In 2025, as “asset-light operation” becomes the mainstream in the beauty industry, more and more brands are choosing to cooperate with cosmetics OEM manufacturers to quickly launch new products and control costs through OEM/ODM models . However, industry data shows that over the past three years, 62% of small and medium-sized beauty brands have encountered issues such as unstable formulas, substandard raw materials, and delivery delays due to choosing the wrong cosmetics OEM manufacturers, directly leading to product unsaleability and damaged brand reputation.
To help brands efficiently select reliable partners, this article strictly adheres to Google’s EETA (Expertise, Experience, Trust, Authority) principle. It comprehensively deciphers the selection logic for cosmetics OEM manufacturers from concept explanation, screening dimensions, pitfall-avoidance points to practical steps. The content includes scarce information often overlooked by brands, such as “production capacity matching” and “formula confidentiality mechanism”, to assist you in accurately identifying suitable partners.
I. Clarify the Concept: What is a Cosmetics OEM Manufacturer?
Cosmetics OEM manufacturers, or Original Equipment Manufacturers for cosmetics, refer to enterprises with cosmetics R&D and production qualifications and capacity. They can provide full-process services including raw material procurement, production processing, and packaging/filling according to formulas, requirements, or market positioning provided by brands . Unlike ODM (Original Design Manufacturers), cosmetics OEM manufacturers focus more on “executing production according to brand needs” and do not directly participate in the original design of product formulas (though some enterprises can provide formula optimization services).
Currently, cosmetics OEM manufacturers in the market are mainly divided into three categories:
- Comprehensive manufacturers specializing in mass skincare and color cosmetics, with large production capacity and complete product categories, suitable for volume-based brands;
- Vertical manufacturers focusing on niche segments (such as sensitive skin care, functional skincare, and natural organic color cosmetics), with high technical barriers, suitable for mid-to-high-end brands;
- Small-scale OEM factories with low costs but incomplete qualifications, which carry high risks and require caution .
II. 4 Core Dimensions for Selecting Cosmetics OEM Manufacturers
1. Expertise: R&D and Production Capability as the Core
The expertise of cosmetics OEM manufacturers directly determines product quality, requiring focus on two dimensions:
- R&D Team Configuration: Regular manufacturers should have a professional R&D team of at least 5 members, with backgrounds in chemistry, biology, dermatology, and other related fields, and more than 3 years of R&D experience in the beauty industry. Some leading cosmetics OEM manufacturers also cooperate with university laboratories (such as the Cosmetics Research Center of Jiangnan University and the China Cosmetics Research Center of Beijing Technology and Business University) and possess R&D capabilities for functional formulas (e.g., anti-aging, whitening, acne-fighting).
- Production Equipment and Workshop Standards: Production workshops must comply with GMPC (Good Manufacturing Practice for Cosmetics) certification, with air cleanliness reaching Class 100,000 or higher (local filling areas requiring Class 10,000), and equipped with fully automatic emulsification pots, aseptic filling lines, and raw material testing instruments (such as high-performance liquid chromatography) . You can request manufacturers to provide workshop video footage or conduct on-site inspections to avoid “small workshop-style production”.
2. Experience: Case and Category Matching Cannot Be Ignored
When selecting cosmetics OEM manufacturers, “experience” does not merely refer to years of establishment, but whether they have service cases matching your brand positioning and product categories:
- Case Authenticity: Request manufacturers to provide cooperation cases from the past 1-2 years, including brand names, product types, and production scales (e.g., 500,000 bottles of masks per month). Verify case authenticity through e-commerce platforms and offline channels to avoid “fabricated cooperation experiences”.
- Niche Category Experience: If your brand focuses on sensitive skin care products, prioritize cosmetics OEM manufacturers with over 3 years of experience in sensitive skin product OEM. Such manufacturers are more familiar with procurement standards for sensitive skin raw materials (e.g., ceramide, panthenol) and formula mildness testing processes, which can reduce the risk of product allergies .
3. Trust: Qualifications and Traceability System as the Key
Trust is the foundation of long-term cooperation. Cosmetics OEM manufacturers must meet the following qualification and traceability requirements:
- Core Qualification Certifications: Mandatory certifications include the 2025 updated version of the “Cosmetics Production License” (valid for 5 years) and ISO 22716 Cosmetics Quality Management System certification . For export businesses, EU CE certification and US FDA registration are also required to prevent products from failing to launch due to incomplete qualifications.
- Raw Material Traceability Mechanism: Request manufacturers to provide raw material procurement documents (e.g., customs declarations for imported hyaluronic acid, quality inspection reports for domestic plant extracts) and establish a full-process “raw material-production-finished product” traceability system (batch-specific raw material sources, production time, and quality inspectors can be queried via QR codes) to prevent the use of inferior or expired raw materials .
4. Authority: Industry Recognition and Emergency Response Capability Reflect Strength
The industry authority of cosmetics OEM manufacturers can be judged by two criteria:
- Industry Recognition and Participation: Whether they have received industry awards such as “Top 10 Cosmetics OEM Enterprises in China” or “Green Production Demonstration Unit”, and whether they have participated in formulating national or local cosmetics industry standards (e.g., “Cosmetic Safety Technical Specifications”) . Such information can be queried on the official website of industry associations like the China Association of Fragrance, Flavor and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI) .
- Emergency Response Capability: The ability to handle emergencies (e.g., raw material shortages, equipment failures) is a key test of manufacturer strength. You can ask questions like: “If core raw materials are suddenly out of stock, can you find alternative materials and complete formula adaptation tests within 7 days?” or “How will you recall products and assume responsibility if quality issues occur during production?” Regular manufacturers will have clear emergency plans and compensation mechanisms.
III. 3 High-Frequency Pitfalls to Avoid When Choosing Cosmetics OEM Manufacturers (90% of Brands Fall for Them)
1. Avoid the “Low-Price Trap”: Be Alert to Prices 30% Below Market Average
Some small cosmetics OEM manufacturers attract brands with low prices such as “only 0.8 yuan per bottle for mask processing” or “500,000 yuan for a 100,000-bottle skincare order”, but hidden risks often exist:
- Using industrial-grade raw materials instead of cosmetic-grade ones (e.g., industrial glycerin replacing cosmetic-grade glycerin), leading to excessive heavy metals;
- Skipping production processes (e.g., omitting product stability tests), causing stratification or deterioration during storage. It is recommended to use the industry average price as a reference (e.g., 1.2-1.8 yuan per bottle for mask OEM in 2025) and be cautious of abnormally low quotes.
2. Emphasize “Formula Confidentiality”: Never Provide Core Formulas Without a Signed Agreement
Some brands submit core formulas to cosmetics OEM manufacturers without signing a “Formula Confidentiality Agreement” in the initial cooperation stage, leading to formula leakage to competitors and significant losses. The correct approach is: Sign a confidentiality agreement before cooperation, clearly stating that “manufacturers shall not use the formula for other brands or disclose it to third parties”, stipulate liquidated damages (usually 2-3 times the cooperation amount), and require manufacturers to store formulas securely (e.g., dedicated servers, managed by designated personnel).
3. Verify “Production Capacity Matching”: Avoid “Overqualified Manufacturers” or “Underpowered Small Factories”
Mismatched production capacity is a common problem:
- Small brands cooperating with leading cosmetics OEM manufacturers (with monthly capacity of 10 million bottles) may face delivery delays because small orders (e.g., 50,000 bottles per month) are placed at the end of the production queue;
- Large brands cooperating with small factories (with monthly capacity of 500,000 bottles) may fail to meet peak season demand (e.g., 1 million bottles for Double 11 stockpiling) due to insufficient capacity . It is recommended to select manufacturers with matching capacity based on your order volume (average monthly orders, peak season order volume). Generally, the manufacturer’s regular capacity should exceed your peak order volume by more than 20%.
IV. Practical Steps: 3-Step Process to Lock in Suitable Cosmetics OEM Manufacturers
1. Clarify Your Needs: Define the Screening Scope
First, sort out your brand’s core needs:
① Product category (e.g., skincare/color cosmetics/cleansing products);
② Capacity requirements (average monthly orders, minimum order quantity, e.g., 50,000 bottles);
③ Special requirements (e.g., preservative-free formulas, organic certification, export qualifications). Based on these needs, screen 10-15 cosmetics OEM manufacturers that meet basic conditions on industry platforms (e.g., Beauty Supply Chain Network, Qichacha), and eliminate those with incomplete qualifications or no relevant cases.
2. In-Depth Investigation: From Document Review to On-Site Visits
- Document Review: Request shortlisted manufacturers to provide documents such as “Production License”, “Certification Certificates”, “Cooperation Case List”, and “Raw Material Traceability Samples”. Focus on verifying certificate validity and case authenticity (you can contact brands in the cases for confirmation);
- Sample Testing: Provide requirements or formulas and ask manufacturers to produce 3-5 batches of samples. Test product stability (stored at 45℃ high temperature and -10℃ low temperature for 30 days), pH value, and microbial indicators (must comply with “Cosmetic Safety Technical Specifications”) . Conduct consumer trials and collect feedback simultaneously;
- On-Site Visits: Select 3-5 manufacturers with qualified samples for on-site inspections. Check production workshops (focus on cleanliness and equipment operation), R&D laboratories (equipment configuration and R&D personnel work status), and raw material warehouses (storage conditions and label integrity). Communicate cooperation details (e.g., delivery time, payment methods, after-sales support) with management.
3. Sign the Contract: Clarify Rights and Obligations to Avoid Disputes
Sign a detailed “Cosmetics OEM Processing Contract” before cooperation, clearly specifying the following clauses:
① Product quality standards (e.g., execution standard number, quality inspection indicators);
② Delivery time and delay compensation (e.g., 1% of the order amount per day of delay);
③ Quality liability (e.g., manufacturers shall bear recall costs and brand losses if quality issues arise due to their fault);
④ Formula confidentiality and intellectual property ownership (clearly stating that formulas belong to the brand). It is recommended to have legal personnel review the contract to avoid loopholes.
V. Conclusion
In the increasingly competitive beauty market of 2025, choosing a reliable cosmetics OEM manufacturer can not only help brands control costs and improve product quality but also lay the foundation for long-term brand development. Through the “EETA screening dimensions + pitfall-avoidance guide + practical steps” proposed in this article, you can avoid most cooperation risks and find cosmetics OEM manufacturers that highly match your brand positioning and needs, achieving the leap from “product launch” to “market breakthrough”.
If you encounter specific problems during the screening process (e.g., how to verify manufacturer qualifications, how to negotiate contract terms), you can further refine your investigation direction based on your needs to ensure every decision is supported by data and facts.