FAQ
Do you manufacture my product?
No. We are a formulation house, not a contract manufacturer. We develop and test the formula, sell it to you outright, and then match you to a manufacturer and manage the transfer into production. We stay involved through your first production run. We do not run the run.
Then what am I paying you for?
Three things. The formula itself, developed from scratch and tested. Ownership of that formula, transferred to you. And navigation, which means we pick the right manufacturer for your chemistry and volume, transfer the process, and read the results so you are not doing it blind. Most founders lose their product in that last step. That is the part we are actually selling.
Do I own the formula?
Yes. Outright, once development is paid for. You get the formula, the master batch record, the process instructions and the supporting test data. You can take it to any manufacturer you want, including ones we did not recommend.
What does a formulation project cost?
It depends on complexity. A straightforward serum or cleanser is a different project from an emulsion with a new active, and sun protection is a different project again because it is regulated as a drug. Submit a brief and you will get a scoped number, not a range.
How long does it take?
Bench development is typically four to eight weeks depending on how many iterations you want. Stability and preservative efficacy testing runs in parallel and takes eight to twelve weeks to complete properly. Anyone who tells you they can fully validate a product in three weeks is skipping something.
Is there a minimum order?
Not with us, because we are not selling you units. Your manufacturer will have a minimum, and it varies enormously by product type and by who they are. Part of what we do is match you to one whose minimum fits where your brand actually is.
Can you work from a product I already like?
Yes, and it is often the fastest way to start. Send us the benchmark. We will take it apart, tell you what is actually driving the properties you like, and build something that performs against it. We build our own chemistry. We do not clone.
Can you do sunscreen?
We can formulate it, and we will be direct with you about what it commits you to. In the United States sunscreen is regulated as an over the counter drug, which means facility registration, annual federal fees, and testing obligations that are an order of magnitude beyond a cosmetic. We will tell you the real number before you spend anything, not after.
Do you sell packaging?
Yes. Browse the packaging catalog. Every item can be ordered as a single sample so you can hold it before you commit, with volume pricing above that. Component choice is part of formulation, not separate from it, and we test your product against the actual container.
Do you sell raw materials?
Yes, to wholesale accounts. See the raw materials catalog and the wholesale program.
What is the Ingredient Library?
It is the list of actives and functional materials we formulate with, and what we know about each one. Use it to see whether the thing you want in your product is something we work with. Browse it here.
How do I start?
Fill out the brief. It takes about ten minutes. It is how we find out whether we can build what you are picturing, and it is free.