many distributors. Probably what you need is a repackaging distributor: one that buys large quantities and repackages it so as to allow smaller purchases. For instance I can’t deal with a 55 gallon drum of surfactant but I can manage 25Kg containers.
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You could probably strike a deal with this company.
Or finding a distributor that takes on smaller accounts could be done. To find a distributor, look up what company makes the ingredient you are buying then do a google search for the trade name of that compound. -
The usual way for me is:
1. I might see some interesting substance in one of the trade publications, or I read a patent, or …2. I send off for a sample and in due course (usually) it arrives.3. I experiment with some sample formulations (usually the manufacturer’s ones so as to be predictable) and decide whether I want to formulate with this or not.4. If not I thank the manufacturer, if yes, I consult the catalogues of the two redistributors available to me, to see if they stock it. If they don’t, I get back to the original contact and ask for details of their representative in Mexico.5. I get in touch (or vice versa) with the in-country rep. Now comes the tricky part. Somehow I have to be able to buy in max. 25Kg packages since I just can’t physically deal with anything bigger. Whether this is possible or not, in my experience, depends on:“Am I the only prospective customer?”If the in-country distributor already has or can get other customers for the same product he may very well be amenable to splitting a drum.I apologise if the above seems a bit convoluted, it’s just my own experience of this business and it applies to Mexico specifically. -
What types and quantities of chemicals are you looking for?
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I am seeking to place the ingredients in small sample packets that you tear open. So, it would be smaller quantity in package form. However, there could be lots of orders.
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You won’t find that and get wholesale pricing. If those are the quantities you are seeking you will need to stick with retail sites such as Lotioncrafter, etc.
Wholesale pricing means larger purchase quantities.
I doubt you will sway soemone by promising lots of orders down the road. Distributors here that a lot.
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The old scale-up problem.
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I suppose I could purchase larger quantities and have it shipped to the packager to distribute evenly instead of it shipped to me. In thsi case, who could I contact for wholesale prices? Thank you.
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You would need to contact the distributor of the raw material who in turn would give you the contact information for your sales person. Keep in mind that unless it is a common material or one they already stock, the repacker is unlikely to add any remaining material you don’t purchase immediately to their inventory.
You can generally determine who the distributor of a raw material is with some easy google research.
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It sounds like you want to have very small packaged portions of single ingredients. Your best bet (if you don’t/can’t fill them yourself) will be to find a contract manufacturer who can fill chemicals into sample packets for you, and have them buy the chemical ingredients. They will likely have access to economies of scale that you will not be able to access.
As always, short runs will cost more money per packet.
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