Understanding the Steps in New Cosmetic Product Development

Starting your own skin care or cosmetic range is exciting, however one cannot just rush into buying ingredients and packaging, meticulous planning is critical.

But where does one start? In this article we take you through the basic steps in product development.

1. The Marketing Brief or Concept

A marketing brief or concept should be the starting point of every project. The more detailed it is, the better. It should include information and ideas about what the product is, product category, colour, fragrance, texture, and packaging requirements.  Doing this thoroughly will help the rest of the process go smoothly.

2. Product formulation

Based on the information of the marketing brief, you can now work on the formulation.  You can either do this on your own or in consultation with a laboratory if you do not have the expertise yourself. Remember you may not get the formulation right the first time.  It often takes a few attempts before you are happy with your product.

3. Raw materials and packaging sourcing

Once you are happy with the formula, you will need to source all raw materials and work on finding the most suitable packaging. At this stage you will also need to do a costing exercise to make sure the product as a whole i.e the formula & packaging, is within the price range you want.

4. Packaging artwork design

Artwork is really important as this is the first thing that consumers will see and read about the product. Choose the text, colours and graphics carefully to ensure it attracts attention and represents the product accurately.

5. Quality and compliance

This step, known as stability testing, should not be underestimated. The product has to be safe to use and comply with regulations for the country it is going to be sold in. Several quality tests should be conducted including microbiological, toxicology, temperature and others in order to prove product safety.

6. Final Check

Once all these steps have been completed it is a good idea to go back and check the new product against your initial marketing concept in order to ensure you have met all your original parameters.

Depending on what product you are making, it may not be necessary to follow each of these steps meticulously but creating even the simplest product needs a certain amount of planning.  The more professionally you work the more professional the outcome will be.

The Personal Care Coach and Training Company has been created to help skincare entrepreneurs develop and launch their own skincare products.  Check out our free formulation guides, videos and articles.  Sign up for our newsletter to receive regular updates.

Cosmetics are defined by the FDA as products put on human skin “for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” In order to enhance the user’s beauty, the makeup must be of high quality. Manufacturers, therefore, need to be cognizant of what ingredients they put into their cosmetics. Let’s take a closer look at what goes into different kinds of makeup

1. Mascara
In the U.S., mascara is usually colored with carbon black. For other colors like brown, iron oxides are typically used, and inorganic pigments can create purple or blue mascaras. From there, most companies use emulsion—expelling small insoluble liquid droplets into another—on water and thickeners to create a cream. Then, pigments and waxes are mixed in until large particles have broken down so that the mascara is the proper color and won’t harm anyone’s eyes.

2. Lipstick
Initially, wax and oil are melted together. Next, the color pigment and a solvent solution are mixed in. After blending for hours and setting, the formula is put into lipstick tubes and cooled, so it can keep its shape.

3. Foundations & Powders
Like the two previous types of makeup, these are made with oils and pigments. Perfume is also frequently added to diminish any bad smells from the ingredients. From there, what’s included often depends on the type of product. Many newer products are made with sensitive skin in mind, so they don’t include any harsh ingredients.

No matter what type of cosmetics manufacturers are creating, it is an involved process. Colors need to be measured at every step of the process so the final product keeps you looking beautiful. Konica Minolta Sensing has a wide selection of measurement instruments perfect for the cosmetics industry. Whether the samples are powders, liquids or creams, our products and software can provide manufacturers with the measurements they need. Check out the CM-5 Spectrophotometer or the CM-700d Spectrophotometer and see how our instruments can help you easily meet color quality standards.