The topic is short and compact
Skinovators relies heavily on an inventory of ready-made skincare formulations; this model works well if an existing base formula only needs to be adapted.
Makeup shade ranges require pigment dispersion, shade matching, and stability testing across extreme nuances that cannot simply be derived from a skincare base.
With white label, the formulation remains with the manufacturer and typically cannot be taken with you in the event of a change; with private label, the contract governs the rights.
The responsible person generally remains the brand; the safety assessment report, product information file, and CPNP details must match the new manufacturer.
Accelerated stability testing in the final packaging often runs for one, two, or three months and, along with packaging delivery times, determines the overall schedule.
So läuft die Entwicklung bei Labtree
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Konzeptionierung
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Bemusterung – Standardmuster in 24 h
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Individualisierung
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Prototyping
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Produktion
White Label 2–3 Monate · Private Label 3–6 Monate · Produktion ab 1.000 Stück
What is the Skinovators stock formulation model suitable for?
Skinovators is primarily perceived as a manufacturer of dermocosmetic, performance-oriented skincare and relies heavily on an inventory of ready-made formulations. This is a good fit if a brand wants to build a skincare line on an existing, already tested base, and customization mainly involves fragrance, active ingredient accents, packaging, and artwork.
In this constellation, the advantages of an existing formulation are real: stability data and manufacturing experience for the base are usually already available, sampling starts with a physical product, and development effort focuses on deviations from the initial formulation. Anyone adding, for example, a moisturizer, a serum, or a cleanser to an existing skincare line will often find a viable basis with a skincare-specialized manufacturer with a portfolio of formulations.
The limits of this model are reached when the product cannot be derived from an existing formulation or when the brand wants to own its own formulation. Specific scopes of service, minimum order quantities, and rights arrangements should always be inquired about directly with the provider, as they vary depending on the project.
When is an alternative to Skinovators worth considering?
An alternative is worthwhile if the project goes beyond an adapted existing formulation in any of the following areas:
Make-up instead of pure skincare: Skin tints, foundations, concealers, blushes, mascaras, or sticks require pigment dispersion, shade matching, and applicator coordination. These requirements cannot be derived from a skincare base.
Own formulation as a goal: If the brand wants exclusivity vis-à-vis retailers and competitors, or wants to be able to take the formulation with them later, the path leads through a new development with contractual rights agreements.
Benchmark recreation: If an existing product is to be technically recreated or improved, laboratory work with several rounds of sampling is required, not a selection from a catalog.
A line combining make-up and skincare: A brand that wants to combine complexion products and skincare in a single line needs a manufacturer that has mastered both formulation worlds in its own laboratory.
The difference becomes apparent early on, particularly with shade ranges. A foundation range with ten or more shades must deliver identical texture, coverage, and wear across all shades, while the pigment load varies from shade to shade. How shade ranges are developed and coordinated is described in the article Shade development for make-up.
White label or custom formulation: Who owns what?
Anyone looking for a Skinovators alternative for white label cosmetics usually faces precisely this question. Providers do not always use the terms consistently, which is why the following distinction applies here. With white label, the brand adopts a ready-made, tested formulation from the manufacturer and adapts it; the formulation remains with the manufacturer. With private label, the formulation is newly developed according to the brand's requirements; rights and exclusivity are governed by contract.
What this means for a later switch
Anyone who builds on an existing formulation can generally not take it with them when changing manufacturers. The new manufacturer must then develop a comparable formulation, and texture, sensory profile, and—in the case of make-up—the shade are matched against retention samples of the previous product. An identical result is not guaranteed. Therefore, before signing a contract, check:
who owns the quantitative formulation and whether it is handed over at the end of the contract,
whether customizations you have paid for remain exclusive or may also be offered to other customers,
which documents (manufacturing instructions, specifications, test data) you are entitled to.
White label is therefore not an inferior model, but one with a different trade-off: shorter development versus less independence. Advantages and limits are discussed in detail in the article White Label Cosmetics: Advantages and Limits.
Which technical inspection points set suitable manufacturers apart?
Whether a manufacturer is suitable as an alternative becomes apparent less from its service list than from the answers to technical detailed questions. These questions differ significantly for make-up and skincare.
Make-up
How are pigments wetted and dispersed, and how is color strength verified from batch to batch?
How are pouring temperature and cooling profile controlled for hot-poured sticks to ensure proper breaking strength and surface appearance?
How are wiper and brush matched to viscosity and application volume in mascaras?
Skincare
How are emulsifier system, lipid phase, and pH control matched to the active ingredients?
How is the preservation system substantiated? Aqueous formulations provide favorable conditions for microorganisms, and the efficacy of a preservative depends on the overall formulation, pH value, and container (Halla et al. 2018). Proof is established via a challenge test, such as in accordance with ISO 11930.
Stability in Primary Packaging
For both areas: The Cosmetics Europe stability guideline frequently specifies accelerated testing at 37 °C, 40 °C, or 45 °C over one, two, or three months, depending on the product type. It also recommends testing batches during development that were produced on equipment representative of full-scale production, using packaging made of exactly the same materials as the final commercial packaging, and including shades at the extreme ends of color ranges. A manufacturer that addresses these points proactively already considers manufacturability during the laboratory phase.
Which documents and roles must be established before the switch?
Regardless of the manufacturer, the brand generally remains responsible. Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, a manufacturer is defined as any person who places a product on the market under their own name or trademark (Art. 2(1)(d)). In the case of contract manufacturing, this is the brand; it is therefore the responsible person (Art. 4) and can transfer this role via a written mandate to a person established within the EU, such as the contract manufacturer.
What the new manufacturer must provide
Safety report: Prior to placing on the market, a safety report in accordance with Annex I must be available pursuant to Art. 10. The assessment of the ingredients is generally based on the SCCS Notes of Guidance (12th revision, SCCS/1647/22).
Product information file: It contains, among other things, a description of the manufacturing method and a declaration on good manufacturing practice, and is kept for ten years after the placing on the market of the last batch pursuant to Art. 11. Both details change with the manufacturer.
Good manufacturing practice: According to Art. 8(2) Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, compliance is presumed where manufacturing is carried out in accordance with the relevant harmonised standards. The BVL cites DIN EN ISO 22716 for this purpose. The presumption is tied to the actual production in accordance with the standard; an ISO 22716 certificate is neither mandatory nor proof, and does not replace the manufacturer's own verification.
CPNP notification: The responsible person notifies the product via the European Commission's notification portal; poison centres and competent authorities have access to this information. If notified information changes due to the switch, such as the responsible person, the frame formulation, or the label, the notification must be updated without delay pursuant to Art. 13(7).
Secure the documentation of the batches manufactured by the previous manufacturer before the collaboration ends. The step-by-step process of a switch is described in the article Changing cosmetics manufacturers: How a structured transition works.
What determines the schedule and minimum quantity?
Timeline and minimum order quantity depend less on the supplier than on the project. The timeline is primarily determined by three factors:
Starting point of the formulation: An adapted existing formulation requires fewer rounds of sampling than a new development or a benchmark replica.
Testing duration: Accelerated stability testing in the final packaging often runs for one, two, or three months, or even longer depending on the product type; preservation challenge testing comes on top of that.
Packaging materials: Printed tubes, airless dispensers, or customized mascara components have their own lead times and minimum order quantities, which can outlast the formulation work.
The minimum order quantity is determined by the smallest feasible batch in the production vessel, the cleaning cycles between batches, and the minimum order quantities of the packaging suppliers. With color ranges, each shade also requires its own batch and its own cleaning. Therefore, compare offers per product and shade, not per project. The article MOQ in cosmetics explained details what minimum order quantities consist of individually.
Labtree is a B2B cosmetics developer and cosmetics manufacturer based in Hamburg with its own laboratory and own production capacities in Germany. The difference from a manufacturer working predominantly with existing formulations lies in the starting point: Labtree develops the formulation based on the brand's concept and covers formulation development, in-house laboratory work, sampling, feasibility testing, and cosmetics production.
Make-up is our primary competence: complexion products such as skin tint, foundation and concealer, blush, mascara, and stick formats with custom shade development and hot filling for blush sticks and pencils. Skincare such as creams, serums, and cleansers is our second core competence.
Sampling: Samples of pre-qualified formulations are usually dispatched from the sample warehouse within 24 hours; an initial laboratory sample for a new briefing is typically available within one week.
Timeframe: White label based on an adapted Labtree formulation is generally ready for delivery in 2 to 3 months with standard packaging, with standard formulations remaining the property of Labtree; a new private label development usually takes 3 to 6 months until market readiness.
Minimum order quantity: usually 1,500 units per product, depending on product type, filling size, and packaging.
Documentation: Safety report and approval (analytics, studies, regulatory documentation) are part of the services; Labtree does not guarantee compliance, but outlines the path to achieving it.
The process from concept development through sampling, customization, and prototyping to production is described on the page Having cosmetics developed.
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FAQ
Is Skinovators a white-label or a private-label manufacturer?
Skinovators is primarily perceived as a manufacturer of dermocosmetic skincare and works heavily from an inventory of ready-made formulations, which corresponds to the white-label model according to the distinction used here. However, providers do not use these terms consistently, so you should clarify the model and rights arrangement directly with the provider. The crucial factor is whether the formulation remains with the manufacturer or is contractually transferred to your brand.
Can I transfer an existing formulation to another manufacturer?
Usually not, because with white label products the formulation remains the property of the manufacturer. The new manufacturer then develops a comparable formulation and matches texture, sensory profile, and shade against retain samples. An identical result is not guaranteed; agreed tolerances in the test characteristics are more realistic.
Does a product need to be re-notified in the CPNP after a change of manufacturer?
The production site is not part of the CPNP notification. However, if reported information such as the responsible person, the frame formulation, or the label changes, the responsible person must promptly update the notification pursuant to Article 13(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The product information file must be updated to include the description of the new manufacturing method and the GMP declaration.
Is an ISO 22716 certificate sufficient proof of a suitable manufacturer?
No. Under Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, manufacturing in accordance with harmonised standards only presumes compliance with good manufacturing practice. Whether a manufacturer can produce your product stably, in a consistent shade, and with suitable packaging is demonstrated by sampling, stability data, and pilot batches.
Which manufacturers are suitable if makeup and skincare are to be developed in a single line?
Suitable manufacturers are those that develop both formulation worlds in their own laboratory: pigment dispersion and shade matching for complexion and color products, as well as emulsion stability and preservation for skincare. Ask for references for shade ranges and stability data in the final packaging. The Labtree magazine article "Private Label Cosmetics: When New Development Is Worth It and How It Is Structured" describes when a new development pays off.
How long does it take to switch to another cosmetics manufacturer?
This depends on whether a formulation is adopted, adapted, or newly developed, how long stability testing in the final packaging takes, and what the lead times are for packaging materials. The previous manufacturer should continue to supply until the first batch is approved at the new manufacturer. The Labtree magazine article "Kosmetikhersteller wechseln: So läuft ein strukturierter Übergang ab" explores this process in greater detail.
