How to start a cosmetic line
The steps in order, from your target customer to launch: formula, packaging, label, documents and production.
Guides
Private label cosmetics guides: from idea to shelf
Costs, minimum order quantities, mandatory documents, testing, packaging and selling online: our 10 private label cosmetics guides answer the questions brand owners ask us most often. They are written for anyone launching or growing a cosmetic brand in the EU or the UK, based on what we see every day in our plant near Rome, Italy, where we produce from 500 units per product up to 40,000 units a day.
Getting started
If you are thinking about a cosmetic product under your own brand, the first questions are nearly always the same three: how does it work, what does it cost and how many units do I need to make?
What a cosmetic line costs
Every cost item, what drives it up or down, and where you can save without taking risks.
Minimum order quantity for cosmetics
What a minimum order quantity (MOQ) is, why manufacturers set one and how to start with a small batch.
Choosing formula and packaging
Before you ask for a quote, it helps to know which route suits you and which container you want your product in.
Private label vs contract manufacturing
Ready-made or custom formula: who owns it, costs, timings and exclusivity, with a table to help you decide.
How to choose cosmetic packaging
Tube, bottle, airless or jar: how to choose by formula, hygiene and sales channel.
Rules and documents
Every cosmetic sold in the European Union must comply with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, and in Great Britain with the UK Cosmetics Regulation. It sounds complicated, but the steps are always the same. If you would rather someone else handled it, our EU and UK compliance service prepares the documentation and submits the CPNP notification for you.
CPNP notification
Registering your product on the EU portal before it goes on sale: who does it, when and with which data, plus the UK equivalent.
The Product Information File (PIF)
What it contains, who prepares it, where it is kept and for how long, with the safety report explained in detail.
EU cosmetic labelling
The mandatory information, from the INCI list to the batch number, label languages and small packs.
Cosmetic claims and testing
What you can say on the pack and on social media, and which tests back it up.
Selling
Selling cosmetics on Amazon in Europe
How to make your product stand out, the documents marketplaces ask for and how to organise logistics for Amazon Europe and Amazon UK.
Have a question that isn’t answered here?
Write to us: we reply within one hour and a dedicated project manager follows your project.
Free checklist
Launch your cosmetic line in 6 steps
Choices, mandatory documents, realistic timelines and mistakes to avoid, in a 4-page PDF. What's inside
Keep reading
- Private labelPrivate label skincare made in Italy: 300+ ready or exclusive formulas, packaging, artwork, samples and EU documents. From 500 units per product.
- FAQPrivate label cosmetics FAQ for EU and UK brands: 500 units minimum, 4–6 week delivery, samples, CPNP and SCPN, Responsible Person, labels, shipping.
- How we workHow to start a cosmetic line in 6 phases, from assessment to delivery: a dedicated project manager, samples before ordering, 4–6 weeks.