Retinol Serum Manufacturing

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.

Irritation is what kills repeat purchase in this category, so we treat it as a formulation target rather than a disclaimer. Encapsulated retinol releases slowly instead of hitting the skin at once, and we pair it with a barrier-support base (ceramides, panthenol) so the tolerability holds at the percentage you want to claim. If you are launching to a sensitive-skin audience we will propose starting at the low end of the range and stepping up, and we can arrange patch testing before the run. Need a specific active percentage? Tell us the tolerance level you need and we will quote to it.

Yes, and they are moving. Several markets cap retinol in leave-on products, and some retailers set their own ceiling below the legal one. We formulate to the limit of your target market rather than to a single global spec, and we give you the reference your safety assessor will ask for. Tell us which markets you sell in and we will confirm the current limit before formulation starts.