Thinking about private labeling skincare products?
This is a great way to take your first foray into the beauty industry, with private labeling offering so many benefits to new brands. With that said, there are also a few pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid if you’re hoping for success. Read on as FLPL shares 12 mistakes that you don’t want to be making when private labeling skincare products:
1) Working With a Private Labeling Manufacturer Who Doesn’t Have Much Skincare Experience
With private labeling becoming increasingly popular, there are now more private labeling manufacturers out there than ever before. In some ways, this is great for companies looking to start private labeling skincare. You’ll have plenty of choices when deciding who to team up with.
However, at the same time, it means that many of the private label manufacturers out there aren’t going to have much skincare experience. Ideally, you want to find a manufacturer who has worked with a wide variety of beauty brands in the past, just like FLPL. From budget-friendly skincare to luxury, high-end formulas, we’ve done it all. We also have experience in other areas of the beauty industry, such as beauty accessories and hair care. This makes us well-placed to produce skincare products for any sector of the market while also helping your brand to diversify into other areas of the industry in the future.
2) Sacrificing Quality
Being a consumer yourself, you’re probably aware of how quality is everything. If you were to purchase a low-quality product that doesn’t deliver in the way that it should, you’re very unlikely to then make a repeat purchase.
While that may be the case, many businesses still make the mistake of sacrificing quality when it comes to private labeling skincare products. Why? Because quality costs money. By skimping on quality, you often won’t have to spend quite as much. With most businesses on tight budgets, it’s easy to see why this may seem appealing at first. However, once your brand earns a reputation for low-quality skincare products, it won’t be long before sales start to suffer.
If you want your skincare products to be sought-after by consumers, keeping quality consistently high is key. Make sure that you work with a private label manufacturer who prioritizes quality too, just like FLPL does.
3) Not Complying With Legal Requirements
Whether you’re private labeling skincare products or you’re manufacturing them in another way, legal requirements need to be kept at the forefront of your mind. There will be certain legal standards that your products will need to meet, with each state also sometimes having additional requirements. Getting this wrong could lead to serious consequences for your business.
So, if you’re new to the industry, where do you begin when it comes to understanding all of these rules and regulations? Again, that’s where having a reliable private label manufacturer by your side can be a game-changer. At FLPL, we’ve done this so many times. As a result, we’re well aware of all of the legalities that need to be considered when private labeling skincare. The products that we’ve manufactured are not only sold in the USA but also globally, meaning that we can help you to meet international standards too. Team up with us and the world will be your oyster!
4) A Lack of Product Testing
When private labeling skincare products, the first step is to decide on the actual products that you want to create. This is where you’ll work with your private labeling manufacturer to choose ingredients and create formulations. After this, samples of your products will then be created. You’ll be able to see these samples for yourself before approving them.
Since your samples will move on to the mass manufacturing stage once they’ve been approved, it’s very important that any necessary changes are made now. And the only way to decide on the changes to make is by carrying out thorough product testing.
Rather than briefly assessing the product yourself, take it to your target market and see what they think. Give them the opportunity to hold, smell, and use your product, and then make the most of that feedback. Once your products have been manufactured, it will be too late to change them, making now the time to do so.
5) Creating Sub-Par Packaging
When private labeling skincare products for the first time, people often put all of their attention on the products themselves. The packaging becomes an afterthought, even though it shouldn’t be.
The packaging for your skincare products is extremely important. Not only does it serve a functional purpose – keeping your products safe and secure – but it’s also a useful branding and marketing tool. Your packaging could be the deciding factor when consumers are choosing skincare products to purchase. This means that it deserves plenty of focus.
At FLPL, packaging design is yet another one of our services. You won’t have to hire a separate design company to take care of your packaging. Work with us and it will all be done under one roof, keeping everything cohesive with your products themselves.
6) Choosing the Wrong Pricing Strategy
The right pricing strategy will be crucial to the success of your skincare brand. Unfortunately, this is where many fail. They either under-price or over-price, which quickly leads to a business’s demise.
How do you choose a pricing strategy? Start by considering your costs. It goes without saying that you don’t want to be making a loss!
Then, do some market research to see what other brands are charging for similar products. One option would be to undercut your competitors, which can be effective if you’re producing budget-friendly skincare products. On the other hand, if your products have an edge that set them apart from the others out there, then don’t be afraid to reflect this in a higher price tag.
7) Being Caught Out With Hidden Costs
There’s no denying that private labeling skincare products can be a very cost-effective way to grab a slice of the beauty market for yourself. This is why so many large and established brands that already have their own manufacturing systems in place are also turning to private label manufacturing.
While this may be the case, always find out all of the costs involved before you start working with a private label manufacturer. At FLPL, we’re upfront about all costs but the same can’t be said for other private label manufacturers. From additional setup charges to shipping fees, get familiar with how much everything along the supply chain is going to cost you so that you can budget for this accordingly. You don’t want to get started with the private labeling process only to find out that you’ve run out of money halfway through!
8) A Weak Brand Identity
Although private labeling skincare products gives you a greater chance of success, you still need to put the work in when it comes to branding. If your brand identity is weak, then your products are very unlikely to do well, no matter how good they may be.
If branding isn’t your forte, FLPL can help. You’ll be able to work with our art and marketing team to establish some solid branding. From a standout logo to a compelling brand story, your brand will soon have an identity that you’ll be truly proud of!
9) Poor Inventory Management
Managing inventory can be tricky. You don’t want to understock your products because if they aren’t available when a customer wants them, then, nine times out of ten, they’ll shop elsewhere. Likewise, overstocking can be a risky strategy and may also cost you when it comes to storage.
To get things right, you’ll need to align yourself with the turnaround time offered by your private label manufacturer. Work with a company that communicates well and keeps you up to date on any delays that may occur. This, combined with understanding how to accurately forecast demand for your products, will enable you to keep your inventory at an optimum level.
10) Ignoring Ethics and Sustainability
Today’s consumers are extremely conscious about the products they use. They want to ensure that their purchasing choices align with their ethics, meaning that your skincare products need to do the same.
With so much involved in the manufacturing process, standards can slip at any stage. This is why you need to find a private label manufacturer who stands behind your beliefs too. At FLPL, for example, the products that we manufacture are never tested on animals. We also create recyclable packaging for our clients – something that their customers appreciate.
11) The Inability to Scale Up When Needed
Hopefully, once you’ve launched your new skincare products, they’ll be a roaring success and it won’t be long before you start looking for ways in which you can expand your business. Scaling up can take many forms. You may want to simply produce a greater quantity of your products or perhaps you’d like to diversify into other product types. Either way, you need to make sure that your private label manufacturer is in it for the long haul.
If your private label manufacturer isn’t able to keep up, your business will soon suffer. After building all of that momentum and not following through, things can end up stagnant, and scaling up may not be an option again in the future.
12) Not Listening to Customer Feedback
We’ve already discussed how important it is to listen to feedback from your target audience when creating your product samples. Well, the same applies once you start selling too.
Sure, you may not be able to make changes to the products that have already been manufactured. However, if customer feedback is strongly pointing in a certain direction, you’ll be able to implement these changes in the future.
Private Labeling Skincare Products With FLPL
The good thing about working with a trustworthy private label manufacturer, like FLPL, is that you won’t accidentally make any of the above mistakes. With our experience and knowledge backing you up, you’ll be guided into making nothing but the very best choices for your beauty brand, and it won’t be long before you’ll be able to reap the rewards of that!
