How To Start A Professional Skin Care Line [4 Simple Steps]
Creating a professional skin care line is daunting for new businesses.
From brainstorming product concepts to finding the right lab, it’s not easy to launch a skin care range alone.
That’s why we’ve created this simple four-step guide outlining the entire product creation process from start to finish.
We reveal how to find the right niche, choose the best manufacturer for your needs, design your packaging, and much more.
Just keep reading!
1. Develop A Business Strategy & Conduct Market Research
Competition in the skin care industry is fierce. Without a clear business strategy outlining every step from product development to launch, your brand will blend in with all the rest.
If you want your professional skin care line to sell well, market research is a must.
Professional marketing reports are useful, but don’t underestimate the value of going straight to the source.
Skin care consumers share real reviews, routines, and worries on forums like Reddit, especially on r/SkincareAddiction and r/30plusksincare.
Look for a demographic or niche that is currently underserved by your competition.
Creating A Buyer Persona
Once you have found your niche, use the information gathered to create a buyer persona that describes your typical consumer, including:
Age
Occupation
Lifestyle
Favorite skin care brands
Typical skin care routine
Your professional skincare line should specifically appeal to this consumer profile and outperform their usual purchases.
Use Market Research To Plan Your Product Range
The information gathered in the planning stage will impact the product creation strategy for your business.
Let’s say your target market shops exclusively for budget-friendly skin care, but all of the competitors in that niche adopt a similar simple branding style.
Stand out by purchasing preformulated skin care and spending more time crafting a brand identity that appeals directly to that target audience.
If your target market prefers luxury skin care, consider innovative formulas using new biotechnology developments.
If they are conscious of the environment, adopt a green angle by formulating with upcycled ingredients.
Learn more about upcycling and other innovative processes at Genie Supply here.
2. Search For A Lab To Create Your Professional Skin Care Line
Once you have a clear idea of your target market and the types of products you want to create, it’s time to look for the right lab to bring that vision to life.
Sourcing At Home Vs Abroad
It’s tempting to cut costs by sourcing abroad. However, supplying from outside the US can cause significant delivery delays, enhance communication issues, and increase the chances of consumer safety risks.
Staying nearer to home helps foster a closer working relationship with your supplier. Plus the ‘made in the US’ claim is a major selling point to customers.
According to Retail Brew, 48% of US consumers are willing to spend 10-20% more on products made in the United States.
Learn more about the pros and cons of sourcing skin care in the US in our full post here.
Finding A Suitable Supplier
You can find manufacturers through word of mouth, in directories, or at tradeshows, however, supplier websites are typically the best place to look as they provide more information to make your decision.
Try searching for terms like ‘cosmetic manufacturers in the USA’ or ‘skin care suppliers near me’ and compile a spreadsheet of all of your viable options.
Evaluate your shortlist on the quality of their products, the range of services they provide, and their commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing.
At Genie Supply, we conduct all of our R&D and manufacturing processes right here in the USA. We offer a broad range of choices, with over 60 clean, high-quality preformulated skin care formulas, and three manufacturing methods to choose from. Meet our diverse team and learn more about Genie Supply and our services here.
Look For High-Quality, Clean, And Ethical Ingredients
Whether you’re creating a budget-friendly or a luxury line of professional skin care, the quality of your products should always come first. Vet potential labs on their ingredients before you sign any contract.
First, evaluate each manufacturer’s preformulated products. What ingredients do they use, but more importantly, what ingredients do they exclude from their formulas?
Consumers are more concerned about clean and ethical beauty than ever before. Clean Hub’s latest research found that 63% of beauty consumers consider clean beauty to be 'extremely’ or ‘very important' when purchasing new cosmetics.
Plus, Business Wire estimates that the market for vegan beauty will grow even further soon, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 6.31% between 2023 and 2038.
Look for labs that prioritize clean, vegan, and cruelty-free formulas.
It’s not just about making the right choices with ingredients, it’s also essential that your products perform well. After vetting the ingredients online, it’s time to test out some samples. Take time and evaluate how the products smell, feel, and perform on your skin.
Narrow down your shortlist to all the labs that have quality, clean, and ethical ingredients with products that feel good and provide genuine results.
At Genie Supply, we specialize in formulating high-quality clean, vegan, sustainable, and cruelty-free skin care and color cosmetics. Order samples of our preformulated skin care products here.
The Best Manufacturing Method For Your Professional Skin Care Line
In addition to evaluating suppliers based on ingredients and product quality, ensure that each beauty lab on your shortlist offers the manufacturing process that you need.
There are three main manufacturing methods to create a professional skin care line:
Private Label:
Ideal for new brands on a budget, this method involves adding your customized branding to a manufacturer’s existing formula. Although private label is more cost-effective and less time-consuming than other methods, the formula is never unique.
It’s also possible to buy preformulated skin care in bulk and hire your own filling and packaging services.
Learn more about our private labeling services at Genie Supply here.
Custom Product Creation:
A step beyond private label, custom product creation involves adding a limited number of customizations to a supplier’s existing base formula.
Read more about custom product creation at Genie Supply here.
Custom Formulating:
Do you have an idea for a unique skin care formula that the market has never seen before?
Custom formulating is the manufacturing process for you. This method involves creating brand-new custom skin care from scratch. Although it’s more expensive and time-consuming than other methods, it’s the most innovative approach to launching new skin care on the market.
At Genie Supply, we specialize in new-to-market concepts, novel chemical research, hybrid products, and clean skin care. Learn more about our custom formulating capabilities here.
3. Create Your Branding And Packaging
Once you have identified the best manufacturing method for your product line, found the right lab, and the product development process is underway, it’s time to think about branding.
Remember, potential consumers will see your product before they try it. Spend time and effort on the brand identity, packaging, and marketing for your new professional skin care line.
At Genie Supply, we make it easy to design your own customized packaging. Simply work with a graphic designer of your choice and add your custom designs to our dieline templates. Learn more about our customized packaging services here.
Adhering To FDA Guidelines
In addition to putting effort into the design of your products, it’s also important to ensure all of the text on your packaging is legally compliant. This includes any claims made on the packaging and ensuring that your product names are not already listed as trademarks.
Follow the FDA’s labeling guidelines and, if in doubt, always consult with a lawyer.
Check out our full guide on how to create FDA compliant labels here.
4. Develop An Order Fulfillment System And Launch Your Range
Once you have created your products and registered your business, it’s time to start selling!
At this stage, it’s important to organize an efficient and cost-effective shipping process and a workable storage and inventory system. If you lack space for inventory, you may need to partner with a third-party logistics firm.
Alternatively, ask your supplier if they offer dropshipping services. This process involves the manufacturer sending orders directly to your customers on your behalf.
Once you have a clear order fulfillment plan in place, it’s finally time to receive customer orders.
Congratulations! Launch your website, build up a presence on social media, and start contacting retailers to spread the word about your new professional skin care line.
In sum, there are 4 key steps to launching a successful professional skin care line:
Developing a business plan and conducting market research
Finding the right lab and identifying the correct manufacturing process for your range
Constructing your brand identity, customized packaging, and marketing strategy
Implementing the most efficient order fulfillment system for your business and launching your website
Ready to create your dream professional skin care line? Genie Supply would love to collaborate with your business. Get in touch via email: customerservice@geniesupply.com or call: (812) 329-1105 to discuss your product vision with us.
