Molecular weight profile
High molecular weight forms the surface film that feels immediate; low molecular weight penetrates for the longer-term claim. We blend four and publish the distribution.
Every brand sells an HA serum, so the only thing separating yours is how it feels thirty seconds after application. We blend four molecular weights and tune the dry-down until it stops being sticky — that is the review that decides the reorder.
Standard configuration below. Every line item is adjustable — this is a starting point, not a fixed recipe.
| Product type | Facial serum, leave-on, AM and PM |
|---|---|
| Key actives | Sodium hyaluronate complex 1–2% (1.6 MDa / 300 kDa / 50 kDa / 8 kDa) · panthenol 2% · beta-glucan 0.5% · glycerin 3% |
| Format | Clear viscous gel-serum with a non-tacky finish |
| pH | 5.5 – 6.5 |
| Viscosity | 3,000 – 8,000 cps (Brookfield, 25°C) |
| Appearance / odor | Clear, colorless, odor-free |
| Packaging options | 30 / 50 ml dropper, airless pump, 2 ml ampoule |
| Shelf life | 24 months unopened, 12 months PAO |
| MOQ | Flexible / Customizable — from 1,000 pcs in stock packaging |
| Lead time | Samples 7–10 days · production 30 days after approval |
| Documentation | COA, MSDS, PIF, molecular-weight distribution report, stability report, CPSR & MoCRA support |
High molecular weight forms the surface film that feels immediate; low molecular weight penetrates for the longer-term claim. We blend four and publish the distribution.
1% gives a light daily serum; 2% carries the “moisture bomb” story. Above 2% it starts to pill and feel tight — we will tell you when to stop.
Tackiness is the single biggest negative-review driver for HA serums. We tune the humectant ratio and test dry-down at two humidity levels.
Panthenol and beta-glucan for everyday comfort, ceramides for cold or dry climates, ectoin for pollution and blue-light positioning.
A high-water, high-humectant formula is also the easiest one to get wrong: sticky, pilling, and microbially fragile. We test all three before a formula is released.
Technically yes, and we will do it if you insist — but above roughly 2% total load the film becomes tight, it pills under sunscreen, and in dry climates it can pull water out of the skin instead of into it. Our recommendation is 1–2% across four molecular weights, which gives a better sensory result and a stronger hydration claim than a single high-dose HA.
We test for it rather than hope for it. Every HA formula goes through a pilling check over a standard moisturiser and under SPF before release. Where pilling appears, we adjust the polymer and humectant ratio rather than simply lowering the HA, so you keep the claim.
Hydration and moisture retention are cosmetic claims and are defensible in the EU and US when supported by instrument or expert-grading data in your product information file. Claims phrased as treating dryness as a condition are not. We supply the ingredient and formulation data your assessor needs and flag wording we expect to be challenged.
The questions that hold a first order back — answered plainly, including the ones most factories avoid.
For a stocked formula in a standard component, 1,000 pcs per SKU. A custom formula or a custom component starts at 3,000 pcs — the component supplier carries its own MOQ and the line has to be stripped and validated between runs, so short runs cost us more than they cost you. If you are testing a market, say so: we would rather book a first run into a shared filling slot than lose the project. Tell us the volume you are working with and we will confirm the lowest workable MOQ.
Two routes. A sample set of existing formulas goes out at cost, and the fee is deducted from your first bulk order. Or we develop to your brief: you approve a lab sample, then a pre-production sample made on the actual filling line, and only then do we book the run. You see what the line produces before you pay for the run. Ready to evaluate? Request a sample set and we will send the current set with the spec sheets.
Your approved sample becomes the reference standard. We keep sealed retains from that batch, the production batch is checked against it for color, odor, viscosity and pH, and every batch ships with a COA listing the results. If bulk deviates from the approved sample on any of those parameters, we remake it or credit it — that is written into the contract, not just said on a call. Ask for the sample-to-bulk comparison sheet and we will attach it to your quote.
The base formula is ours and stays shared. Everything you build on top of it — active combination and percentage, texture, fragrance, color — is yours: 24 months of exclusivity in the markets we agree in writing, and we will not sell that combination to anyone else in those markets. You can extend the term, buy the formula outright, or take the full documentation to another factory if you ever move production. Need exclusivity in a specific country? Tell us the market and we will put the term in the contract.
Yes — and we would rather see your market list before quoting than discover a missing document after production. Standard set: COA, MSDS, stability and compatibility data, microbiological and heavy-metal testing, plus the ingredient data your safety assessor needs. Market-specific: EU CPNP notification support, UK UKCPR, US MoCRA facility registration and product listing, and ASEAN notification for the specific country you sell in. Selling into more than one market? Send us the list and we will map the documents to each one before you commit.
25–35 days after sample approval for a stocked formula in a standard component; add 10–15 days if the component is custom or needs a new mould. You get a written milestone schedule — formulation, component arrival, filling, testing, release — with a photo update each week. If we miss a milestone for reasons on our side, we cover the difference to air-freight the balance so your launch date still holds. Have a fixed launch date? Share it with us and we will build the schedule backwards from it.
Every quote is itemised: formula and filling, component, secondary packaging, testing, documentation. Only two things move after quoting — component price (we re-quote only if resin or glass moves more than 5%) and artwork changes made after plates are cut. Mould and plate fees are one-off and stated up front; nothing is added at the end. Want the line-by-line breakdown before you commit? Request an itemised quote.
30% deposit to book the production slot, 70% against the bill of lading copy. T/T by default; L/C at sight or a platform-held payment for a first order if that suits your procurement rules better. Returning customers move to 30-day terms after three clean shipments.
Send us the batch number, photos, and — if you can — a third-party test within 30 days of arrival. Where the fault is ours we replace the goods or credit you, and we will tell you plainly what our own checks missed. We will not ask you to dispose of stock before we have seen the evidence.
Both are formulation choices, not properties of hyaluronic acid. Pilling comes from high-molecular-weight HA sitting on the surface with the wrong film former; we balance the weights and adjust the polymer system so it layers cleanly under sunscreen and foundation. We run a layering test with your intended companion products if you tell us what else is in the routine.
A single-weight HA only ever does one job. We combine several — high weight for surface film and immediate smoothness, mid weight for the upper layers, and low or oligo weight for deeper hydration — because the blend is what makes the product feel like something rather than like water. Want a specific sensorial profile? Describe the finish you want and we will engineer the blend to it.
Humidity changes everything about an HA formula. Tell us your main market and we’ll tune the texture before sampling.
Every formula below is a working starting point, not a fixed recipe. Adjust the actives, the texture, the fragrance-free claim and the packaging — we re-work it until it sells in your market.
Brightening
10–20% · SAP / MAP / Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Stabilized vitamin C derivatives with ferulic acid and vitamin E. Low-irritation, non-oxidising, water-light or anhydrous formats.
Anti-aging
0.25–1.0% · encapsulated retinol / HPR
Time-release encapsulated retinol for tolerability, or next-gen HPR for fast results without the flaking. Buffered with ceramides.
Pore & oil
5–10% · niacinamide + zinc PCA
High-purity, low-niacin flushing grades. Pairs with azelaic acid or alpha arbutin for tone and texture claims.
Firming
3–8% · signal, copper & neuropeptides
Matrixyl 3000, copper tripeptide-1 or acetyl hexapeptide-8 systems. Cold-process filling protects peptide integrity.
Tone correction
2–5% · TXA + alpha arbutin
A hydroquinone-free brightening system for melasma and post-inflammatory marks. Stable across pH 5–6.5.