For startups & first products
Start a skincare line with a formula you own.
Launching your first product? CSL scientists take you from idea to a tested, registered, launch-ready product, with low MOQ micro-batches and a formula you can take anywhere.
Guires Cosmetic Science Lab
Launch your cosmetic brand with Guires CSL
Want to start a cosmetic brand? We support cosmetic startups with beauty brand development from the first idea to a registered, tested product. If you are wondering how to develop a skin care product for the first time, start here.
Start your project with Guires CSLYour first product
What we handle for you.
Brief and budget
We turn your idea, target consumer and price point into a written brief and a stage-by-stage quote.
Your CSL formulation chemist
A cosmetic chemist leads your formula from bench to sample. No need to hire one yourself.
Samples you can test
Sample rounds for you and your first customers before anything is final.
Testing and claims
Stability, safety and the evidence for the claims you want to print.
Registration
Files for your first market, and a plan for the next ones.
Launch batch
A small batch sized to your first order, in your own packaging if you wish.
Custom formulation, private label or white label?
Choose the route that fits your brand.
Most brands compare a cosmetic manufacturer’s private label range with bespoke custom formulation. Here is the honest difference, and where we fit.
| Route | What you get | Formula ownership | Minimum order | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White label | An existing stock formula and pack with your logo | The manufacturer’s | Low | Testing a market quickly |
| Private label | A stock formula from an ODM or contract manufacturer, lightly adapted | Usually the manufacturer’s | Set by the factory, often 1,000–5,000 units | Fast launches with a proven base |
| Custom formulation (us) | A bespoke formula built by a cosmetic chemist to your brief, tested and registered | Yours | Low MOQ: small batch sized to your requirement | Brands that want a unique product and freedom to switch manufacturer |
Unlike an ODM or CDMO that ties the formula to its own factory, we hand over a full tech-transfer pack so any contract manufacturer can make your product. Want speed? We can start from a proven, ready-to-launch base formula and adapt it, turnkey from brief to finished product.
Questions
Asked by first-time founders.
How do I develop a skin care product from scratch?
Start with a brief: the customer, the benefit, the markets and a target price. We turn that into a formula, samples, testing, claims and a market file, step by step.
How does your pricing work? How much does it cost to develop a skincare product?
It depends on the product, the claims and the markets. We quote a fixed fee per stage (formulation, testing, claims, regulatory, pilot), so you only pay for the stages you need. Ask for an indicative scope and we reply within one working day.
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
Our micro-batch runs are sized to your requirement, so there is no factory-style MOQ. When you scale, we transfer the formula to a contract manufacturer whose minimum order suits your volumes.
Do I own the formula and the IP?
Yes. The formula, its documentation, your brief and the intellectual property (IP) in the product are yours, and we sign an NDA before you share anything.
Private label or custom formulation: which is right for my first product?
Private label is faster but the formula usually belongs to the manufacturer. Custom formulation takes longer, but the product is unique and yours to move.
Can I use my own packaging?
Yes. Send us the pack and we test compatibility during stability testing.
Can you work with a formula I already have?
Yes. We can review it, test it, fix stability issues, and run a formula transfer to your manufacturer.
How do I request samples?
Send your brief through the enquiry form and tick the sample request option. Sample rounds are part of the prototype stage.
I am not a chemist. Do I need to hire a cosmetic chemist?
No. Your project is led by CSL formulation chemists. You bring the idea, the consumer and the price point.
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.