Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Cosmetic Industry Starting a cosmetic line I’m a facialist and I want to start my own line…

  • I’m a facialist and I want to start my own line…

    Posted by DLR94 on January 15, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    I am a facialist in the UK specialised in chemical peels etc. and I want to start my own skincare range to use in my treatments and to sell to my clients.

    I know my brand and I know what products I want to sell but I don’t know where to begin. 

    I want to know roughly how much it would be get formulations for chemical peels, cleansers, masks, moisturisers etc. and ingredient suppliers within the UK with small MOQ.

    I’m thinking of starting with something basic such as a hyaluronic acid serum or even a mask. 

    Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. 

    dr-catherine-pratt replied 4 years, 2 months ago 5 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    January 15, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Can you define “small MOQ”? Although it’s a bad idea to manufacture anything you want to sell yourself doing it in the UK would be even more difficult because DIY (repackagers) market here leans towards “natural”, “PEG-free” and other chemophobic ideas. you won’t be able to produce anything good enough to stand out unless you are willing to bring materials from the US, EU, Australia and other places. I am saying it because you asked about “suppliers”. You don’t need to know suppliers of, say, glycolic acid or retinol to start your skincare line, you need a formulator who will write a formula for you and a contract manufacturer who will manufacture the product for you.

  • DLR94

    Member
    January 15, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    Can you define “small MOQ”? Although it’s a bad idea to manufacture anything you want to sell yourself doing it in the UK would be even more difficult because DIY (repackagers) market here leans towards “natural”, “PEG-free” and other chemophobic ideas. you won’t be able to produce anything good enough to stand out unless you are willing to bring materials from the US, EU, Australia and other places. I am saying it because you asked about “suppliers”. You don’t need to know suppliers of, say, glycolic acid or retinol to start your skincare line, you need a formulator who will write a formula for you and a contract manufacturer who will manufacture the product for you.

    Depending on price my small MOQ would be less
    than £5,000 for my first product. I don’t know if that is possible. I just know
    that I want to start a good skincare range.

     

    My brand is high quality products to use in
    conjunction with treatments I offer. But I don’t want to offer ‘gimmicks’ I
    want all the ingredients to actually be beneficial.

     

    Also as my experience and training has been
    received from other facialist etc. and not chemists or other science
    professionals, I don’t know if I have been fed fear-mongering information. I want
    to produce as little environmental harm as possible and I don’t want to use
    animal products except for lactic acid.

     

    Where would I find the manufacturers?

     

    Thank you this is really helpful.

  • EVchem

    Member
    January 15, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    the top post of the forum is where people can promote their businesses/services, I only saw one in UK http://www.jlpcosmetics.com/.

    You could also go the route of hiring formulators, buying the formula itself, and then contracting but I think that would be slightly out of your budget for now. There’s also always private labeling, if you want to just test the water and see what kinds of products do well while still putting a brand name out there (that’s definitely the cheapest option but you’ll have the least freedom)

  • DLR94

    Member
    January 15, 2020 at 7:32 pm

    EVchem said:

    the top post of the forum is where people can promote their businesses/services, I only saw one in UK http://www.jlpcosmetics.com/.

    You could also go the route of hiring formulators, buying the formula itself, and then contracting but I think that would be slightly out of your budget for now. There’s also always private labeling, if you want to just test the water and see what kinds of products do well while still putting a brand name out there (that’s definitely the cheapest option but you’ll have the least freedom)

    Thank you.

    I am happy to do the private labeling for now if I can then progress into doing my own thing. I just want to provide quality products so as long as it is on the same lines as the products I want to provide I am happy to do this for now.

    Do you know of any private labeling companies? 

  • belassi

    Member
    January 15, 2020 at 11:00 pm

    1. Do you have a brand?
    2. Do you have a logo?
    I see so many going about this backwards. First, do market research. Will the products sell? Will there be a demand?
    Please take the benefit of my advice. When I began this eight years ago I was like you, except that I have enough background teaching chemistry to be very familiar with using a lab.
    I flung myself into developing products and tested them on all and sundry. One after another. Soon I had quite a range of skin creams, gels, shampoos and conditioner. I invented a brand, Belassi. We exhibited our line before we registered the brand, and someone immediately registered it and stole it.
    We began the branding process again with a new brand. Successfully. It cost money and time.
    And now? How many of all those products still sell enough to cover the expense of stocking them?
    TWO products. One shampoo, and one anti-aging cream. That’s what our customers buy.
    Think about it.

  • dr-catherine-pratt

    Member
    January 16, 2020 at 5:04 pm
    Sorry but are you guys serious?? anyone can do anything if they are passionate enough even if you are living with a narc.
    You guys are going about this whole process the wrong way and I would be so put off. Obviously, this business owner has been quite successful already and wants to expand on his/her success.
    Starting with a Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a great place to start and you can do it either naturally or synthetically that is just detail these days.
    Plus you do not have to have a point of difference if you use a formulator. The formulator should be able to do that for you. Have a think about that guys??

Log in to reply.