Skincare Cosmetics startup advice

[vs0u109e]

Hello all - I am currently in the process of setting up my own skin care cosmetics line and am becoming increasingly unsure of what is required and what isn't due to conflicting information on internet searches.

I am a UK registered Limited company and been in discussions with a major US Cosmetic manufacturer for the past couple of months. I am currently in discussions re Private labelling thier products and branding with my own "line". They have a Regulations department themselves who have assured the products I'm currently looking into retailing here have no EU banned ingredients and given me a set of guidelines for labeling procedures etc.

I have contacted The MHRA borderline section with all ingredients to confirm this and still awaiting a reply.

What I am getting confused about is whether I need to then have these products inspected by officials in EU before retailing as have read on the internet this is the case - or is this more if I was manufacturing the product from scratch? Obviously these products have already gone through safety testing at the manufacturers.

Also regarding labelling - I have read that there needs to be an EU stamp on products?

Finally business insurance - what would you recommend? Is public liability enough or is there other types I should be looking into?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[bettybloom]

Hi,
I have run a cosmetic company for a number of years and we also import the products from the U.S.

First off, the fact that it has been tested in the U.S (FDA approved I presume) does not automatically mean that you can put the product on the EU market. As an importer you are pretty much classed as the manufacturer.

You will need to get each product safety tested by somebody certified (this can cost hundreds per product) and once this is done you will need to produce a PIP (Product Information Package) which needs to contain the certificate of testing and the formula for the product amongst other things. This is not easy as most manufacturers I have dealt with have not wanted to hand over the formula due to confidentiality. Look up the PIP on Google to get a complete list of requirements.

With regard to insurance you will need to obtain Product Liability Insurance. When you buy private label and put your own brand on the product it voids any cover from the manufacturer (they will be able to confirm this).

It took me 3 months to find a UK insurance company that would take on our skincare products as they are for professional use. Depending on the number of products you have insurance could set you back anything up to £1000 a year and most want upfront payment. Insurance is a must as at some point you could be faced with a customer who 'claims' that your product has burnt their face off. The legal fees alone could set you back thousands.
Even with insurance, without the relevant paperwork (as above) you will not have a leg to stand on.

You also need to think about packaging - are you going to import the products ready packaged or in bulk? If it is in bulk, for insurance purposes you will need to find a reputable contract filling company or invest in cosmetic/food grade filling equipment which is what we did. Our insurance company have strict regulations regarding filling and transportation of the products. For information - small scale UK contract filling is very expensive with many companies requiring a minimum fill of 500-800 per product.

Overall, setting up a skincare business is very costly. People who sell imported stuff on Ebay (such as skin peeling products) are taking huge risks without insurance etc. Some are about to have a shock as there will shortly be EU regulations introduced banning them from selling any professional grade products to the general public. I am not sure what products you plan to sell but it is worth doing your homework beforehand. It has taken me 5 years to get a grasp of things as like you say there is nothing much on the internet. The best advice comes from contacting the regulatory bodies - if you are stuck you could start with your local trading standards who will point you in the right direction.

I hope this helps.

 

[steve23]

Well, means nothing to me - but that was a good answer !

All the best

Steve

 

[vs0u109e]

Hello Betty Bloom - thank you very much for your detailed reply. Yes the company I am dealing with is one of the larger cosmetics manufacturers and they will be pre filling all products for me. I will be having labels designed and then they will be printing these for me. They do have a "professional" range geared for salons/ beauticians etc but I am not looking to stock these.

When you say "each product safety tested by somebody certified" does that have to be a UK official? The company have already carried out product safety tests and already have PI sheets I do believe. I'm currently waiting to hear from their regulations Manager to get some more information direct. Do you have any links regarding EU labelling requirements that I could browse?

Happy New Year and thanks again for your reply,
Mark

 

[Mayadisa]

Not sure where you're based but if you're in the London area or can get to London, the Business and IP centre at the British Library may be a good place to get some advice on this type of thing.

 

[bettybloom]

Hi Mark,
I haven't been around these forums lately so I missed your reply.

Ok, basically if the manufacturer is formulating and FDA testing the products you will still need the basic EU safety certification before going on the market.
Before deciding on your range or ordering stock I would advise speaking to a testing lab. These are the people qualified to say yes or no to your products.

The manufacturer you are dealing with may have already come back to you with this information but they could be completely oblivious to EU regulations. Your manufacturer may even offer EU certification but get a quote first as it may be less expensive to oversee it yourself.

You firstly need to look around (or Google) EU cosmetic safety testing. You can then contact a few labs who will advise you on their procedures and costs. They will require the formulation of the product but surprisingly most do not require an actual sample of the product if it has been formulated by a US manufacturer. The cost involved is based on the complexity and number of ingredients. A decision is usually received within a couple of weeks and if passed you will have the basic safety certification. Cost is around £100 for a basic skincare product.
I am not able to post links but I can recommend a very helpful company in France called EU Validation Services Ltd.

Thanks to the EU in 2013 all cosmetic products will require more thorough testing which I have been advised will greatly increase the cost. For now though I would advise just getting the basic certification.

(As a side note the EU have also just banned the import and sale of all herbal medicines unless they are tested individually at a cost of £150,000+ - shocking).

Since my last post I can advise that most UK departments I have contacted are not very helpful and seem unsure of current guidelines and regulations.
I have found that independent testing labs are very forthcoming with advice and they have all the most recent information regarding legislation.
They can also supply you with an approved label template which you can then forward to the manufacturer for integration into your design.

With regard to insurance as you are not filling the products yourself this should bring the cost down significantly.
Also, you probably already know this but import duty can really sting. I would advise setting up your own shipping account with UPS or similar which can reduce costs.

Let me know if I can help further and good luck with your venture

 

[peterbirganza]

For cosmetic business start ups, i would like to suggest you:

Home Business Center

Cheap Wholesale Business Startup

Best Regards,

Peter

 

[Rani]

Hi I am looking to introduce a skincare product that has not been available in Europe, I am looking at certification for EU. Is there any company that would certify and test my products if my supplier is not happy to provide details of the formula (although they are happy to provide the products) for fear of copycat products.

 

[Lancelot]

I've actually been in the skincare business for four years. I wish I watched "Ugly Betty" TV series before I made my mind to go into that market.

Of course, no two businesses are the same and the failure or one doesn't mean the failure of the other, but I think unless you have a niche product and know the market inside-out being then able to establish key contacts you need massive investment.

Good luck.

 

[billie1]

For cosmetics testing, give this company a try. They've been establised for a long time.

http://www.eurofins.co.uk/our-services/pharma-services.aspx

 

[Rani]

Can anyone help? I need to know if I have to apply for an import licence also how do I apply for it if I need one?

 

[lolly]

Rani,

Please send me a PM.

There is are a few things you need, you need a safety assessor UK based, I can provide details of assessor if you are a small business.

The safety assessment will cover your manufacturing practice and also look at each ingredients and certify that they are safe ingredients for EU cosmetics - this is on average £100 per products or may be less if you have more at a time.

You will need a preservative challenge test if this is a water based product, the assessor can provide a third party detail for you. This will test that preservative efficacy of your product. £130-£170

Last but not the list stability testing, this I found the most expensive varies between £300-£500. Your product is put through a series of tests, including very low temp and high temp to see how it stands up to these without degredation etc. It will also help determine shelf life of your product. You really need to make a lot of calls to get the best deals.

You need to know more information of INCI listing of ingredients, and also allergens declerations if using fragrance or essential oil for rinse, fragrance oil must be sourced within the EU (search internet for more information or go for classes), learn more about setting up your PIP file.

There is also a EU cosmetic regulation booklet online, that you need to read in full details over the next few days (Google search)

You will also need a product and public liability insurance etc, if you do require more information. send me a PM.

HTH

 

[lauralovealot]

Hi there

I am new on here and new to making my own skincare... I wanted to send my first product away to be tested but have grown increasingly confused!

Can anyone give me a step by step simple breakdown of what it is i need to do please! I.e how many tests does each product need? Who do i send it to? How much each test is etc etc.

I dont think i thought it through as best i could. I was under the impression it would cost me about £300 per product but I have a feeling it is nearer £1000 per product.

I have a salon and want to use it on clients and retail to them initially.

Please help!

Thanks in advance
Laura

 

[strikingedge]

Hi Laura,

You're probably in the wrong forum for this type of question.

You could try Colinsbeautypages.com instead.

The new regulations are designed to make it very difficult for small producers like yourself to make and retail products.

However, if you only have one product, it isn't impossible to do.

You will need to read EU cosmetics regulations and the UK implementation, put together a PIF file for the product with all the requested information and send a sample from every batch you make to an independent lab for testing.

That's assuming you've got all the challenge testing sorted in the first place.

You can spend a few grand outsourcing this to one of the many new companies offering this as a service. To find them, go to a trade show or google them.

Alternatively, use a contract formulator and/or manufacturer.

If you don't do it properly you will probably be under the radar for a while - but the fines are £5-20K per transgression or up to 1 year in prison for serious contraventions.

 

[Pure nature]

Hi
I would like start a little cosmetics store in UK, I will not manufacture the cosmetics but I would brand them using my own name. I found great cosmetics company from Poland which selling high quality cosmetics in few cities there. I spoke with them and they are happy to supplying my shop with their products, however I thinking to change their name to my own. Can I do it or I will need apply for all that certification. They are not manufacturing the products the other companies doing it for them, the products have all EU test and all details on their labels. So can I just relabel them and use the test numbers and certificates or I will need apply for testing etc. if that is the case maybe it will be better for just selling their brand not relabelled it.
Thank you for your help

 

[Carl76]

You need to get in touch with a consultant chemist for the various regulations. Google 'Edmund Fowles', then send him an email. He will set you straight.

 

[varalakshmi yanamandra]

Hi all,
I am looking to develop my own skin care range but I am not sure whether I should look for manufacturers in UK or should I import from India. I found a company in India which are doing pretty good products I want to import those from India but with my private label.
After reading the above comments I am bit scared as this looks like its gonna cost lot of money if its manufactured somewhere else.
Any skin care manufacturers in UK that you guys know of? I am looking for developing organic skin care range which I think is gonna make my cost go up so much. Any contacts or advice is much appreciated

 

[Jayofficial]

I really like your business! If u need a popularization send me a message i will tell you there how i work and what are the results

 

[Lee Hales]

Please advise I have started my own cosmetic company, the cosmetics I am producing are all Vegan and only made from natural ingredients, I have used these products on myself my partner and sold a couple to friends who have come back and bought more. I am considering approaching a major retailer eg John Lewis etc to supply but I have been looking at the legals and labelling but it is a bit confusing can anyone provide a step by guide on how to make sure I have everything in place before I approach retailers including idea of costs thanks

 

[Mr D]

You have had the products all lab tested?

 

[pelparc]

You have to have all the products tested before you can sell to anyone. Its not that expensive try https://www.naturallythinking.com/lab.html
before you waste anytime trying to sell to retailers you will need to create a proven demand for your products and i would really try and not spend much on it. There are so many new natural makers who spend their savings just to dump the products in the bin, once they are out of date. Then if you are lucky and create a demand then you will need big deep pockets if you want to play with the big boys. That doesn't mean you can make a living from it selling small scale, but it isn't as easy as it first appears.