Top 5 Factors For Hiring Personal Care Product Manufacturers
Finding the best personal care product manufacturers requires more than just a quick Google search.
But how do you choose the best lab when the options seem endless, and this crucial decision could make or break your small business?
Genie Supply is here to help.
Our in-depth guide below outlines the five key factors to consider when hiring personal care product manufacturers to find the best match for your brand.
We discuss why it’s important to source domestically and how to find manufacturers to suit your budget.
Plus, we outline all of the manufacturing options available for your brand.
Just keep reading!
Local Vs. International Personal Care Product Manufacturers
Business is more global than ever. However, even in 2024, the location of your manufacturer can have a huge impact on the success of your brand.
It’s not hard to see the appeal of sourcing from labs abroad.
Expanding your search distance naturally increases your manufacturing options.
This makes it easier to find a highly specific type of personal care product manufacturer that can bring your exact product vision to life.
Plus, depending on the location, sourcing overseas can help to save on production costs.
However, manufacturing abroad comes with a set of significant disadvantages, too.
According to a 2022 survey from the Capgemini Research Institute, 72% of companies planned to partially onshore or nearshore manufacturing within an 18-month time frame.
Unlike international labs, domestic suppliers share the same economic and political reality as your business.
What if your supplier’s country falls deep into recession or breaks into political conflict while demand for your brand is booming at home?
This misalignment can prevent your brand from producing enough stock to fulfill growing demand – a significant issue in an industry that rewards brands who strike when the iron is still hot.
Plus, local sourcing helps foster closer relationships with your supplier and enables your brand to charge premium prices for your products.
The ‘made in USA’ label is a selling point for customers, with 83% of surveyed Americans willing to pay 20% more for products produced domestically, according to The Reshoring Institute.
Finally, local manufacturing means a lower overall carbon footprint. Many leading brands are choosing manufacturers closer to home to reduce their environmental impact. In fact, the main components of many brands carbon footprints derive from shipping finished goods from the manufacturer to the brand, and finally shipping from the brand to individual customers. If you can tackle one of those facets easily, why not? (You can even use a software like Bluebird to show how your trade-offs result in a lower carbon footprint!)
At Genie Supply, we are headquartered in Bedford, Indiana, and conduct all of our R&D and manufacturing right here in the United States. Learn more about our brand story and our services here.
High-Quality Personal Care Products Made With Ethical Ingredients
Beautiful packaging and great marketing help earn initial sales at launch, however, great aesthetics can only take your brand so far.
Consistent repeat customers and glowing reviews ultimately depend on the quality of your personal care products.
But with so many suppliers to choose from, how can you separate the mediocre quality personal care product manufacturers from the elite?
It’s simple - ingredient lists don’t lie.
For each manufacturer on your shortlist, evaluate the ingredients list of each preformulated product listed on their website.
Avoid formulas that contain too many filler ingredients. Instead, look for products full of evidence-backed ingredients that are proven to provide real results for your customers’ skin.
However, a high-performing formula is not enough in 2024 - consumers also expect personal care products to be ethically produced and as safe as possible for the skin.
Red flag ingredients to look for include drying alcohols, petroleum or petroleum derivatives, and silicones.
For vegan personal care product lines, avoid any formulas that contain animal derivatives like lanolin, carmine, or beeswax.
At Genie Supply, we’re experts at formulating clean, sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free personal care products. Learn more about our commitment to high-quality safe formulas and ethical production on our website here.
Identifying The Right Manufacturing Methods For Your Brand
Finding the right manufacturing method for your new personal care product line is essential before your search for the best manufacturers.
From fully preformulated products to completely customized formulas, the best manufacturing process for your new personal care range will depend on your product vision, budget, and hopeful timeline.
Ensure that all of the personal care product manufacturers on your shortlist offer your preferred manufacturing method.
Private Label
Are you operating on a limited budget with a short launch time frame?
Private label is the best manufacturing method for you.
This process involves adding your own branding to a supplier’s existing preformulated products. Although it’s less expensive and a quicker process than other methods, the formula is not unique to your brand.
At Genie Supply, we offer over 60 personal care products on a private label or bulk basis. Learn more about private label at Genie Supply here.
Custom Formulating
If your goal is to bring unique personal care products to the market, custom formulating is the best manufacturing process for your brand.
Work with a lab’s team of professional chemists who will conduct extensive R&D and formulate your innovative product line from scratch.
Although custom-formulated products can serve as a compelling unique selling point, they do not come cheap, and the production process is much longer than private labeling.
At Genie Supply, we specialize in formulating novel chemical research, new-to-market concepts, hybrid products, and clean personal care products. Read more about custom formulating at our manufacturing plant here.
Custom Product Creation
If customization appeals to you, but your budget and target launch date are more compatible with private labeling, custom product creation is the perfect middle-ground method for you.
This process involves adding a limited number of customizations to a personal care product manufacturer’s existing formula.
At Genie Supply, we offer two different custom product creation packages to suit a variety of different budgets. Learn more about this manufacturing process at Genie Supply here.
Turnkey Manufacturing: From The Formula To Customized Packaging & Filling
You found it - the personal care product manufacturer of your dreams.
It’s based in the US, the preformulated products are excellent, the manufacturing process fits your needs, and the quality of the ingredients is top-tier.
But before you ditch that pros and cons supplier comparison spreadsheet for good, your supplier search may not be over yet.
The full product creation process is not complete until you organize packaging and filling services for your products.
Coordinating with three separate suppliers for the formula, filling, and packaging services can be a logistical nightmare and delay the release of your personal care product range.
Thankfully, this headache can be avoided by choosing a personal care product manufacturer that offers full turnkey production from start to finish.
Look for labs that offer full product development, testing, filling, and customized packaging services all in one place.
If you have an existing relationship with filling and packaging providers, choosing a turnkey manufacturer is not necessary.
At Genie Supply, we offer full turnkey manufacturing from the product formula, testing phase, customized packaging development, and filling services. Learn more about moving from home to lab production here.
Finding Personal Care Product Manufacturers To Fit Your Budget
It’s not the most exciting part of running a business, but getting the finances right can make or break your personal care product launch.
The harsh reality is that a supplier could create the product range of your dreams - but if you can’t afford it, you are wasting your time by pursuing a relationship with that lab.
Before you begin your search for the right manufacturer, you need to take a serious look at your current financial reality and calculate your budget limit.
Remember - the manufacturing method is not the only factor influencing the cost of your goods. The R&D process, the ingredients in the formula, and the packaging also play a huge part.
Choosing where to save and where to splurge is an important conversation to have with potential suppliers.
If your budget limit is a significant bottleneck for your brand, look for labs that have plans in place to accommodate product development in your price range.
This could include low or no minimum order quantities (MOQs), more simple preformulated options to suit a tighter budget, and loyalty programs that offer formulating fees back in the form of manufacturing credits.
At Genie Supply, we offer four different preformulated product tiers from diffusion to super luxury to suit a variety of budgets, with options starting as low as 1,000 pieces. Learn more about our pricing in our full private label catalog.
Plus, we offer the most rewarding loyalty program in the beauty industry - up to 200% of formulating fees or up to 150% of CPC fees back when you lock into a long-term manufacturing relationship with Genie Supply. Book a call with us here to discuss your formulating options at your current budget.
In sum, the most important factors to consider when hiring personal care product manufacturers include:
The location of the manufacturer. Are they based in the USA?
The quality and ethical origins of the products and ingredients used in the formula
The manufacturing methods on offer. Are they compatible with your vision for your personal care product line?
Does the lab offer turnkey production? Will you need to source packaging and filling elsewhere?
The cost of manufacturing. Can the supplier accommodate your current budget limitations?
Are you ready to partner with a personal care manufacturer to create the product line of your dreams? Genie Supply would love to work with your business. Learn more by calling: (812) 329-1105 or emailing: customerservice@geniesupply.com