Cosmetic development capabilities

Manufacturing and quality management

A cosmetic factory is not a supplier you choose once. It is a system you verify, specify and monitor. The difference between a site that delivers three good runs and one that delivers two good runs and a recall is usually documentation discipline, not machinery.

Qualification

What we verify before a purchase order.

The site

Legal entity matches the certificate and the invoice
GMP or ISO 22716 scope covers the product type
Line capability at your fill weight and pack format
Changeover and cleaning validation for your formula
Capacity in the window you need, not the window they prefer
Allergen, fragrance and colour handling controls

The practice

Batch records completed contemporaneously, not reconstructed
Deviation and out-of-specification procedure in use
Retain sample policy and storage
Microbiology testing in-house or through an accredited lab
Complaint and recall procedure with a named owner
Willingness to allow an audit before the first run

Control

Where quality is actually won.

Before

Raw materials and pilot

Identity and specification checks on incoming materials, pilot batch approval, fill trial in the final pack, and a signed pre-production standard the line can work to.

During

In-line discipline

First-off approval, hourly fill weight and torque checks, decoration alignment, foreign body controls, and a hold point before shrink-wrap where a problem can still be fixed.

After

Release

Micro results, certificate of analysis, batch record review, retain samples, and a documented release decision with a name against it.

What a retail audit looks for

Increasingly: the batch record for the specific lot on the shelf, the safety report version that matches the label, and evidence that a deviation was closed — not just logged. We build the file so those three questions have short answers.

UK or overseas

The honest comparison.

Both routes are legitimate. The decision should follow product type, volume and how much working capital you want sitting in a container.

Factor	UK manufacture	Overseas manufacture
Minimum order	Typically higher per SKU, but no container minimum	Lower unit cost at volume; container or pallet minimums apply
Lead time	4–8 weeks production, days to deliver	4–8 weeks production plus 4–6 weeks sea freight
Unit cost	Higher, driven by labour and energy	Lower at scale; freight and duty erode the gap at small volumes
Flexibility	Easier reorders and smaller top-ups	Reorders need planning; changes are expensive
Documentation	Simpler customs position	EORI, HS classification, duty (typically 0–6.5%) and 20% import VAT
Compliance	Same GB requirements either way	Importer of record questions affect who is Responsible Person

On the floor

Quality is signed off by a person, not a certificate.

Questions

Manufacturing, practically.

Do you own a factory?

No, and that is deliberate. We qualify sites per product and per volume, which means the recommendation follows the brief rather than the equipment we happen to own.

Who signs the GMP statement for the technical file?

The manufacturer, for their site. We assemble it into the Product Information File with the batch documentation and the safety report.

What happens if a batch fails?

It is quarantined, the deviation is documented, and the cause is established before rework is discussed. Rework of a cosmetic is not automatically permissible; the safety assessor and the specification decide.

Can you manage production in China or the Gulf?

Yes. Both are common for British brands at volume, and both require the same discipline: entity verification, audit, specification control and independent pre-shipment inspection.

Wherever you are based, start with a conversation — not a purchase order.

Tell us what you are building, where it needs to land and which suppliers you already have. We will come back with an honest view of feasibility, timings, indicative costs and the compliance route — usually within two working days.

Start a project See the five disciplines