Can you sell homemade cosmetics to the general public and retail
outlets? This is one of the most common questions asked of me during my
25-plus years of making cosmetics. The answer, in almost all countries,
is: Yes. There certainly seems to be a lot of confusion regarding this
issue – fueled in part, I am sure, by the desire of the global
conglomerates to keep control of this multi-billion dollar industry.

Many
countries take their lead from the US FDA, so let’s take a look at what
the FDA has to say about the issue of making homemade cosmetics for
retail sale. Homemade cosmetics are not required to be tested by the FDA
– or any other authorities, for that matter. However, there are a few
rules which must be observed.

1. The cosmetic product must be
correctly labelled, and follow the labeling regulations. Essentially,
this means stating the ingredients in descending order of use, the
quantity of product contained within the packaging and any known safety
precautions.

2. The cosmetic product must not contain any
prohibited ingredients. If you are using professional formulations for
making cosmetics, this will not represent any problem.

3. The
cosmetic product must be free of pathogens. Again, if you are using
professional formulations, you will not have any difficulties complying
with this regulation.

The benefits of making cosmetics which have
been professionally formulated, is that you will be able to produce top
quality products of a calibre equal to, or even better than, the leading
cosmetic manufacturers. How can your homemade cosmetics be better than
the leading brands?

While it’s true that top quality cosmetic
products usually include high grade, effective ingredients, cosmetic
manufacturing companies operate on extremely high profit levels – 1000%
or even much higher. Because the most effective ingredients are also the
most expensive, in order to maximize their profits, leading cosmetic
making companies usually use these substances in the lowest proportion
possible.

Making your own homemade cosmetics allows you to use
the same ingredients – but in much higher proportion. This means you can
produce products of much higher quality and effectiveness. If you have
your own business making cosmetics, you can make color cosmetics, skin
and hair care, body and bath products, and toiletries, which will
quickly develop a loyal clientele. And you will be able to make the same
profits as the big cosmetic manufacturing companies.

You can even
start a business making cosmetics for other retailers – hair and beauty
salons, spas, etc – and package the products especially for them, with
their own label. Private label manufacturing is becoming increasingly
popular.

Making homemade cosmetics for retail sale is a high
profit and easy business to operate, and there are many ways to sell the
products and develop markets. Because the big conglomerates concentrate
on the large, mainstream retailers, there are literally thousands of
smaller, untapped, hungry markets – a few contracts to supply these
outlets can easily bring you a six-figure income.

To summarize,
the FDA does not review or approve cosmetic products or cosmetic
ingredients before they are sold to the public. The agency acts only
against cosmetic products found to cause harm after they have been
released on the market.

If you are using untested recipes from
your kitchen, this could present a problem if a customer suffered an
allergy. Also, cosmetic products without preservatives can easily grow
bacteria and molds, and cause skin reactions

In the US, you do not
need approval from the FDA to start a business making cosmetics. In
most other countries, this is also the case. If you are interested to
join the high profit and prestigious world of making cosmetics, my best
advice is to purchase top quality formulations and make them in
accordance with the manufacturing directions. This way you can be sure
they will be in compliance with FDA regulations.