Custom Formulation
Tell us how it should feel, what it should do and what it goes into. Our lab develops it from scratch and hands you a formula you can take to production.
Formulation & Development
200+ founders have built with us.
As featured in
Where our clients sell
Sounds familiar?
01
Every stock base you've sampled feels like something already on the shelf.
02
Your brief lives in a deck, and no lab has turned it into a real formula.
03
You've been quoted for development but nobody will say what you get at the end.
04
A previous lab handed you a formula that fell apart in its final pack.
Our custom cosmetic formulation services start from your brief and end with a formula built for your product, not adapted from someone else’s.
Most brands start by picking from a catalogue. That’s fine until you want a texture nobody else has, a claim the base can’t support, or an ingredient story that’s actually yours.
Custom formulation starts from your brief instead. Annie and the lab work through texture, actives, preservation and packaging together, because a formula that ignores the pack it lives in usually comes back from stability with problems.
A good fit if
✓ Founders with a clear product idea and a target customer
✓ Brands that want a texture or claim stock bases can't deliver
✓ Teams who want the formula ready for a manufacturer of their choice
Not the right fit if
✕ Anyone who needs product on shelf in a few weeks (look at Private Label 2.0)
✕ Briefs that change direction every round
✕ Copies of a competitor's product
What you walk away with
01
Formulation brief
Your idea turned into a technical brief: texture, actives, claims, target cost and pack. You meet with Annie as often as you need and message us between meetings while the idea takes shape.
02
Lab samples
Rounds of physical samples so you can feel the product and give feedback.
03
Final formula
The approved formula with full ingredient list and percentages.
04
INCI list
Ingredient names in label order, ready for packaging and regulatory review.
05
Manufacturing notes
Process instructions a contract manufacturer can follow to make it at scale.
How it works
Brief
We sit down with your idea and turn it into a technical brief we both sign off on.
Development
The lab builds prototypes and sends samples for your feedback.
Refinement
We adjust texture, scent and performance until it's right.
Handover
You get the final formula and documents to take into testing and production.
Timeline
6 months
Revisions
3 rounds
Meetings
At least 3 meetings
Ready to start?
Pick a time that suits you and we'll confirm by email.
Start with a free discovery call
Every Custom Formulation project starts with a short free call, so we can understand what you need and scope it properly.
Book a free discovery call
Questions, answered.
How do you develop a skincare formula?
It starts with a brief: who the product is for, how it should feel, what it should claim and what it goes into. The lab then builds prototypes, tests them against that brief and refines them until the texture, performance and stability hold up.
What's the difference between a formulator and a manufacturer?
A formulator designs the recipe: the ingredients, percentages and process. A contract manufacturer produces it at scale, in batches. Many brands use a different company for each, so it's worth knowing who owns the formula when they're separate.
What should I have ready before starting custom formulation?
A clear idea of who the product is for, what it should do and feel like, the claims you'd like to make, the markets you'll sell in, a rough target cost per unit and, ideally, the packaging you have in mind. If you don't have all of that yet, The Treatment Room with Annie is a good first step.
Is custom formulation worth it for a first product?
It depends on what makes your brand different. If the formula itself is the reason someone buys, custom makes sense. If your edge is the brand, the story or the channel, Private Label 2.0 gets you to market faster and for less.
Who owns the formula at the end?
You do. When the project is done, we sign a technology transfer agreement and the formula is yours.
Can you also manufacture it?
We don't manufacture, but we work with a network of affiliated contract manufacturers around the world. We'll recommend the ones that fit your product and market, wherever you're based.
How many sample rounds are included?
Three rounds of samples.
Your product, built from your brief.
Custom Formulation