How to start your own skincare brand in Australia
The fastest way to start your own skincare brand in Australia is to put your own label on formulas that are already made and tested, rather than developing new ones. With Skin+ Labs you choose from 23 ready-made professional formulas, design your label online, approve a label proof and order. You bring the brand and the audience; we make the product.
Five steps to your own skincare brand
The basic path from an idea to products in your customers' hands. What you do at each step, and what we handle.
Define your brand
Decide who the range is for and the three to five products they would actually use, then choose a brand name you can own. Check the name against business names (ASIC) and trade marks (IP Australia) before you design anything.
- You
- Your audience, your brand name and logo, and the products your audience asks you about.
- We
- A conversation about which formulas suit your audience, and how a small first range fits together.
Choose ready-made formulas
Pick formulas from an existing professional range instead of developing new ones. A new formula needs a cosmetic chemist, stability testing, preservative testing (about four weeks for the challenge test alone) and production trials before it can be sold; a ready-made formula has done that work. The Skin+ Labs range has 23 formulas across a numbered routine, from cleansers to serums, moisturisers and post-treatment care.
- You
- Choose the formulas, sizes and quantities for your first order.
- We
- The formulas, already developed and in production, with their directions and cautions.
Pick your packaging route
Plain packaging is the formula in its standard container with no label, for brands that apply their own labels. White label (also called private label) puts your printed label on the container, with a proof first. Custom formulation creates a formula and packaging for you, by enquiry, and takes longest.
- You
- Choose the route that fits your budget and how hands-on you want to be.
- We
- Standard containers ready for your label, label printing for white label, and bespoke packaging for custom.
Get your label right
Design your label in our online label studio. In Australia a cosmetic label must list the ingredients and show the net quantity and the name and street address of the business it is packed for, and the claims must stay cosmetic: claims to treat a condition can make a product a therapeutic good regulated by the TGA. We send a label proof for your approval before anything is printed.
- You
- Your design and the claims you want to make, and approval of the label proof.
- We
- Formula details for the label (ingredients, directions, cautions), regulatory guidance and the label proof.
Order, launch and restock
Approve the proof and pay the invoice, and we make and deliver your order, in bulk to you or direct to your customers. Launch to your audience with honest disclosure that it is your own brand, then reorder as you sell.
- You
- Your launch: content, your online shop or clinic shelf, and customer service.
- We
- Production, quality control on every batch, and delivery or direct-to-customer fulfilment.
Three ways to start
Every route uses a formula made by us. They differ in who does the label and how long it takes.
| Route | What you get | Your label | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain packaging | A ready-made formula in its standard container, with no label | You print and apply your own | Fastest: no label design or printing on our side | Clinics and brands with labels already designed, and testing a product with your audience |
| White label (private label) | A ready-made formula with your printed label | Designed in our label studio, proof first | Fast: adds a label proof and printing | Creators and clinics launching a branded range without a chemist |
| Custom formulation | A formula and packaging developed for your brand | Your label, with bespoke packaging options | Slowest: development and testing come first | Brands that need a formula no one else has |
Minimum order quantities and lead times are confirmed with your order and invoice.
Who starts a skincare brand this way
People who already have the trust of an audience or a patient list, and want their own product without building a lab.
Creators and influencers
YouTube, Instagram and TikTok creators whose audience already asks what they use. Start with two or three formulas you would genuinely recommend, under your own name.
Doctors, cosmetic nurses and dermal therapists
A clinic range that matches your treatments: cleansing, actives and post-treatment care your patients take home, under your clinic's name.
Salons, day spas and pharmacies
A house range for your shelves and treatment rooms, starting small and adding formulas as they sell.
New skincare brands
Founders with a brand idea who want to test it with customers before investing in custom formulation.
What we handle
The parts that take a new brand the longest, and the reason most first-time founders work with a manufacturer.
- Formulation
- Ready-made formulas by our founder and cosmetic chemists, so you do not need your own chemist.
- Testing
- Formulas that are already developed and tested, instead of months of stability and preservative testing for a new one.
- Manufacturing
- Production in GMP-certified, ISO-accredited facilities, from small batches up.
- Packaging
- Standard bottles, jars, pumps and tubes, without sourcing your own and meeting packaging suppliers' minimums.
- Labels
- Label design in our studio, ingredient and direction details from us, and a proof before printing.
- Regulatory guidance
- Guidance to help your products and labels meet Australian requirements.
- Delivery
- Bulk delivery to you, or direct-to-customer fulfilment.
The rules to know, in brief
A starting point, not legal advice. We give regulatory guidance on your products and labels as part of every order.
Cosmetic or therapeutic
The claims decide. "Helps your skin look even and smooth" is a cosmetic claim; "reduces skin pigmentation" is a therapeutic one, and treating acne, rosacea or eczema makes a product a therapeutic good regulated by the TGA. Claims on the label, in the name and in your ads all count. TGA guidance
Sun protection
Sunscreens are therapeutic goods, and so are moisturisers with an SPF over 15. Some tinted products are treated differently, so talk to us before you plan a product with an SPF. TGA sunscreen rules
Ingredient list
Cosmetics must list their ingredients on the container, in descending order, under the Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020. We give you each formula's ingredient list. ACCC
Net quantity and your address
Packed goods must show the net quantity, such as 50 ml, and the name and street address of the packer or the business it was packed for (not a PO box or website). National Measurement Institute
Your name on it, your responsibility
Under Australian Consumer Law, a business that puts its own brand name on goods can be treated as their manufacturer if they are unsafe. Choose a manufacturer with quality systems, and consider product liability insurance. ACCC
Advertising your own brand
Creators must make it clear when they own the brand they promote; the ACCC found many beauty influencers did not. Registered health practitioners also follow Ahpra's advertising and cosmetic procedure guidelines, and declare their financial interest in products they sell. ACCC
Business basics
An ABN, a registered business name if you trade under a brand name, and a trade mark search before you commit to the name, because a business name gives no trade mark rights. IP Australia
Questions
Short answers to what people ask before they start a skincare brand.
What is the fastest way to start a skincare brand in Australia?
Put your own label on formulas that are already made and tested, rather than developing new ones. This is called white label or private label skincare. With Skin+ Labs you choose from 23 ready-made formulas, design your label online, approve a label proof and order, so there is no formula development or testing to wait for.
Do I need a cosmetic chemist to start a skincare line?
Not with ready-made formulas: they are already developed by our founder and cosmetic chemists, tested and in production. You need a chemist only for a formula that does not exist yet, which is what our custom formulation service is for.
How much does it cost to start a skincare brand?
It depends on how many products you launch, how many units of each you order, and whether you choose plain packaging, white label or custom formulation. Custom formulation costs the most because development and testing come first. Trade prices for our formulas are on each formula page, and we confirm pricing, freight and minimum orders with your invoice.
Is there a minimum order to start?
Minimum orders per formula are confirmed with your order and invoice. Tell us the quantities you have in mind when you send your order or label proof request.
How many products should a new skincare brand launch with?
Two to five is a strong start: enough for a routine customers can follow, without tying up money in stock that does not move. Creators often start with a cleanser, a hydrating serum and a moisturiser or recovery cream; clinics start with the products they recommend after treatments.
Who owns the brand if Skin+ Labs makes the products?
You own your brand: the name, logo and label design. The formulas are from our range and are also available to other buyers, so if you need a formula only you sell, ask about custom formulation.
Do skincare products need TGA approval in Australia?
Cosmetic skincare is not registered with the TGA, as long as its claims stay cosmetic: cleansing, hydrating, softening, improving the look of skin. Claims to treat a disease or condition, such as acne or pigmentation, sunscreens, and moisturisers with an SPF over 15 are therapeutic goods under the TGA's rules. Cosmetics must still list their ingredients on the label.
Am I legally responsible for products made for my brand?
Partly, yes. Under Australian Consumer Law, a business that puts its own brand name on goods can be treated as their manufacturer if they turn out to be unsafe. That is why most new brands start with tested formulas from an established manufacturer, and many take out product liability insurance.
What must go on a skincare label in Australia?
At a minimum: the ingredient list (in descending order, under the cosmetics information standard), the net quantity, and the name and street address of the business the product is packed for. Directions and cautions belong on it too. We give you each formula's ingredient list, directions and cautions, and check your label proof.
Can Skin+ Labs send orders straight to my customers?
Yes. As well as bulk delivery to your business, we offer direct-to-customer fulfilment, which suits creators and online brands that would rather not pack and post orders.
Put your name on a formula.
Design your label in the studio, add it to your order and we send a proof and an invoice. Nothing is made until you approve it.