Starting your own skin care line is a daunting task.

There are a lot of moving parts and it’s easy to skip crucial steps if you don’t plan accordingly.

That’s why we’ve created a list of the 7 key questions to answer before you formulate your first serum or make that all-important website launch.

Follow these 7 steps from the beginning of your skin care line journey right until the end to create cost-effective, high-quality skin care that actually sells.

1. How Much Do You Know About The Skin Care Industry?

Step one before starting your own product line: brush up on your knowledge of the skin care industry.

The reality is that every new brand owner goes into this process with a different level of experience. Getting up to speed is doable for beginners - it just requires more research time.

At the most basic level, you need to familiarize yourself with the main skin care problems and the most effective methods to treat each issue.

Thankfully, there are some great online resources by professional estheticians and skin care formulators to keep you informed.

We have tons of helpful posts about skin care on our blog. It’s also a good idea to watch some YouTube videos by certified professional estheticians like Caroline Hirons and Dr Dray. Look for information about specific skin care issues and the recommended treatments.

Once you have covered the basics, familiarize yourself with the latest skin care trends to ensure that your brand stays relevant.

Next, take time to get to know the most common skin care ingredients. It’s important to distinguish between active and inactive ingredients.

Learning which ingredients contain animal products is also crucial at this stage - especially if you hope to create a 100% vegan business. If skin health and clean beauty are at the heart of your brand, you also need to evaluate ingredients based on their safety.

INCI Decoder is a useful resource for learning more about every common skin care ingredient. Always check if an ingredient is known to be comedogenic and if it is prone to skin irritation.

At Genie Supply, clean and vegan formulas are our specialty. All of our skin care products are made with high-quality ingredients and we clearly outline the benefits of our preformulated range on each product page.

2. What is Your Brand Vision & Who Is Your Target Market?

Now that you have sharpened your skin care industry knowledge, it’s time to start applying everything you learned to your own business.

First, you need to craft your brand identity.

What major skin issues will your business tackle and for whom?

You need a defined narrow target market
Your range of products should address their specific skin care concerns directly

The skin care selection process should align with your brand identity. Each product needs to appeal directly to your target demographic.

Now is also a good time to think about potential selling territories. Will you focus on the US market or build a global brand from the get-go? This will be important down the line as skin care regulations differ from region to region. You may need to make adjustments based on your chosen market.

At Genie Supply, we conduct all of our R&D and manufacturing right here in the US.

3. Did You Create A Budget Before Starting Your Own Skin Care Line?

Next, let’s talk about finances.

Are you targeting the luxury market or creating a budget-friendly range? Your pricing strategy will influence your budget at the beginning stages of your business as luxury skin care is typically more expensive to formulate.

Your manufacturing method will also impact the cost of production. Buying in bulk is typically the least expensive process, followed by private labeling and custom product creation. Custom formulating is the most costly manufacturing method.

Don’t forget that your costs go beyond just your skin care formulas. Branded packaging, website hosting, vendor fees, and marketing promotions all cost money and need to be included in your budget plan from the beginning.

Learn more about the costs of starting a skin care line in our full guide.

4. Have You Found A Supplier and Selected Your Manufacturing Method?

Now that you have a clear vision of the products you want to create and a general idea of your budget - it’s time to find a compatible manufacturer.

Every lab on your shortlist must offer your preferred manufacturing method. The more manufacturing methods a supplier offers - the better.

You could decide to start with a private label range and then transition into customized skin care at a later date. Choosing a lab with multiple methods will make the process much easier.

At Genie Supply, we offer five different manufacturing methods in total to choose from:

Buying large quantities of skin care in unbranded drums is called buying in bulk
Private label involves using a manufacturer’s preformulated skin care as your own
Custom product creation is a semi-customized method where a limited number of customizations are added on top of a lab’s base formula
Custom formulating involves creating brand-new skin care completely from scratch
Contract manufacturing is designed for home-to-lab skin care brands and businesses that already formulated skin care with a different supplier. If you own the legal rights to an existing formula, this is your next step

Find the right production process for you by taking our quick quiz.

5. Are You Familiar With The Product Development Process?

Here’s the part you’ve been waiting for - the product development process.

The first step in the skin care development stage differs depending on your chosen manufacturing method:

Bulk or private label: choose from a catalog of preformulated products (no customizations available)
Custom product creation or custom formulating: communicate your ideas and work with the lab’s professional chemist to develop customized formulas
If you own the rights to an existing formula: provide all of the formula details (including all of the ingredients, weights, and mixing instructions) to the lab

Depending on your chosen method, manufacturing times can vary from as little as 6 weeks up to a year in total. This includes formulating, manufacturing the product, and testing.

6. Do You Have Branded Packaging Concepts Ready?

Your customer base will see your packaging before they try any of your formulas. Make that first impression count!

Develop beautiful branded packaging that appeals directly to your specific target market. The trick to good packaging is to pay attention to the finer details. The product names, colors, fonts, and the copy are all important.

Don’t forget - there are some legal requirements when it comes to product packaging. Learn more about how to follow the FDA’s packaging regulations here.

Some manufacturers will offer branded packaging services as part of a total turnkey production process. Typically, you will design the skin care packaging (with your designer) before or during the formulation process to avoid delays.

At Genie Supply, we provide the exact die lines for each of our packaging SKUs to make the process as smooth as possible for you and your graphic designer. Learn more about our customized packaging process here.

7. Where Will You Sell Your Skin Care Line?

Your products are finalized and ready to go. Next, you need to focus on storage and where you will sell your skin care line.

You could store products on your own premises if you have the space. If not, you may need to rent out a warehouse.

Once you have your storage space secured, it’s time to think about selling. Is your skin care brand online-only, or are you planning to pitch to retailers or sell at markets? Your selling approach could change in the future, but it’s good to decide on your initial selling strategy at this stage.

Don’t forget that you don’t have to sell (only) directly to consumers! Consider if you are interested in selling to retailers through platforms like Faire or Creoate.

In sum, the 7 key questions that you need to answer before starting your own skin care line are:

1. How much do you know about the skin care industry?

2. What is your brand vision & who is your target market?

3. Do you have your budget finalized before starting your own skin care line?

4. Have you found a supplier and selected your manufacturing method?

5. Are you familiar with the product development process and timeline?

6. Do you have branded packaging concepts ready for print?

7. Where will you store and sell your skin care line?

Starting your own skin care line? Genie Supply would love to bring your product vision to life. Get in touch via email: customerservice@geniesupply.com or phone: (812) 329-1105.

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7 Questions To Answer Before Starting Your Own Skin Care Line