Choosing The Right Cosmetic Manufacturing Partner

Navigating the world of product manufacturing can be a tricky endeavour. You’ll need a partner that can bring your product vision to life with accurate formulation, efficient filling and packing, and timely delivery. With so many hoops to jump through, experience and reputation are the main currency of a cosmetic manufacturing partner, and there is no amount of fancy marketing talk or LinkedIn campaigns that can make up for 30 years of manufacturing experience.

You’ll want to consider accreditations and the brands that work with this manufacturer already. Will they create your products here in the UK? Do they have internationally recognised manufacturing certifications? Have their existing brand partners won product awards or excelled within demographics? Today we’ll look at some of these questions in-depth to help you select the right manufacturing partner for your brand.

Certifications

Certifications and accreditations are the backbone of good manufacturing processes. With organisations like ISO providing clear frameworks on best practices, you can filter through your available options with the help of an internationally recognised accreditation scheme. ISO 22716 in particular governs the safe manufacturing of toiletries and cosmetics - with an audit being conducted every year to ensure adherence to guidelines. Benefits of the ISO 22716 accreditation include:

• Controlling hazards & risks

  Strict management of risks and hazards leads to the continuous improvement of the supply chain, safeguarding customer wellbeing across any and all product lines.

• Regulatory and legal compliance

  The cosmetic industry is constantly updating its rules and regulations to better protect consumers. The ISO 22716 certification supports your brands efforts to maintain current and anticipated future compliance by providing clear legal frameworks.

• Supply chain management

  Being an internationally recognised accreditation, ISO 22716 allows you to manage and control every stage of an international supply chain.

As a holder of the ISO 22716 accreditation, T&H Marketing can help your brand navigate the world of cosmetic manufacturing and fulfilment, while committing to the highest standards of consumer safety and supply chain visibility.

Customisation & Scalability

Knowing that your manufacturing partner has the agility to make changes and pivot with trends will take a huge weight off of your shoulders. Changing active ingredients or fragrances to suit a shifting consumer demographic will take expertise and industry knowledge, so it’s important to consider your manufacturing partners portfolio when making a selection. If you’ve finalised your formula and you’re just looking for fulfilment, it’s still important to screen for this industry knowledge before choosing your partner. Using an ingredient that has recently been banned in certain territories? Your manufacturing partner can quickly offer up alternatives and pivot in manufacturing to ensure your brands compliance.

As your brand grows, the formulation of your products may change slightly, but scale and volume is likely to be a much more significant change. A sign of a good, reliable manufacturing partner is their ability to grow alongside the brands that they work with. While not all manufacturers will be open about the specific brands that they partner with currently, a chat with the relevant people will give you a good indication of the scale of operations and the ability to grow with your brand.

Communication and Project Management

A dedicated project manager is the cornerstone of effective communication when it comes to cosmetic manufacturing, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business while your products are being fulfilled. Nobody wants multiple points of contact, irregular updates and missed deadlines - so at T&H Marketing, we’ll provide you with a dedicated Account Manager to help you manage your contract manufacturing needs.

Whether it’s a small initial trial run, or hundreds of thousands of units across multiple SKU’s, we’ll clearly communicate a plan of action with timelines to suit your schedule. For new brands, we can help you source packaging and navigate the regulatory hurdles you’ll encounter. For established brands who’ve already ticked the packaging box, you can free issue your packaging to us to fill using our high-tech factory and knowledgeable team.

For brands looking for the right white label fulfilment company, T&H can help you to fulfil your brand obligations with tailored formulas that resonate with your audience. We’ll work closely with you to ensure that you and your consumers enjoy premium cosmetics & toiletries at a reasonable price.