Hair Product Manufacturing Made Easy [Beginner-Friendly Guide]
It’s no secret that the hair product manufacturing process begins long before signing a contract with a beauty lab.
From narrowing down hair serum ideas, ordering shampoo bottle samples, and worrying about inventory storage — starting a hair care brand is multifaceted and time-consuming.
So, how do you ensure that your hair styling range doesn’t skip over important manufacturing steps?
Genie Supply is here to help!
Whether you’re completely new to the hair care game, or looking to make that big step up from your home to the lab, our simple-to-follow guide below outlines the hair product manufacturing process from start to finish.
Research & Planning Before Hair Product Manufacturing
While it’s tempting to jump straight to product production, you can’t just run to the manufacturing lab with the first hair product idea that pops into your head.
You need to validate that there’s a market for your ideas first. Take the time to conduct proper market research:
Develop a buyer persona of your target market. What type of hair products do they need? Are they particular when it comes to specific ingredients or benefits?
Evaluate the current competition in the hair care world. Find gaps in the market where your brand can offer a unique value proposition.
Learn about the current trends and pitfalls in the wider hair care economy. This will help you to make an educated guess about the future direction of the industry.
Product Ideas & The Importance Of Ingredients
Your market research should help you narrow down all of your hair product ideas before moving to the manufacturing stage. The types of products you choose are important but don’t forget to consider the ingredients you will include and exclude, too.
Maybe you want to create a hair care line to treat dry, brittle hair that won’t grow? Opt for sulfate-free cleansing ingredients, as sulfates can exacerbate dryness issues for this hair type.
Or are you creating a clean hair product range aimed at upper-class Millennials? Your hair product manufacturing process should avoid parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, alcohol, and certain silicones for truly clean hair care.
Finding The Right Hair Care Manufacturer
Now that you have a clear picture of the products and ingredients you want to add to your line, it’s time to search for the right manufacturer.
To make the process as smooth as possible and to save time and money in the long run, keep your hair product manufacturing here in the USA (more on the benefits of USA manufacturing on our blog).
Private Labeling Vs Contract Manufacturing
You also need to consider the hair product manufacturing options on offer. Private labeling is great if you don’t want to make too many adjustments to a manufacturer’s existing formula, and if you hope to launch your hair products as soon as possible.
Do you have your heart set on a specific hair product concept with particular ingredients? Custom formulating (where the manufacturer creates your dream formula) and contract manufacturing (where the supplier converts that dream formula into products for you) is the way to go.
A good hair product manufacturing lab will do most of the hard work for you, while also keeping you in the loop and listening to your feedback every step of the way.
At Genie Supply, we specialize in clean beauty and offer a range of manufacturing options for hair products. Need a quick turn-around? Our private labeling service only takes 6-8 weeks (on average) from start to finish!
Genie Supply currently sells a shimmering dry body and hair oil and beard oil on a private label basis (stay tuned for updates to our private label hair care range).
Have something ultra-specific in mind? Opt for our straightforward custom formulating and contract manufacturing services to bring that dream formula of yours to life! We can innovate with most scalp and hair care, almost all new-to-market concepts, and novel chemical / use research!
Look For A Hair Product Manufacturing Lab With Low MOQs
As a new beauty brand, you need a hair product manufacturing service that accounts for your tight budget at the early stages of your business. Plus, you don’t want crazy amounts of stock in inventory before you’ve even launched your first shampoo or conditioner on the market.
Always check a supplier’s Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) before going any further with your product production.
At Genie Supply, we don’t have a MOQ for any of our hair product manufacturing services! We simply apply a small order fee for orders under 5000 units.
Quality Control & The Testing Process
Manufacturing a product range that leads to beautiful, shiny hair is important. However, it’s even more essential that your line is legally compliant and performs the same during every single hair wash or serum application.
Legal testing requirements are a little daunting for a small up-and-coming hair brand. At Genie Supply, we’re here to make this process easier for you. Learn more about our hair product manufacturing testing process here.
Creating The Right Hair Care Packaging
Product packaging is arguably one of the most important stages of the hair product manufacturing process. Even if your formula is life-changing, if your hair products don’t look great, they won’t make it off the shelf.
Always inquire about packaging before signing any contract with a hair product manufacturing lab. Some suppliers provide total turnkey manufacturing (they develop the entire product from start to finish), while others will only create the actual hair care and expect you to supply your own packaging (sometimes called BYOP manufacturing).
At Genie Supply, we aim to make the entire hair product manufacturing process as easy as possible for you. Not only do we provide a range of customizable product packaging to choose from, but we also offer screenprinting and a range of outer packaging options, too!
We’ll supply the packaging dieline templates to you. Simply choose any graphic designer of your choice, and we’ll bring your finished packaging designs to life!
We’re ultra-flexible and can supply hair care products in bulk and we allow for BYOP, too.
Order Planning & Inventory Storage
As a small hair care brand, it’s safe to assume that you don’t have tons of storage space ready for inventory. Consider the space you have before making any decisions about how many units of each product you order.
Start small, and make an educated guess (based on your market research) about which hair products in your line are likely to sell the best. Prioritize more of those products when placing your hair product manufacturing order.
At Genie Supply, we understand that holding a lot of inventory is a struggle for small hair care brands.
Our dropshipping service keeps your inventory in our warehouse and sends it directly to your customers – saving you valuable time and storage space. Learn more about how the dropshipping process works, and our Amazon dropshipping package over on our blog.
In sum, hair product manufacturing isn’t just about making the formula and filling the packaging.
Follow these three steps to ensure you’re not missing essential parts of the manufacturing process, and to develop a high-quality hair care range that actually sells:
Conduct research to identify your target market and come up with your product ideas
Decide if you want to private label or contract manufacture your hair care products
Find a manufacturer that does all of the following within a reasonable time frame:
1) Fits your budget (and offers a low minimum order quantity)
2) Can create your desired hair products
3) Provides packaging options
4) Allows for your current levels of storage space
Ready to get started with your hair product manufacturing journey? At Genie Supply, we’re on hand to answer any questions about our process. Don’t hesitate to get in contact via email: customerservice@geniesupply.com or call us at 812-329-1105.
