Reformulating anti-dandruff shampoo after the EU zinc pyrithione ban
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Service · Reverse engineering
Understand the benchmark. Build a formula you own.
CSL formulation chemists identify every ingredient in a benchmark product at the Guires R&D Innovation Centre, estimate its concentrations, then develop your own manufacturable formula that matches its texture, look and performance.
Guires Cosmetic Science Lab
Cosmetic Reverse Engineering from Guires CSL
At Guires Cosmetic Science Lab, CSL formulation chemists offer cosmetic reverse engineering and benchmark matching: identifying every ingredient by GC-MS, HPLC, FT-IR, NMR and ICP-MS, profiling the fragrance by HS- and SPME-GC-MS, and estimating % w/w ranges at the Guires R&D Innovation Centre, then building your own manufacturable formula that matches the benchmark’s texture and performance.
Start your project with Guires CSLWhat's included
The work, in detail.
Full ingredient identification
The INCI list gives the starting structure; CSL scientists then identify each ingredient, including oils, silicones, polymers, emollients, minerals and trace metals.
Active ingredient analysis and quantification
Key actives such as niacinamide, vitamin C, retinoids, peptides and caffeine identified and measured.
Preservative identification and concentration
The preservative system identified and its concentration measured, so your formula is preserved to an equal or better standard.
Fragrance profile analysis
The fragrance profiled volatile by volatile, including the fragrance allergens that must be declared on EU labels.
Brightening, anti-acne and skin conditioning agents
Functional actives identified by class: brightening agents such as niacinamide, alpha arbutin and tranexamic acid; anti-acne agents such as salicylic and azelaic acid; and conditioning agents and emollients.
Estimated concentration ranges
Measured results combined with label order and the 1% labelling rule to estimate a % w/w range for every major ingredient.
Physical profile
pH, water and solids content, emulsion type, droplet size, pigments and capsules, measured and imaged.
Proteins, peptides and biotech claims
Peptides and proteins identified by MALDI-TOF and gel analysis, and claimed probiotics or botanicals checked by DNA methods.
Manufacturable equivalent formula
CSL formulation chemists build your formula and refine it until it matches the benchmark, then write a full manufacturing procedure: phases, order of addition, temperatures, mixing and in-process checks.
Climate-specific improvements
Recommendations to adapt the formula to your market’s climate, such as heat and humidity in tropical markets: stability at higher temperatures, preservative robustness, texture and sweat resistance, and packaging.
Performance benchmark
The benchmark and your new formula compared side by side for stability, preservation, lab efficacy and sensory feel.
Patent and claims check
A check for patents that could affect the formula, and claims reviewed for your markets before launch.
Analysis runs at the Guires R&D Innovation Centre, part of the CSL Cosmetic Bioscience lab.
Sectors & applications
Reverse engineering for every sector and application
Guires CSL reverse engineers benchmark products in every sector below, and decodes the actives and systems behind each application, so you can build a formula of your own that matches or beats it.
Sectors
Skin careSerums, moisturisers, cleansers, masksExplore 
Sun careSPF, tinted SPF, after-sunExplore 
Hair & scalp careShampoo, conditioner, serums, oilsExplore 
Colour cosmeticsFace, lip, eye and nailExplore 
Body wash & body careWashes, shower oils, lotions, scrubsExplore +6More sectorsPersonal care & hygiene, Men's grooming, Baby & kids and moreSee all Applications
Anti-ageing & wrinklesFine lines, firmness, elasticityExplore 
Acne & oil controlBlemishes, shine, poresExplore 
Hyperpigmentation & even toneDark spots, uneven toneExplore 
Hydration & barrier repairMoisture, barrier, drynessExplore 
Sensitive skin & rednessCalming, low-irritation formulasExplore +5More applicationsSun protection, Hair fall & hair growth, Dandruff & scalp health and moreSee all Evidence-based
From published evidence to a product that passes regulatory review
Every Guires CSL reverse engineering project starts from published science and ends with evidence regulators and retailers accept: data from the literature where it exists, and tests, in vitro studies and clinical trials where it does not.
Published evidencePeer-reviewed randomised controlled trials behind the actives we formulate with, linked to PubMed.Explore Standards and regulationsTechnical guides to ISO 11930, the EU CPSR and the terms that decide whether a product can go to market.Explore Evidence we createStability, safety, in vitro and clinical data generated for your product, planned around the claims you want to make.Explore Proof from projectsCase studies showing how the evidence was built and what clients received.Explore
Deliverables
What you receive.
Benchmark reportFull ingredient identification, actives, preservatives and fragrance profile, with interpretation
Concentration estimateEstimated % w/w ranges for every major ingredient
Your equivalent formulaA manufacturable formula you own, with the full manufacturing procedure
Climate recommendationsImprovements for your target climate, such as tropical heat and humidity
Side-by-side dataBenchmark and new formula compared
Launch checksPatent and claims notes for your markets
How it runs
Step by step.
- BriefBenchmark products, target price and markets
- DecodeIngredient list and literature review
- AnalyseLab tests on the benchmark
- RebuildNew formula developed and refined
- CompareSide-by-side testing and sign-off
Market insights from Guires CSL scientists
Stay ahead in reverse engineering with regulation updates, the latest research, ingredient spotlights, recalls and market trends, written by the Guires CSL formulation, testing, clinical and regulatory teams.
Explore market insights
Questions
Asked before we start.
Is reverse engineering legal?
Analysing a product you have bought is generally lawful. Copying a patented formula or process may not be, so CSL includes a patent check before launch, and the new formula is developed independently.
Will the result be an exact copy?
No. The goal is a formula that matches the benchmark’s performance and feel, built with your own choice of ingredients and cost, and owned by you.
Can we market it as a dupe of a named brand?
CSL advises against using competitor brand names in marketing. Describe your product on its own merits and claims you can prove.
Can you identify every ingredient?
In most products, yes. GC-MS, HPLC, FT-IR, NMR and ICP-MS identify oils, silicones, polymers, actives, preservatives and trace metals, and HS-GC-MS and SPME-GC-MS profile the fragrance. Concentrations are reported as estimated % w/w ranges, because some ingredients, such as complex polymers and botanical extracts, can only be estimated.
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Insights
Related reading.
Guidance from our formulation, testing and regulatory teams on the topics this page covers.
US consumer trends: skin-health ingredients in 2026
The ingredient themes shaping US skin-care briefs, and what each one means for formulation and claims.
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Vitamin C in skin care: what the evidence shows for brightening
L-ascorbic acid and its derivatives are among the most studied brightening actives. Here is what recent trials show, how strong the evidence is, and how CSL formulation…
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Benchmarking in practice.
How CSL scientists decode and benchmark reference products for clients, published with client permission.
Reverse engineeringDeformulating a benchmark body lotionBody lotion · Africa · 98% of the formula decoded with analytical chemistry and machine learning.98% of the formula decodedRead the case study
Technical benchmarkingBenchmarking a client’s new range against the marketThree client products · Canada · each benchmarked against multiple market references, without animal testing.3 client products benchmarked against multiple referencesRead the case study
Guires CSL quality, compliance and safety
Every reverse engineering project at Guires CSL runs inside an ISO 9001 certified quality system, with documented methods, calibrated instruments, traceable raw materials and reviewed reports, so the results behind your product can be checked and defended.
Guires CSL quality & accreditations
Start a project
Create your next product with CSL.
Our formulation chemists, testing scientists and regulatory specialists work alongside your team, from the first brief to a market-ready product. Bring a brief, a benchmark or just an idea: a scientist will reply within one working day with next steps and an indicative scope.