Minimum order quantity
The minimum order quantity is the smallest number of units a cosmetic contract manufacturer will produce for each product. Knowing it before you start helps you plan your budget and avoid a warehouse full of unsold stock. Ours is 500 units per product: this guide explains what that means, why minimums exist and how to start small.
The industry shorthand is MOQ, for minimum order quantity: the smallest number of units the manufacturer will make in a single order.
Watch how it is counted. The minimum nearly always applies per SKU (stock keeping unit), meaning one product in one format. A 50 ml face cream is one SKU; the same cream in 100 ml is another SKU; a cleanser is another again. If the minimum is 500 units per SKU and you want to launch three products, your first order will be at least 1,500 units.
When you compare manufacturers, always ask whether the minimum is per SKU, per formula or per total order, and whether it is expressed in units or in kilograms of bulk product.
It isn’t an arbitrary commercial decision. There are technical and economic reasons.
A cosmetic is made in batches: a quantity of product made in one go, in the same vessel, from the same raw materials. Mixing equipment has a minimum working capacity below which it doesn’t perform well: a cream made in too small a quantity may not reach the right texture and consistency.
Every production run means setting up the line, adjusting the filling machines and, at the end, cleaning everything according to GMP (good manufacturing practice, ISO 22716). This work is almost the same for 500 units as for 10,000.
Every batch must be tested before it is released. Each of our batches is tested by our in-house lab and by external accredited labs, including for heavy metals. The cost of testing is spread across the units in the batch.
Bottles, tubes, labels and cartons also come with suppliers’ minimums, especially when they are custom printed. Packaging is often what sets the highest minimum.
Manufacturers handle minimums in different ways. Knowing them helps you read the offers you receive.
No approach is right for everyone: it depends on how much you want to personalise, how much you expect to sell and your budget.
Our minimum is 500 units per SKU: a genuine industrial batch, with the same checks and the same traceability as a large one, but small enough for a new brand to start without tying up too much capital. How it works in practice, with lead times, a comparison with very low quantities and the path to scale, is on our page about small batch cosmetic manufacturing.
A low minimum is only useful if the rest of the project is designed to start small. This is what works.
If you sell online, you can also leave your stock in our warehouse and have it shipped when needed, to your customers, to your own warehouse or to Amazon fulfilment centres: see logistics and storage. That way you don’t need space for the whole batch.
Your first batch tells you how your product sells. When you reorder, the minimum stays the same, 500 units per SKU, but you have more data to decide with: which products sell best, which sizes customers prefer, how long it takes to run out of stock.
With that information you can increase the quantity of your best sellers, to lower the cost per unit, and keep the slower ones to the minimum. You can also add new products to the line, again from 500 units each. Formula, artwork and documents are already in place, so a reorder is simpler and faster than the first order. The same way of working applies to every batch.
The smaller the batch, the larger the share of fixed costs each unit carries: set-up, testing, printing plates. That is why a 500-unit batch has a higher cost per unit than a 5,000-unit batch. The question is not just “how much do I spend in total” but also “how much margin do I keep” on each sale. We cover this in our guide to the cost of starting a cosmetic line.
MOQ stands for minimum order quantity. It is the smallest number of units a manufacturer accepts for each product, usually counted per SKU.
It depends on the manufacturer, and it is the first thing to ask when you compare offers. It is usually counted per SKU, meaning one product in one format; some manufacturers express it per formula, in kilos of product, or on the total order.
No: two sizes are two different SKUs, each with its own minimum. If you want to keep your investment down, start with one size per product.
They usually work with plain containers, sticker labels and more manual processes. The minimum is lower, but the cost per unit rises and there is less room for personalisation.
Yes. Tubes, printed bottles, labels and cartons have their own minimums, set by the suppliers, and they are sometimes higher than the formula’s. To start with a small quantity, choose standard containers personalised with your brand rather than a dedicated mould.
The production minimum is 500 units per SKU wherever you sell. If you need different labels for different markets, for example different languages or a UK Responsible Person address, each label version may count as a separate SKU, so plan it with your project manager.
Tell us about your project: we reply within one hour and tell you how to start with the right quantity.
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