In the world of natural and organic cosmetics, a well-developed brand identity can set your products apart from the competition and build trust with customers who are looking for safe and sustainable options.

The beauty of adding a line of natural makeup and color cosmetics to your brand is there is such HUGE demand for it but not so many options, especially compared to skincare and haircare. For many people, commercial makeup leaves the skin feeling dry or irritated. For others, they find it hard to get the color match right and all too often those seeking natural & organic makeup and color cosmetics are left disappointed.

But if you can create your own line of natural makeup and color cosmetics, you can stand out from the crowd, offer something that people are looking for and bring a little bit of magical sparkle into your cosmetics range that could really spice things up a bit!

10 Top Tips to Create a Brand Identity for your Natural Cosmetics Line

Here are some tips for creating a brand identity for your natural and organic color cosmetics line:

1. Define your brand’s values and mission

Before you can develop a brand identity, you need to have a clear understanding of what your company stands for. What values and principles guide your business? What is your mission statement? What sets your products apart from others in the market? Take some time to think about these questions and develop a concise statement that communicates the essence of your brand.

This is the starting point of all good product formulation! This information informs the basis of every single product you create and it is why you will find it at the start of our Diploma level courses, no matter whether that is skincare, haircare, makeup and color cosmetics or soap.

2. Choose a brand name and logo

Your brand name and logo are two of the most important elements of your brand identity. Your name should be memorable and easy to pronounce, while your logo should be visually appealing and represent your brand’s values and mission. 

Consider working with a graphic designer to create a logo that stands out and captures the essence of your brand. Definitely shop around and see if you can find a good graphic designer that’s reasonably local to you. Google is a good place to start and they usually have good information on their websites including some examples of their work with other clients.

3. Develop a color palette and typography

The colors and typography you choose for your brand will help to establish your visual identity. Consider the emotions and associations that different colors evoke and choose a color palette that aligns with your brand’s values and mission. Similarly, choose a font or typography that is easy to read and complements your logo and overall design. 

To help you with this, you can reach out to some graphic designers! Don’t be put off by this because there are plenty of really good and reasonably priced graphic designers out there who can really help you to get set up.

You can find graphic designers on places like LinkedIn or via google searches. Via google you’ll find agencies (typically companies with multiple designers) and freelancers (usually an individual graphic designer who works for themselves). Just make sure you know which is which when searching because you might prefer one or the other. There are also websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, Virtual Employee, Truelancer and Freelancer.

Do you know anyone who might know some graphic designers! Plenty of businesses use them so who could you ask? People don’t tend to refer designers who aren’t good or who haven’t done a good job.

4. Create packaging that reflects your brand’s identity

Your packaging is the first thing that customers will see when they encounter your products, so it’s important that it reflects your brand’s identity. Consider the materials and colors you use for your packaging, as well as the design elements and messaging. Does your packaging communicate the natural and organic nature of your products? Does it align with your brand’s values and mission?

This is where good benchmarking can really come in handy. By looking at brands that are successful you can build a picture of what you like and dislike about their branding and packaging. This can help you to make some decisions about the packaging you think would suit your brand the best. 

Remember to try out your packaging to see how it works in practice and run a focus group to get some feedback on other people’s experiences on the look and feel of the packaging, as well as the practicality of using it.

5. Define your target audience

To create an effective brand identity, you need to understand who your target audience is. Who are your ideal customers? What are their values and interests? What are their pain points and challenges when it comes to purchasing color cosmetics? Use this information to develop a brand identity that resonates with your target audience and addresses their needs.

This is something we cover in detail in our Diploma courses (skincare, haircare, makeup and color cosmetics and soap) because it helps to inform your decisions around the purpose of your products, the problems it will solve, the types of people who might want to use your products and why, the ingredient selection you make, so on and so forth. 

6. Develop messaging that speaks to your target audience

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, develop messaging that speaks to them. What are the benefits of using natural and organic color cosmetics? How do your products address the pain points of your target audience? Use language and messaging that is consistent with your brand’s values and mission and that resonates with your target audience.

A good copywriter can help you with this and whilst there are many who may look expensive, there are so many who will be based locally to you, who are not charging the same prices. Shop around! 

Search google for a copywriter in your town, city, state/county. Put an advert onto LinkedIn or have a look on the same websites as mentioned above for a Graphic Designer.

Do you know anyone who might know some copywriters! Plenty of businesses use them so who could you ask? Usually referrals from people you know are a good safe bet. Not always, but usually. Just make sure you still do your own due diligence.

7. Establish your brand’s voice and tone

Your brand’s voice and tone are important components of your brand identity. Your voice refers to the personality and character of your brand, while your tone refers to the emotional inflection you use when communicating with your target audience. Consider the emotions and values that your brand represents and use language and tone that aligns with these values. 

You can always reach out for help with this with a copywriter or a good copywriting agency (like Lacy Boggs and her Content Direction Agency) that also understands the importance of developing a brand.

8. Leverage social media and influencer partnerships

Social media and influencer marketing are powerful tools for building brand awareness and establishing your brand identity. Leverage social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to showcase your products and share your brand’s values and mission. Consider partnering with influencers who align with your brand’s values and have a strong following in your target audience.

9. Consider sustainability in all aspects of your brand

In the world of natural and organic cosmetics, sustainability is a key concern for many consumers. Consider how you can incorporate sustainable practices into all aspects of your brand, from product formulation to packaging and shipping. Communicate your commitment to sustainability through your brand’s messaging and make it clear to consumers that you prioritize ethical and sustainable practices.

And if sustainability isn’t as high up on the brand identity as some other aspects (e.g. it could be more about a vegan or cruelty-free cosmetics brand, or a brand that is 100% organic), then hone in on how you could communicate your commitment to that particular value or focus through your brand’s messages. It will help to build a connection between your brand and your target market.

10. Ensure consistency across all brand touchpoints

Consistency is key when it comes to establishing a strong brand identity. Make sure that your brand’s values, mission, visual identity, messaging, voice, and tone are consistent across all touchpoints, including your website, social media profiles, packaging, advertising, and customer service interactions. This consistency helps to build trust and recognition with your target audience.

In conclusion, creating a strong brand identity is crucial for establishing your natural and organic cosmetics line in the market. By defining your brand’s values and mission, choosing a memorable name and logo, developing a color palette and typography, creating packaging that reflects your brand’s identity, understanding your target audience, developing messaging that speaks to them, establishing your brand’s voice and tone, leveraging social media and influencer partnerships, prioritizing sustainability, and ensuring consistency across all touchpoints, you can create a brand identity that resonates with your target audience and sets your products apart from the competition. 

With a well-developed brand identity, you can build trust with consumers and establish a loyal customer base for your natural and organic cosmetics line, whether that’s skincare, haircare, soap, makeup or color cosmetics.

Of course, at the centre of an excellent brand is a suite of amazing products and to ensure you create this suite of products to the highest of professional standards, whether you are in a professional setting or at home, you’ll want to get expert tuition! 

That’s where our Diploma in Formulating Natural Makeup and Advanced Color Cosmetics comes in. You’ll create a complete range of professional quality makeup and color cosmetic products using luxurious natural & organic ingredients. The entire curriculum has been created by expert cosmetic scientists and formulators, following our tried and tested methods and 14+ years of teaching experience.

If you have any questions about your enrollment, then please email our customer service team on hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com – they are on hand to help you.

The post Creating a Unique Brand Identity for Your Natural Cosmetics Line appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

The solution is to do it yourself! 

Skincare product photography can be as simple or as complex as you choose. One image can be used in several ways, including social media content and website visuals, to physical flyers and product packaging. Here’s why product photography is important, and how you can get great images yourself!

Why is good product photography essential for your beauty brand?

If you want your natural beauty brand to be successful, you’ll want to pay as much attention to how your products look as well as how they perform.

As people who are passionate about natural and organic beauty, we naturally want our products to be the very best they can be and we’d like to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from using them. And no doubt, what’s inside the packaging is likely to be fantastic and a lot better than most products we find in stores around the world.

However, if your products don’t look visually appealing, people may be less likely to buy them and as such you run the risk of devaluing the potential of your product and your brand. 

Having spent so much time, energy, money and effort formulating your products, you’ll want to make sure they are loved by as many people as possible. And, this is exactly where great product photography comes in. It can make the difference between a sale and no sale.

In short, every little thing you can do to create a wonderful perception of your brand and your products, the better. It would be sad to create sensational products that don’t look very good because all you’re doing is limiting their potential.

If you get your branding right, your photography right, and your pricing right, your amazing products will stand a very good chance of being loved by many customers.

Can I do my own beauty product photography?

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably looking to find out how you can improve your cosmetic photography and/or the visual representation of your brand. 

The good news for you is, yes you absolutely can take your own photos. Just as you have done with learning how to make your own natural and organic cosmetic products, you can also learn how to take your own product photography. 

You just need to know how and where to get started, some tips and ideas to get you off and running and simple instructions on how to plan for, set up and run your own photoshoots.

Confidence is an important factor and that will come from learning the basics and getting stuck in by practicing, trying things out, having a go, and looking for tips, tricks and ideas to help you improve your beauty product photography.

So, don’t be put off or afraid. We all have to start somewhere with what we have available right now and it doesn’t have to be complicated, overly elaborate, time consuming or expensive. 

Camera vs smartphone

Natural cosmetic product photography can be incredibly expensive and be a massive outlay for any business if you invest in all of the top-of-the-range cameras, lenses, lights, and backdrops. However, for the vast majority of businesses, this is not necessary at all.

The capabilities of smartphones today mean that they mostly hold their own against DSLRs (digital single-lens reflex cameras), unless you are looking to create more complex effects or use them for large printed advertising, like signage.

So what works best for you? 

If you are not quite sure whether cosmetic product photography is for you, we would highly recommend starting with what you have, which is most likely a smartphone. Smartphones are fantastic if you want to create good quality social media content and imagery for a website or for small, printed pieces like flyers. 

If you want to pursue product photography as a hobby and learn how to balance shutter speed, aperture and ISO, or create high-quality images for large printed pieces, like signage or banners, then a DSLR is best for you.

Cameras and lenses do not have to be overly expensive, once you know what equipment you need to buy. Second-hand equipment can be purchased for much less and still be in

great condition. Just remember to read through the second-hand store listings for any details, including any faults, and always do your own research.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a camera, such as a DSLR, over a smartphone is that DSLR images are of a significantly higher resolution, so the camera imagery is of printable quality. This means that you can crop them down if you need and still retain the high picture quality, and you can print them out for advertising purposes without losing any detail.

How do you take your own beauty product photography?

We’d love to help you get started with some top tips and ideas, selecting the right equipment and planning, setting up and running your own photoshoots. It is definitely something you can learn to do.

So, we commissioned a professional photographer to create a class on product photography, which you can find when you become a member of our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

The aim of this class is to provide you with the knowledge, inspiration and confidence to take your own skincare product photographs to use across your business. 

Inside this class, students discover:

• How to take beautiful images.
• How to get started with what you have available right now.
• How to take your photos to the next level using more professional equipment.
• The difference between cameras vs smartphones.
• How to set up your camera and smartphone for your photoshoots.
• The importance of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and how to set these up for your photoshoots.
• How to plan for your photoshoot.
• How to set up your photoshoot, taking into consideration things like lights, composition, backgrounds and props.
• How to work with models.
• Editing photos, troubleshooting and resources for continued learning. 

You can find out more about this class as well as the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, along with all the other courses and classes held inside the Club, here. Of course, if you have any questions about the classes or the Club in general, please reach out to our customer service team using hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com. 

The post Beauty Product Photography: How to Create a Visually Appealing Brand with Product Photography appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

You don’t need to take multiple courses to know how to formulate safe, stable and effective natural and organic skincare products like a professional; or to launch a business selling your products.

Thousands of students around the world have already taken the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and a large number of brands have been launched in every corner of our beautiful planet because of it.

The Diploma covers a whole range of skincare formulation essentials, including:

• Formulating a complete range of natural and organic skincare products from oils, serums, balms, butters, serums, creams, lotions, gels, cleansers, exfoliators, toners and bath and shower products.
• Creating a beauty brand and complying with cosmetic regulations.

Discover what you’ll learn in our short video:

Everything you need to know about formulating natural and organic skincare is all here. 

What’s more, everything in the Diploma has been beautifully created by our expert, qualified cosmetic scientists and formulators, with many years’ professional experience and a passion for natural and organic beauty.

A professional cosmetic laboratory manager, a regulatory specialist, beauty business professionals and an aromatherapist have also given their experience and expert knowledge to the Diploma, so you always know you are in good hands. 

If you’d like to know more about our Cosmetic Scientists and Formulators, you can find out about them here.

Is the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation really an all-in-one course? 

Many other courses on the internet will cover just one area of expertise and ignore all the other areas needed to become a well-rounded, professional skincare formulator. With the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation everything is at your fingertips.

Do you want to create your own natural and organic skincare products, but have an interest in learning about the biology and anatomy of the skin to help you have a deeper understanding of the causes and solutions to skincare concerns?

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation covers this topic in great detail and the course is set up to help you apply the knowledge you gain in this area.

Do you want to learn how to formulate organic or vegan skincare products? Perhaps you would like to formulate sustainable or waterless skincare products? 

Your values are important and the course supports them. There are lessons throughout the course helping you to formulate your products according to your own value systems.

Do you feel like you need vast numbers of different ingredient textbooks or access to multiple other courses to learn about the wide range of ingredients used in natural skincare products?

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation’s Module 5 is the biggest module (a 600+ page ingredient workbook) and is dedicated to all the natural and organic ingredients and raw materials. You can find out more about in this article, The complete guide to natural skincare ingredients and raw materials!

What is more, we also help you by recommending supplies for ingredients and equipment from our vast experience in formulation.

You don’t need to take a different course to learn about natural preservation, for example, or the science of emulsification, or formulating surfactant-based natural and organic skincare products.

And you don’t need to look elsewhere to find the correct product-making methods. There are whole modules dedicated to making you a professional natural and organic skincare formulator.

Selling your own natural and organic skincare products? 

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation covers everything you need to know to launch a successful business, including good manufacturing practice, and cosmetic testing and regulations.

To make the most of this extensive, comprehensive curriculum, all we ask is that you bring with you your enthusiasm, dedication and passion for natural and organic beauty. 

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation will do the rest!

To find out more about this, read our article The Only Course You Need to Create Your Own Skincare Brand.

How will the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation help me in my formulation journey? 

In the 3rd Edition of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation you’ll be able to formulate your own complete range of natural and organic skincare products and tailor them to suit your needs, preferences and value systems, or those of your customers.

The course will help define your values, beliefs, vision and mission so you can infuse your products with these vital components and make them unique, personal to you or to captivate your target audience.

Follow our step-by-step design process to formulate products and select ingredients to achieve the result you or your customers desire. Learn the steps required to to take a product from concept through to a final product that is ready for sale, including cosmetic labeling and claims regulations.

The Diploma will support you in developing a product concept, writing a formula in the correct manner, evaluating your product’s sensory characteristics and submitting your product for the appropriate lab tests.

You will apply knowledge of how the skin functions, the physiological changes that occur as the skin ages and common characteristics of each skin type to formulate products suited for oily, sensitive, dry, combination and aging skin and to address concerns such as hyperpigmentation.

You will be able to select ingredients and cosmetic raw materials appropriate for your formula with confidence, applying your knowledge of the functions, properties and benefits of a wide range of ingredients. 

The Diploma will help you set up a home lab with the appropriate equipment, adhere to good manufacturing practice, carry out key production process techniques and make different sized batches.

You will understand natural cosmetic preservation and put into place strategies to extend the shelf-life of your products and preserve your products effectively to ensure they stay in optimum condition.

You will be able to formulate and make a range of anhydrous oils, oil-based serums and self-emulsifying oils for the face, bath and body.

The course will help you formulate and make a range of gorgeous anhydrous, preservative-free balms and butters, including whipped body butters, lip balms, facial and body balms and salves, oleogels and cleansing balms.

You’ll be able to formulate and make a range of indulgent soaks, scrubs and polishes just like you would find in a high-end spa.

You will formulate and make a range of refreshing toners, spritzers and mists using delicate hydrosols and botanicals, as well as creating hydrating gels for the face and body with powerful humectants, and formulating face wash and body wash with natural surfactants.

The Diploma will explain the science of emulsification, describe the structure of an emulsion formula and help you apply your understanding of emulsification to successfully create emulsions and solve stability issues.

You will be able to formulate and make a wide range of creams and lotions for the face and body, from lighter body milks and lotions to richer creams and body butters.

Find out more about the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation 

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is our most comprehensive multimedia online course that teaches you the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation, enabling you to create your own professional quality natural and organic skincare products from scratch like a professional, either for yourself or sell!

To find out more, you can discover all the information about the course on the webpage here.

Sign up for the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and have access to a vast library of reliable and accurate information that you will refer to again and again!

You can download a copy of the prospectus here and on the course page here, you can register for a free trial.

You can either pay in full or by using our payment plan option. Whichever payment option you choose, you can get started immediately.

Free Guide

The Beginner's Guide to Formulating Natural Skincare Products (From scratch, like a professional!)

Start creating your own natural skincare products from scratch – rather than simply following recipes!

Learn how to formulate like a pro and discover our top tips for becoming a confident skincare formulator.

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Download this fabulous guide and you’ll learn:

• What formulating is and why you need to be doing it!
• The difference between following recipes and formulating your own products.
• Our step-by-step process to designing products people love.
• Four easy ways to personalize your skincare products.
• Choosing the right carrier oils for your beauty products.
• Plus, you’ll get our Safe Product Checklist: How to make sure the skincare products you make are safe and stable

The post The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation: A Complete and Comprehensive Curriculum appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

The growth of the natural and organic beauty market is the fastest growing section of the cosmetics industry and many people are turning away from conventional high street beauty brands in search of brands they can identify with, that conform to their values and that sell products that don’t contain harsh or undesirable ingredients.

There is a huge desire among a growing population for truly natural and organic cosmetics. But there is also a problem – many people are still finding it hard to find brands who sell products that fit the bill we’ve just described. There is a market for it.

So, that then begs the question. 

Why aren’t more natural beauty enthusiasts going for it? Why aren’t they heading off towards the sunset in search of their dream?

There are many reasons, but perhaps the biggest (and least spoken about) reason is down to mindset. With the right mindset, you can achieve anything!

Henry Ford had a very humble start to life and almost no education to write home, but he was hugely successful. He was quoted as saying, “If you think you can, or can’t, you are right”.

So, today we’re looking at creating the mindset of a successful business leader.

How do you create the mindset of a successful business leader?

Let’s take a look.

Be confident in yourself, your business and your products or services

Key to the mindset of a successful business leader is confidence in the product and/or service you are offering. 

Now of course it is possible to just ooze confidence no matter how good or bad your products are, but it is a lot better to be genuinely confident about the business and its products/services. If you are happy with your formulations and business ideas, you’ll be more confident in its potential and that will show in your branding, pricing, marketing and communication with the outside world.

In the case of natural beauty products, that means confidence in your formulations!

Everything starts from good product formulation. There is no substitute for a bad product or a substandard solution and in this article we’ll explain why that is the essential foundation of a great business selling natural skincare products.

If you want to start making your own natural skincare products to sell, you need to learn the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation. We teach our students how to formulate their own complete range of natural skincare products in our accredited, multimedia online Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

What’s interesting is that when you come to design your product like a professional, you are actually designing or explaining the foundation of your brand. The two go hand in hand – if you do it properly.

So, in our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, we teach students how to formulate their own products, as if they were doing it for their own brand! 

If that is something that interests you, then you’ll definitely want to take a look at the course and for more information on that topic, take a look at our article, The Only Course You Need to Create Your Own Skincare Brand.

If you want to make a success of your business, perfect your craft!

There are a lot of cosmetic products on the market and the number of people turning away from creating their own is growing rapidly, so if you want to make your own natural skincare products to sell, you need to make sure you are doing the simple things right. 

You need to find a way to learn the key things you need to know in order to ensure that you are doing it right and that your products are the best they can be. 

To help you with that, we’ve got:

6 Success Tips For Natural Beauty Entrepreneurs

1. Identify marginal gains

Using the philosophy of Sir Dave Brailsford, if you want to identify and maintain a competitive edge, you have to find marginal gains.

What does that mean for you as a formulator and budding beauty entrepreneur?

To work as a cosmetic scientist or formulator you need to have professional training, up to date knowledge and the practical skill to craft cosmetic products that are safe and stable and that pass cosmetic safety testing.

As a budding beauty entrepreneur, you might not need the same academic credentials or deep level of scientific understanding, but you definitely need to acquire the same level of cosmetic formulation proficiency and practical skill.

In addition to that, if other people are out there making and selling their own natural skincare products already, you need to do whatever you can to hone your skills, perfect your craft, build your knowledge and cultivate your expertise of natural skincare formulation. They are out there doing it, which means you should, too.

If you are not doing this or are not willing to put in the time and effort to do it, you run the risk of making the job significantly harder than it needs to be. 

We advise all of our students to spend time and put effort into upskilling and learning the professional craft of natural skincare formulation.

2. Find the difference that makes the difference

Tony Robbins tlks a lot about growth and success and one of his most famous philosophies is “find the difference that makes the difference”. 

This literally means you have to do whatever you can to find simple things, small changes, a few different things that, no matter how small, actually make a huge difference.

Often these differences are small but significant and right in front of our noses.

How might this apply to you as a formulator and budding beauty entrepreneur?

To become a successful beauty entrepreneur, making and selling your own natural skincare products, you have to 

• Perfect the art of making those products
• Package and label your products, not just according to cosmetic regulations but also with the image and branding you want your business to represent and that warrants the price you are selling your products for.
• Price them in a way that means they are both attractive for your customers and a match for your brand image. You’ll need to make sure you can make a profit too!
• Your brand image – design, logo, colors, font, strapline, values and mission – are all important facets of your brand. Your products should share the same messages and indeed convey those messages.
• Marketing and selling your products is also key…obviously.

You might look at this with a certain sort of dread with how much you need to know but really you shouldn’t. It’s a bit like learning to formulate your own products! It takes time. Some things you are good at and some things you aren’t but you learn to do your best and often that’s enough.

If you can find the difference that makes the difference to your dreams, goals and ambitions (as well as business growth), then you are on the right track.

The fast track to doing this is to upskill! 

Find experts to teach you and accurate instruction to follow. Seek qualified and respected industry sources who can teach you the right way to formulate your products.

3. Different is better than the best

In addition to Tony Robbins, there is the idea that well known business mentor Tara Gentile expresses where “Different is better than best”. 

Put simply, this means that you don’t have to strive to be the best but instead you should strive to be different and by default you will more likely be seen by others as the best.

What we’re saying here is to differentiate yourself from many homecrafters and DIY beauty enthusiasts who are following the wrong advice, incorrect information and falling for the same myths and misconceptions. 

Differentiate yourself from the crowd of people who are not using tried, tested and scientifically proven methods to make their beauty products.

Bring your DIY, artisan, homecrafter spirit, your enthusiasm and passion for natural beauty and match that with the professional methods that work and give you the results you seek.

If you are not making products the right way, following the correct guidelines, industry standards and abiding by cosmetic regulations, then you will find your task of making products to sell much more challenging than it needs to be.

You need to find a way to learn the essential things you need to do in order to take your brand and range of products to market. 

Find the little differences that make the difference, strive to be different and look for marginal gains.

4. Keep it simple

Advice for any budding skincare formulator and beauty entrepreneur is to keep things simple and build from there!

Most passionate beauty enthusiasts love playing with and exploring new ingredients and they love to experiment with lots of different product types. They also love tweaking their formulas. 

The practical aspect of this hobby is what gets everyone excited! It is the thing we love to do.

But if you want to bring a range of products to market, we encourage you to take the philosophy of keeping it simple. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

We see lots of beauty entrepreneurs get excited about their creations (rightly so!) and go to market with a huge range of glamorous sounding products. They want to appeal to everyone and they want a range of products to match that includes balms, butters, oils, serums, scrubs, toners, cleansers, masks, lotions and creams all with different ingredients and exotic sounding themes.

This is hugely exciting but also very expensive, hard to manage, complicated to manufacture and challenging to market… not to mention that your entire investment is spread across lots of products and that will significantly limit the impact you can have.

However, if you put all of your investment into a small ‘capsule range’ of the best crafted and most loved products that bring about a high profit margin, you are setting yourself up for success. 

Also, with a small capsule range of, for example, three products, all of your marketing is focused with simple, clear and consistent messages.

Start small, niche and unique, expand brand awareness and market exposure and go from there.

5. Think about the most important elements of your brand

Once you’ve perfected the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation and you’ve started to finalize your capsule range, you’ll already have a lot of the information you need to design your brand.

You’ll have defined your values and beliefs and you will have infused your products with that essence. You’ll already have much of the core ideas you need for your brand, your products and you (or your brand’s) reason for being. You’ll also know your target market and your ideal customer.

Now it is about defining your brand vision and mission, your brand purpose. Now it is about spending time designing the ethos, vision, mission, values and beliefs of your brand. 

What will your brand do, why does it exist, what problems does it solve, who will love to be associated with your brand and why? 

What else will your brand do to inspire, lead and make a difference to the world and the people who take part?

Students of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation learn all of this as they study the course and they then go on to apply their findings when it comes to formulating their products (in the later modules) and launching their brands.

You can take some inspiration from some brands created by students of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. Such as Merkaba Skincare, Indagare Beauty, Masters Natural Skincare, and Coco Salvaje.

6. Bring your brand to life with professional looking branding

This is where you need to recruit the right people to help you. This is where a professional photographer and a graphic designer come in. 

Don’t be put off by this and don’t be afraid to take this leap of faith. If you want to make your brand work and you want your products to sell, they need to look and sound just as good as the love, care, attention you’ve put into creating them.

Don’t waste money on bad graphics and amateur photos. 

Make an investment into properly presented and taken photos by hiring a photographer. This doesn’t need to cost the earth. It would be good to shop around and see who is out there, how much they cost and whether you could work with them.

Make an investment by finding and working with a good graphic designer – they will make your brand stand out and they are trained at being able to translate your vision, mission and values into something visually appealing… so your audience buys into it. 

You could also work with a web designer – they don’t have to be expensive either – to help you design a proper, professional and ‘on-brand’ website. 

The look and feel of your brand is just as important as your products and no matter what is inside the package… if it doesn’t look good or represent a visual match to the values you believe, less people will be inclined to buy into it. 

These three things – graphic design, photography and web design – don’t have to cost the earth… but if you have designed your products like a professional, you will have the basis for all of the core elements of your brand and you can then go to these people to help you to create the visual representation of your brand. 

If working with these types of professionals is a stretch too far for you right now… even more reason to get your formulating skills, ingredient knowledge, skin biology, vision, mission, values and beliefs sorted. Even more reason to perfect the art of safe, stable and effective product formulation. Even more reason to ensure you know exactly what you are doing, what’s right and wrong…

So where do you start?

With perfecting the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation!

This will ensure you become professional in your art and it will help you to make sure your products are unique, authentic, safe, stable and effective. This will also give you all of the core ideas, inspirations and information you need to create the foundation and essence of your brand.

Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation gives you the platform to do this and you’ll learn about:

• How to infuse your products with your personal meaning and values.
• How to design products customers love.
• How to write professional cosmetic formulas.
• A wide range of raw cosmetic ingredients, their properties, uses, benefits, characteristics and safety data as well as recommended usage rates. 
• Lab skills, equipment and packaging.
• The science of emulsification and preservation.
• Cosmetic regulations.
• How to formulate a complete range of natural skincare products.

This is a complete tuition that gives you the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to create a range of products that are unique, the best they can be, professionally crafted and authentic. 

By taking this instruction, you will be following the correct methods to create products that you know are safe, stable and effective.

Don’t make it up. Keep the DIY essence, belief and purpose, but match it with professional standards. 

Don’t fall for the same misconceptions and myths that are all over the internet. Don’t rely on out of date books. 

Don’t rely on people you don’t know who aren’t qualified to offer advice. Don’t rely on well meaning but inaccurate information from other passionate but misinformed people. 

Instead, put your investment in the right place, get proper, up to date instruction and learn from a team of experts.

You can download a copy of the prospectus here with more information on the course page here, where you can also register for a free trial.

How does our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation help you to build a brand from home?

You can find all of the information for the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation here, but to give you some information about how it will help you to design and launch your own brand, check out our articles “The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation: A Complete and Comprehensive Curriculum” and “The Only Course You Need To Create Your Own Skincare Brand”.

Free Guide

The Beginner's Guide to Formulating Natural Skincare Products (From scratch, like a professional!)

Start creating your own natural skincare products from scratch – rather than simply following recipes!

Learn how to formulate like a pro and discover our top tips for becoming a confident skincare formulator.

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Download this fabulous guide and you’ll learn:

• What formulating is and why you need to be doing it!
• The difference between following recipes and formulating your own products.
• Our step-by-step process to designing products people love.
• Four easy ways to personalize your skincare products.
• Choosing the right carrier oils for your beauty products.
• Plus, you’ll get our Safe Product Checklist: How to make sure the skincare products you make are safe and stable

The post 6 Success Tips For Natural Beauty Entrepreneurs: Creating the mindset of a successful business leader appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

There is a huge desire among a growing population for truly natural and organic cosmetics. But there is also a problem; many people are still finding it hard to find brands who sell products that fit the bill. There is a market for it.

Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is the right course if you want to create top quality skincare products from scratch like a professional without following other people’s recipes, for yourself, family or friends, or to sell and launch successful businesses.

In fact, we’ve designed this course specifically to enable passionate natural and organic beauty lovers to design their products as if they were creating them for their brand, whether real or imagined!

Everything in the Diploma has been beautifully created by:

• Expert, qualified scientists.
• Experienced, professional cosmetic formulators.
• A professional cosmetic laboratory manager.
• A regulatory specialist.
• Beauty business professionals.
• An aromatherapist. 
• With the help of professional skin experts, a publications manager, editor, graphic designer and copywriters.

All of their passion and expertise is available to each and every student of the Diploma. If you’d like to know more about our Cosmetic Scientists, you can find out more about them here.

So, if you are looking for a course to help you create your natural skincare products like the professionals so you can sell them and launch your own brand, our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is the perfect course to take. 

This accredited online course is our most comprehensive course taking you through the practice, art and science of designing your own products like a professional, either for yourself or to sell. This means you’ll learn to formulate like a professional and launch your own brand!

How the Diploma will help you to become a professional natural skincare formulator

Every module of the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is designed and crafted to enable you to learn every part of designing and creating your own skincare products.

Let’s take a look.

Module 1 – Your Values, Brand and Creating Unique Products

If you want to make products for yourself, exploring your needs, preferences and concerns is essential if you want to make perfectly tailored products. 

And if you want to start selling your products, rather than making a product and hoping someone will buy it, you need to go through a process of identifying who your ideal customer might be and what your target audience could be.

If you want to create a unique brand with meaning and value to you, a strong purpose and reason for being, you have to go through a process to define all of that – when designing your own unique products, you would do the same thing!

That way you can more easily and deliberately infuse your products (and your brand) with the things that mean the most to you. 

This also helps to make sure your products are the very best they can be.

Module 2 – Skincare Product Design Process and

Module 3 – Creating Professional Cosmetic Formulations

The process you go through to design your own products is similar to the process you’d go through when creating your own brand.

If you want to create professional quality products, you have to use and follow professional methods, whether you want to create them for yourself or to sell. 

These two modules in particular will help you to become professional in your approach.

Module 4 – Skin Anatomy and Physiology: Formulating for Different Skin Types and 

Module 5 – Cosmetic Ingredients and Raw Materials

If you want to be able to deliberately select ingredients to suit specific needs, concerns and preferences, you need to know:

• About a wide range of natural and organic skincare ingredients; their properties, benefits and uses as well as recommended usage rates.
• The structure and function of the skin, characteristics of different skin types and skin concerns.
• The different types of products you can make as well as their individual uses, benefits and features.

Modules 4 and 5 cover these topics in great depth. 

To find out more about Module 4, we wrote an article all about it. It is called Learning skin anatomy & physiology: the key to formulating for different skin types and you can find it here.

Module 5 is a 600+ page textbook that covers the whole spectrum and a diverse range of ingredients and raw materials used in natural and organic cosmetics. You simply can’t get a textbook as comprehensive or all encompassing as this. Graduates continue to use this textbook as a resource for many years after completing their studies.

You can find out more about this in an article we wrote on that subject called The Complete Guide to Natural Skincare Ingredients and Raw Materials!

Module 6 – Lab Skills, Equipment and Packaging

Whether you want to make products for yourself or to sell, if you want to cultivate the art, skill and science of proper product formulation, you’ll need to make sure you:

• Have the right equipment that also helps you to scale up properly when you need or want to.
• Follow good manufacturing practice – bad practices lead to bad results, unstable and unsafe products as well as lots of wasted time and money.
• Use proper lab techniques and skills that mean you can easily weigh, heat, calibrate, sanitize, mix, homogenize, fill and calibrate.
• Know about the required pH of your products as well as test and adjust the pH.
• Calculate batch sizes correctly, especially when you scale up or down.
• Identify and use the right packaging for the right product.

You’ll learn about and be able to apply all of this in Module 6.

Module 7 – Preserving Skincare Products Naturally and

Module 12 – The Science of Emulsification

If you are going to make products for yourself or to sell, you need to make sure they are safe, stable and effective; you have to get the basics right. 

Science outweighs all rhetoric on this subject, otherwise you seriously risk making products that are not safe for use and that can actually cause more harm than you realize. 

Making safe and stable products is also not just about adding a preservative or an emulsifier. You may need to use multiple ingredients and follow a structured system for both preservation and emulsification.

For an introduction to creating a broad-spectrum preservative system, check out our article, ‘Creating a Broad-spectrum Preservative System for Natural Skincare Products’ here.

Of course, this article is very much an introduction to this topic. We teach you everything you need to know about creating stable emulsions using the science of emulsification and creating your own broad-spectrum preservative system – that works! – in these two modules and ensure it’s explained in a way that is easy to understand. Plus, you’ll find a range of natural preservatives and emulsifiers from which to choose.

Module 8 – Formulating Oils, Oil-based Serums and Self-emulsifying Oils, 

Module 9 – Formulating Butters and Balms, 

Module 10 – Formulating Spa-style Soaks, Scrubs and Polishes, 

Module 11 – Formulating Toners, Spritzers, Mists and Gels, and 

Module 13 – Formulating Creams and Lotions

These are the practical formulation modules where you’ll apply your knowledge to actually formulate your own complete range of natural and organic skincare products. This is where you’ll get hands on and make your own products, whether for yourself or to sell.

What students love about these modules is not just creating and perfecting their own formulations, but using the example formulations we’ve created for you in our in-house cosmetics lab. These example formulations will help you to develop your practical product making skills and give you a little bit of inspiration to what’s possible.

In addition to that, inside each module you’ll find formulation templates for each product type with guidelines about recommended usage rates for each ingredient type. These usage rates follow industry standards and guidelines, so you know you are formulating to the highest possible standards for each individual product you make. Graduates use these templates after their studies and in their businesses.

Module 14 Cosmetic Regulations and Business Essentials

It is your responsibility to sell products that are safe. With our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation you’ll have peace of mind that you are creating high-quality, safe products.

This topic is covered throughout the entire course and Module 14 places specific emphasis on ensuring you know what you need to do.

The most comprehensive online natural skincare course available

The third edition of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is without doubt, the most comprehensive online course available on this subject.

It takes you through every aspect of creating skincare products; from identifying your target audience/customer, defining your values and creating your brand, to formulating high-quality, professional safe, stable and effective natural skincare products using the right equipment, proper lab skills and having them tested to comply with cosmetic regulations.

The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is the course you need to help you to sell your skincare products and launch your brand.

By enrolling on the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, you’ll be laying the foundations and creating the very essence of your brand. This is where it all begins.

When it comes to enrolling, you can either pay in full or choose our payment plan option. Whichever option you choose, you can get started immediately!

To find out more, you can discover all the information about the course on the webpage here.

You might also like to take a look at the article 6 Success Tips For Natural Beauty Entrepreneurs: Creating the mindset of a successful business leader for some ideas and inspiration.

Free Guide

The Beginner's Guide to Formulating Natural Skincare Products (From scratch, like a professional!)

Start creating your own natural skincare products from scratch – rather than simply following recipes!

Learn how to formulate like a pro and discover our top tips for becoming a confident skincare formulator.

Exclusive for our newsletter subscribers. Sign up now.

Name

Email

Send

We look after your data in accordance with our privacy policy.

Download this fabulous guide and you’ll learn:

• What formulating is and why you need to be doing it!
• The difference between following recipes and formulating your own products.
• Our step-by-step process to designing products people love.
• Four easy ways to personalize your skincare products.
• Choosing the right carrier oils for your beauty products.
• Plus, you’ll get our Safe Product Checklist: How to make sure the skincare products you make are safe and stable

The post The Only Course You Need to Create Your Own Skincare Brand appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

In our guide to selling homemade cosmetics, we show you how to properly price your products. You’ll learn everything you need to know when making your skincare products to sell.

What is an RRP, and why does it matter?

When selling homemade cosmetics in a store or online shop, you make an agreement with a retailer. They buy your products upfront at an agreed wholesale price, stock them and then (hopefully) sell them at your recommended retail price (RRP).

The RRP is the price your customers will pay in a shop. It contains the retailer’s markup (the difference between the price they pay and the price they sell it for) and any taxes they must pay.

But what is the difference between a retailer’s margin or markup, and why is it so high?

What is the difference between ‘markup’ and ‘margin’?

Understanding markup and margin is essential when deciding how to price handmade items. Markups and margins are usually expressed as percentages and are ways that retailers calculate the money they make from buying your product at a wholesale price and selling it.

A markup is expressed as a percentage of the wholesale price, whereas a margin is expressed as a percentage of the RRP.

Most retailers will request a margin of between 40% and 65% before sales tax is added to make the RRP. Whilst this may appear your retailer is taking an awful lot of money for doing very little, remember that retailers are an essential part of your business.

Retailers drive traffic into a store or website, provide marketing, postage and packing (if online), aid with customer service and more. Retailers have high overheads, such as shop rental/leasing, staff, marketing, software and hardware, shop fitting and decorating, and more.

If you haven’t started working with retailers yet, you MUST find out what the potential margin will be, on average, in your country/territory. You need to find out what retailer margins to expect. 

Our Pricing Your Products for Profit by Using a Price Structure module will help you gain confidence when calculating profit.

Inside, you’ll find easy-to-follow formulas for calculating margin and markup, so that you know what to expect from retailers and where you stand in their pricing offers. It’s an essential part of making your own skincare products to sell.

To access this module, you will need to complete all previous modules of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club’s How to Price Your Cosmetic Products for Profit. 

Modules one, two and three go into detail about everything you need to know about pricing your natural and organic skincare products in a simple, easy-to-understand way. 

Module 4 brings everything together that you have learnt from the course enabling you to confidently calculate all the different prices and margins you need to make a profit on your natural and organic cosmetic brand.

You will learn about price structures and frameworks used in selling homemade cosmetics,  so that you can: 

• Set the right pricing for your items (retail and wholesale).
• Make a profit.
• Know what your maximum retailer margin is.
• Know what your marketing budget is.
• Understand where your pricing is off (if you are not making any money).

Sign up for the course, and you will have exclusive access to our Price Structure Calculation spreadsheet, which can help you to: 

1. Work forwards from a total product cost to decide on a reasonable RRP. 
2. Work backwards from a target RRP to see what target total product cost you want to achieve. 
3. Play with different retailer margins to see what the maximum is you can offer.

The Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club’s How to Price Your Cosmetic Products for Profit will support you throughout the rest of your entrepreneurial journey, helping you to make a profit on every sale.

If you are interested in becoming a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, click here for more information.

If you are already a member and you realize Pricing Your Products for Profit by Using a Price Structure is the answer to your pricing woes, click here and start the full How to Price Your Cosmetic Products for Profit course today!

The post How do I Calculate my Natural Cosmetic Beauty Brand Prices to Make a Profit? appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

Caro’s Creams – United Kingdom

Caroline Lee-Smith, from the UK, created Caro’s Creams after completing our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

Caro’s Creams’ star holiday product is the Large Rose Gift Set.

This Rose Gift Set contains four products:

• Natural Rose Soap (v) 75g – a gentle yet bubbly soap made with organic oils and butters.
• Rose Hand & Body Cream (v) 40g – to caress and indulge the senses with palmarosa and rose geranium essential oils. 
• Rose Clay and Salt Scrub (v) 40g – for face or body to remove dry skin, impurities and increase circulation.
• Rose Lip Balm (vegan or regular) 8g – a creamy lip balm that’s good for your lips, and smells lush.

Each product contains 100% natural ingredients, and is shipped in a fully compostable brown Kraft box and stuffing. 

MASTERS Natural Skincare – South Africa

Robyn Masters, from South Africa, completed our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and Advanced Certificate in High Performance Serum Formulation.

Producing natural products of the highest quality, packaged in recyclable and biodegradable materials, MASTERS Natural Skincare products are made with 100% natural ingredients for all skin types, all ethnic groups, genders, and all ages

MASTERS Natural Skincare’s favorite holiday product comes from the Marigold Natural Skincare Series. The Marigold Facial Serum is made from nine luxury carrier oils for extra skin nourishment, each with their own unique healing and protecting properties, such as enhanced skin conditioning, anti-aging, extra moisturizing, skin nourishment, and added skin elasticity. The Facial Serum is suitable for all skin types, ethnic groups, female and male; especially for skin that suffers from skin irritations like eczema and dry, flaky patches. 

Dare to be Natural – United Kingdom

Montreece Soares, from the UK, created Dare to be Natural after completing our Diploma of Natural Haircare Formulation.

Dare to be Natural’s B. Blessed Sealing Hair Butter is their holiday star gift, and contains a mixture of ingredients designed to help provide protection by sealing moisture in the hair (reducing dryness), strengthening hair shafts (reducing hair breakage) and promoting hair growth.

Shea butter, sweet almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, Vitamin E and essential oils have all been chosen as ingredients for their natural properties and wellbeing benefits, to help you on your journey to a head full of healthy hair and a healthy scalp to match!

Merkaba Skincare – Australia

Karen Hughes, from Australia, created Merkaba Skincare after studying our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

Merkaba Skincare’s star holiday product is the ‘Restore’ Anti-aging Facial Serum.

The facial serum incorporates high performance actives and botanical extracts, carefully selected to achieve optimal effectiveness. The finished product is a luxurious restorative serum enriched with essential fatty acids and antioxidants working synergistically to intensely repair and regenerate the skin. 

Organic sea buckthorn CO2 fruit extract, loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids, protects against oxidative damage by encouraging the development of new skin cells and reducing the appearance and onset of wrinkles. Rosehip seed oil has been found in clinical trials to be active in cell regeneration and an effective treatment for scar tissue and blemishes. And organic prickly pear seed oil and acai oils, both anti-aging warriors, help to strengthen and rebuild the skin’s natural protective barrier, assist with collagen production, and protect against free radical damage.

Skin Dewi – Indonesia

Dewi Kauw, from Indonesia, created Skin Dewi while completing our Diploma in Formulating with Natural Surfactants.

Skin Dewi’s Thyme Blemish Gel is their number one holiday gift product.

The blemish gel is a highly active but gentle blemish spot gel that treats blemishes and provides on-the-spot control. This powerful treatment contains phytosphingosine and German chamomile extract that soothes and calms acne flare-ups.

Skin Dewi claims it heals acne overnight, lightens acne scars, contains no alcohol, doesn’t dry your skin, reduces inflammation and redness, and is organic.

For a limited time the Thyme Blemish Gel is buy one get one free, and up to 59% off.

theBeauvoir – Belgium

Farida O’Seery, from Belgium, created theBeauvoir after completing our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

theBeauvoir’s star product for the holidays is their ALICE Cleansing Oil.

ALICE is one of theBeauvoir’s clients’ favorites. It’s a lovely cleansing oil for those who have “entered the empire of the plus-fifty-year-olds”. It cleans deeply and cools skin, removes makeup, hydrates and moisturizes, nourishes and protects. The ingredients in ALICE do not only purify your skin, but restore your moisture balance and keep your skin balanced through their restoring effect. The essential oil of peppermint also cools the skin. ALICE nourishes and protects with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, E, Omega 6 and Omega 9 oils, medium chain fatty acids (in coconut and babassu oil), calendula, neem and aloe vera. Your skin is well protected against free radicals and its health is promoted.

Casa Mencarelli – United Kingdom

Lucia Mencarelli, from Italy, created Casa Mencarelli after completing our Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation and Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products.

Casa Mencarelli’s Green Clay and Lemon Mask & Scrub can be used as a cleanser, as a mask and as a scrub; it’s a 3 in 1 product! Good for all ages and suitable for all skin types, the natural anti-aging product protects, regenerates, stimulates and maintains healthy skin. It absorbs toxins and free radicals, leaving the skin silky, soft and elastic.

The scrub comes in powder form so is very versatile and it can be personalised to match your skin type. Lucia loves to activate it with fresh citrus fruit juice during the winter, and strawberry, tomato or watermelon juice during the summer.

Wild Beauty Wellness Bar + Apothecary – Canada

Diane Evdokimoff, from Canada, created Wild Beauty Wellness Bar + Apothecary once she completed our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation and Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation.

Wild Beauty Wellness Bar + Apothecary has chosen their Nourish Rose Quartz Infused Moisturizer as their fabulous holiday gift.

Formulated to address fine and deep lines, dull skin, dehydration, puffiness and skin discoloration, the moisturizer contains complex natural peptides to increase elasticity in the skin, moisturize, hydrate, stimulate natural collagen production, tighten while smoothing wrinkles, and firm skin for a revitalized and younger looking appearance.

Ronée Claire Organics – United States of America

Ronée McLaughlin, from the USA, studied our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

Made with whipped  butter, creamy coconut oil, and light-as-air moringa oil, Ronée Claire Organics’ Bedtime Body Butter makes preparing for sleep a luxurious affair – perfect for those dark holiday evenings. 

Their body butter is infused with lavender oil to relax the senses, and eucalyptus oil to open the airways for a wonderful night’s sleep. It is also certified organic. 

Cherish Bath and Body – United States of America

Rebekah Welch, from the USA, created Cherish Bath and Body after completing our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. 

Cherish Bath and Body’s Set of 9 Bath Bomb Box is the brand’s best-selling holiday item. 

This natural assortment of bath bombs comes in a luxury gift box and aims to relax the body, soothe sore muscles, relieve anxiety and moisturize the skin. They come in a variety of scents, including Citrus Bliss (energizing and fruity), Lavender Dream (relaxing and floral), Vanilla Cookie (sweet and calming) and Pomegranate Apple (crisp and delicious).

Ready to relax in a luxurious bath? If you love bath bombs this Bath Bomb Box may be just what you are looking for. Drop one Bath Bomb into your bath to enjoy the therapeutic scents as it dissolves and fizzes, adding moisturizing oils (such as organic sunflower and pumpkin seed oils) to your bathwater. 

If you sign up at cherishbathandbody.com/club you can look forward to an immediate 20% discount and be notified of any special offers.

Daily Comforts By Kristal – United States of America

For Kristal Provencher from Massachusetts, USA, nourishing the soul is every bit as important as nourishing our skin. Her Complete Daily Comfort by Kristal Set allows you to do just that!

Containing each of Kristal’s signature products, this set will enable you to “start and end your day with something beautiful, just like you.”

Included in the set are:

• Apricot and Lavender Cream Cleanser
• Tamarind Seed and Rose Toning Mist
• Amaranth Seed and Rosehip Facial Serum
• Lavender and Cocoa Daily Moisturizer

Already a trained esthetician, Kristal studied our Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products, which gave her the knowledge and confidence to start her business, Daily Comfort by Kristal. 

Free Online Organic Skincare Formulation Course

Fundamentals of Skincare Formulation

Learn the essentials of skincare formulation with our FREE course!

If you’re confused by all the misleading information out there, we’re here to guide you. Learn how to create natural and organic products confidently, using industry best practices, under the guidance of professional cosmetic scientists.

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What you’ll learn:

• Formulation Foundations: The basics of cosmetic chemistry and skincare formulation.
• Bodycare: Make a shea-butter-rich body moisturizer with our pro formula.
• Facial Skincare: Rejuvenate your skin with our two facial oil formulas.
• Creams & Lotions: Create shelf-stable moisturizers using our tried-and-tested formula.
• Natural Ingredients: Understand the key natural and organic ingredients used in formulations.

Exclusive for our newsletter subscribers. Sign up now and start formulating your own natural products today!

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The post Holiday Gift Guide 2021 appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.

This festive season we are delighted to recommend seven luxurious natural skincare products from inspirational students and graduates close to our heart.

We are incredibly proud to share with you these brands, from six different continents, all of which have been established by our students and graduates! 

These seven students once had a dream – to start their own beauty brand. Just look at them now! After studying with us, they went on to create successful natural skincare businesses, doing what they love. And they just so happen to be helping sustain our delicate planet, too!

We’re so proud of their creativity and achievements, and so impressed by their gorgeous, innovative products. 

Do YOU dream of starting your own natural skincare brand, too?

Let their success show what could be possible for YOU.

…In the meantime, check out their beautiful products in this Holiday Gift Guide – from anti-aging face serum, to luxurious body oil, they’ve got you covered!

Indagare Natural Beauty 

“Feed and nourish your skin with our botanical facial oils, packed full of nutrient-rich, synergistic ingredients.”

Founder: Tanya Joslin

Location: Australia, Australasia

Website: www.indagarebeauty.com

Indagare’s luxurious, non-toxic products are designed to deeply impart their youth-preserving nutrients, restoring health to the skin – naturally.

Indagare Natural Beauty was born from more than two decades of frustration with dealing with congested, hormonal skin — and an awakening to the effects that modern-day, unsustainable living practices are having on our bodies and the world. An investigative journey into both these issues became a consuming personal project and passion, culminating in the formal study of Natural Skincare, and finally finding a solution to troublesome skin.

Product highlights: Illumino Youth Serum and Signature Night Recovery Oil

Indagare’s two flagship luxury facial oils were recipients of the Editor’s Choice Award at the International 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Lightweight and incredibly potent, Illumino Youth Serum is created from certified organic prickly pear seed oil. Containing an impressive 18 luxurious and regenerative ingredients, Signature Night Recovery Oil works to ensure hydration, suppleness and glowing health.

MZN Bodycare  

“MZN offers natural skincare and body care products handmade in Saudi, formulated with carefully selected ingredients that benefit the skin in a natural way.”

Founder: Muzon Ashgar

Location: Saudi Arabia, Asia

Website: https://mznbodycare.com

MZN is a family-run, small-batch artisan producer located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. They are passionate about using natural and organic ingredients to create beautiful and effective skincare products. They care deeply about raising awareness of the natural alternatives to the dangerous compounds often present in commercial skincare products.

MZM Bodycare offers a variety of products for your skincare routine, and they also create natural products for men.  

Product highlight: LAVENDER Body Oil

MZN Bodycare’s Hydrating Body Oil is light and luxurious. It absorbs into the skin quickly and is rich with plant oils, such as date seed oil (very rich in antioxidants and vitamins), shea oil and prickly pear oil, which help to tone and firm the skin with intense hydration.

Kefyna Naturel

“Kefyna Naturel is a luxury natural skincare beauty company that formulates skincare products that are natural, organic and carefully handcrafted. We create products that are beneficial not only to your skin but to the natural world. Beauty to us is more than skin deep.”

Founder: Queen Daniel

Location: Nigeria, Africa

Website: http://kefynanaturel.com

Kefyna Naturel prides itself on its bespoke luxury skincare products. They are passionate advocates of a natural and organic lifestyle, who want to help and educate people to live healthier lives and protect their natural habitat. They believe beauty should be natural and not synthetic. They love nature and are passionate about preserving the ecosystem. Honest and transparent, they believe you have the right to know what goes into your product, so they formulate beautiful, bespoke, personal skincare products that are natural, organic, vegan and a hundred percent non-toxic. Kfyna Naturel ensures that they are chemical-free products to make your skin brighter, and stay beautiful and healthy.  

Product highlight: Facial Serum

Kefyna Naturel’s Facial Serum is specially formulated with naturally occurring ingredients, loaded with Vitamin C, extracted from naturally occurring plants. This helps to vitalize and rejuvenate your skin, exuding wellness and freshness as you have never seen before.

Blossom Floral Luxury

“Blossom seeks to be a natural alternative for skin care. We create hand-crafted products, using a knowledge of the botanical properties of plants and natural oils to extract the greatest benefits from them.”

Founder: Lida Farfan

Location: Peru, South America

Website: https://blossomperu.com

Blossom seeks to be a natural alternative for skincare. They create hand-crafted products, using a knowledge of the botanical properties of plants and natural oils to extract the greatest benefits from them. Products are produced in small batches, in order to ensure the freshness of their ingredients. None of their products are tested on animals.

Product Highlight: Botanical Anti-aging Serums Pack: Botanical B Hidra and Botanical C Glow

Botanical B Hidra is a hydrating serum formulated with botanical extracts such as centella asiatica extract and aloe vera, plus panthenol (promoter of cellular regeneration) and two molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. Botanical C Glow is an illuminating and humectant serum, with Vitamin C, and botanical extracts rich in pro-Vitamin A (achiote, carrot seed extracts).

La Petite Main

“Certified Vegan Skincare. Not only good for you, but good for the earth.”

Founder: Wymie

Location: Hong Kong, Asia

Website: https://lapetitemain.net

La Petite Main doesn’t use plastic at all. Instead, from their tools to the end of production they use beautiful amber glass, stylish aluminium containers and timber. Plus they offer a discount when people bring their washed empties to buy more products! They proudly say they have had over 100 bottles returned and reused. They keep the waste to a minimum. 

They believe their products do not only work well for your skin but they are also good for the environment. La Petite Main’s products are guaranteed not to contain any parabens, synthetics or other nasties. They are safe for you and your family, and they also do not cause any harm to the earth. 

Product Highlight: The Blue Floral Range, particularly the Blue Floral Healing Face Serum

This luxurious aqua-based serum is especially for oily and combination skin. It contains blue tansy, juniper berries, cedarwood and more to help balance, restore, moisturize and soothe stressed skin. Natural flower essential oil helps your skin to smell and feel lovely and you’ll quickly notice a visible difference to your skin.

Good Flower Farm

“Our skincare is made with natural, organic, and wildcrafted ingredients. Everything we create has been carefully crafted and tested over several years in production.”

Founder: Rachel Carpenter

Location: Tennessee, USA

Website: https://goodflowerfarm.com

At Good Flower Farm, they believe that plant-based products with zero added chemicals can work just as well, if not better, than high-end brands with hard-to-pronounce, unsafe ingredients. In addition, they grow organic herbs that are then used in their potent formulations to insure the highest quality, most vibrant plant potions possible.

They are deeply committed to being environmentally conscious and intentional to lessen their footprint – from the creation of products and the ingredients used to make them, to how they are packaged and shipped. 

Product Highlight: Magic Mushroom Moisture Cream

Good Flower Farm’s star product is especially good this time of year, with cold temperatures and harsh winds, since it is great for dry skin. This nourishing cream delivers the highest quality oils and butters – jojoba oil, shea butter, and evening primrose oil, filled with the plant properties of maitake and cordyceps mushrooms.

Their deodorants are also always top-sellers, and their lip balms make great stocking stuffers, too!

theBeauvoir

“Fifty-year-old skin no longer needs to maintain a futile romance with the chemical, synthetic smoothies from the anti-aging industry. It really needs the best now. That is theBeauvoir: rich compositions of strong plants and oils that have not been processed (refined) and therefore do their job.”

Founder: Farida O’Seerey

Location: Belgium, Europe

Website: https://www.thebeauvoir.com 

theBeauvoir believes women have “the right to age and claim their age”. The products made use whole and unrefined ingredients, full of vitamins, minerals and other goodies, and is a brand of natural and organic skincare for women over 50. Ingredients are chosen to keep the skin strong, soft, supple, comfortable and healthy. They include: organic and unrefined vegetable oils, butters and waxes, botanicals, bee products, vitamins, minerals and clay. The brand aims to teach women de-stressing, soothing care habits to support them through the next phase of life.

Product Highlight: SUSIE serum oil for the face

SUSIE contains, amongst other ingredients, frankincense and myrrh essential oils. The mystical and chemistry meet in these fragrant essential oils, and theBeauvoir believes this aspect should be the mandatory basis for any skincare product aimed at women. Sea buckthorn oil, rosehip oil and vitamins help provide nutrition for your skin and repair dry, damaged and aging skin. Apart from using it on just your face, it can also be used to help meditation at home or during yoga practices; simply place a few drops in a dish of hot water nearby where you exercise, and breathe in deeply. 

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• Formulation Foundations: The basics of cosmetic chemistry and skincare formulation.
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• Facial Skincare: Rejuvenate your skin with our two facial oil formulas.
• Creams & Lotions: Create shelf-stable moisturizers using our tried-and-tested formula.
• Natural Ingredients: Understand the key natural and organic ingredients used in formulations.

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When you’re ready to take your products to the next level, then you’ll want to start getting serious about the quality of the ingredients you’re choosing. But how can you tell whether your ingredients are high-quality or not? And what does high-quality even mean?

The Good, The Bad, and the… Questionable…

First of all, what is a high-quality ingredient?

While there are some general quality guidelines that apply across the board, for the most part, it depends on which type of ingredient you’re talking about. For essential oils, it means they are pure, without any additives like carrier oils, solvents, or synthetic aroma chemicals. For butters, it means they are made from properly harvested plant material, not damaged during processing, and stored properly to prevent oxidation. Overall, you’re looking for ingredients that are exactly what they say they are, created from the very best sources, well-labeled and easily-verified as safe.

So, where do you start? Rather than going in-depth on how to verify the quality of every single type of ingredient, here’s a quick guide to how to start reviewing ingredient and supplier quality like a professional formulator.

How to Find a Quality Cosmetic Ingredient Supplier

1. Firstly, who is the vendor of the raw material in question, and what do you know about them?

Where did you buy the raw material from? Who originally manufactured the raw material, or where was it sourced from? Does the manufacturer hold any pertinent certifications or memberships? For example, fair-trade certified, organic, vegan and so forth. What are those certifications? The more information you can find about the origin of the raw ingredient, the better.

Even if a company isn’t certified or a member of a specific organization, that doesn’t mean their raw materials are not safe, it just means you need to look more closely at each individual raw material.

Do you have a good recommendation from other industry professionals for this company? Again, it’s good to do your own research, but it’s also very useful to use the experience of other trusted professionals to help begin your search for the highest-quality ingredients.

Our courses include a comprehensive supplier list with hundreds of recommended suppliers from all over the world. We also have a shortened list of recommended suppliers available here. Our students’ discussion forums are also buzzing with requests and recommendations. We recommend only buying from well-established, specialist cosmetic raw material or essential oil suppliers, and being especially wary of materials sold on sites like ebay, Amazon and Etsy.

2. Next, what information does the vendor provide about the raw material?

Is the raw material itself certified, for example as organic? If so, by what organizations, and what do those certifications mean about the raw material quality? If it’s not, that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe, it may just mean that the company itself does not hold the certification, and therefore even if they’ve purchased their fair-trade shea butter, for example, from a distributor, they are not authorized to pass along those claims, even if the shea butter is still technically fair-trade.  

Is there a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) available for the raw material? In the European Union, MSDS may not be required for materials which are not considered dangerous. A supplier may not have them for shea butter, and this doesn’t mean it’s not a safe or high-quality product. But most suppliers do keep an MSDS on file for all ingredients.

Essential oils especially seem to be popping up on the market from all sorts of suppliers, but not all of them are of the highest quality. Is the manufacturer able to provide an International Fragrance Association (IFRA) certificate, or allergen certificate?

If you are going to be selling your products, you’ll need to keep a copy of the COA, MSDS, IFRA Certificate and/or Allergen report with your documentation. Some suppliers provide these documents as downloads, some require you to email them, and others will only provide for registered businesses. Others might make you pay for each document you need. None of this means the supplier isn’t legit, it just means that’s their policy, so check it out and ask!

Does the supplier provide guidance on how to use the raw material? Can they answer your questions about it? You’ll probably find it very helpful if they can. A supplier ought to provide information for how to appropriately use the product: Things like pH, temperature stability, solubility, and compatibility/incompatibility with other types of ingredients.

3. Is the raw material labelled properly?

Are the raw materials labelled with their proper INCI name? INCI stands for the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, and is a universal, worldwide system of ‘proper’ names for cosmetic ingredients based on the Latin or scientific name. The INCI name is required for labelling your finished product and to record in your documentation. It tells you precisely what the ingredient is, standardized across all products and manufacturers. If a material is labelled as something vague, like Emulsifying Wax, this can actually be many different things. An INCI name, on the other hand, will tell you exactly what it contains.

Do essential oils have their proper Latin name, or (if applicable) which part of the plant was used for distillation? Also, if the essential oils have several chemotypes, they should be written on the label, for example: Rosmarinus officinalis ct. Cineol: rosemary essential oil, chemotype cineole.

Does the product include best-before or best-after-opening dates on the label? Raw materials should have an expiration date noted on the label, either in the form of “best before” date or in the form of “period after opening.”

Also, in the European Union, materials considered dangerous ought to have specific pictograms on the label. If these are present, this means the supplier is serious and knows what they are doing.

Is a batch number clearly stated on the label? You’ll need this as part of your documentation if you sell your products.

How suitable is the packaging the raw material is sold in? We have bought oils before which had a hand written label attached to them. As soon as a trickle of oil ran down the side of the bottle, the label couldn’t be read clearly anymore! Information on labels should be indelible.

4. Does the product or company have any outrageous claims?

This is a bit of a tricker area, and in some ways, more subjective. Does the company make any extraordinary claims about their ingredients, or suggest that their ingredients can cure certain conditions or diseases with claims that are not verified? It’s worth it to be skeptical and stay safe.

Remember that things like essential oils should never be consumed or put on the skin undiluted, except when under the direction of a trained aromatherapist. Cosmetic ingredients should not be marketed as drugs or cures.
This is just an overview on some of the types of questions you should ask yourself, and more of an introduction to thinking like a formulator. Obviously, for each specific ingredient, there will be specific considerations, and that’s so much more than what just one article can hope to cover! Taking a more in-depth course will provide this information for you in greater detail, and for the most commonly-used ingredients. But overall, thinking with safety in mind will help you select higher-quality ingredients from better, more trustworthy sources, which will lead to better results!

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• Our step-by-step process to designing products people love.
• Four easy ways to personalize your skincare products.
• Choosing the right carrier oils for your beauty products.
• Plus, you’ll get our Safe Product Checklist: How to make sure the skincare products you make are safe and stable

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When you know that you want to formulate, make, and sell your own line of cosmetic or skin care products, it makes sense to find out how to do this and what is required!

However, one of the common misconceptions that new formulators have about qualifications and certifications is that it’s about certifying the formulator, rather than each individual product itself. We can understand why this might be confusing. In many fields, both inside and outside of the beauty and skincare industry, this is true; someone studies, attends courses, and passes their exams, and they are then licensed as a cosmetologist or beauty professional. But that isn’t how it works with product formulation.

The field of cosmetics is different to most other professions. While an aromatherapist can only practice aromatherapy with the correct qualifications or certifications, and a doctor needs certain qualifications in medicine to practice legally as a doctor, there are no requirements of this kind for people to formulate cosmetics. You can certainly acquire a degree in Cosmetic Chemistry, but this isn’t a prerequisite for formulating and selling cosmetics.

Depending on your local laws and regulations, a formulator must have each of his/her products tested and certified individually. There is currently no certification, accreditation, or qualification that allows a formulator to make and sell whatever he/she wishes! Not even a chemist with a degree in Cosmetic Chemistry can do this. They still need to have their products individually tested.

Why is this important? Well, for passionate skincare entrepreneurs, like yourself, it’s good news that you don’t need to head off to university to formulate your own cosmetic products. But it’s important to have all of your facts straight before you start rushing ahead to launch a product. You may have some experience formulating certain products, or modifying recipes to develop your first products, and want to sell them straight away. But unless they individually pass the relevant tests to show they are safe, you shouldn’t be selling them.

Product Testing: Mandatory, or Just a Good Idea?

As the person creating skincare products and making them available for sale, you are the person responsible for ensuring they are safe. How do you do this? Well, first, you need to formulate safe and stable products, and second, you should send them off for testing which gives you confirmation that they really do meet safety standards.

Every country has their own regulations and specific requirements for selling cosmetics and skin care products. Whatever the legal requirements are, the formulator remains the person responsible for making sure that what they are placing on the market is safe!

The FDA states, 

A manufacturer or distributor of a cosmetic is legally responsible for ensuring that a marketed product is safe when consumers use it according to the directions in the labeling, or in the customary or expected way. FDA can take action against the manufacturer of a cosmetic on the market, if we have reliable information to show that the cosmetic does not meet the legal requirement for safety.

If your products aren’t formulated with safety in mind, the best-case scenario is that they’ll spoil quickly, or don’t work the way you might’ve intended. Worse-case scenario? Your unsafe products could put your professional reputation on the line, and actually harm someone. (And we know you don’t want that!)

So it’s best to do it right!

How can School of Natural Skincare Help?

A degree in Cosmetic Science isn’t required to formulate and sell products, but it is still your responsibility to formulate safe products and where relevant, have them pass the safety tests. This is where we can help! Without heading off to university, we can teach you what you need to know to create safe, stable, and effective products which have a much better chance of complying with cosmetic regulations.

Because you are responsible for placing the very safest products on the market, you’ll want to know everything you need to know to formulate products which have the highest likelihood of passing those safety tests! You need to learn how to formulate like a professional—and that’s what we teach you to do in our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. Because the thing is, unless you’ve learned professional formulation skills from experts, you run the risk of making errors and selling products that aren’t safe, wasting time (and money!) on products that won’t pass testing. You don’t need to do it via trial and error, you need the skills you might not even know you don’t know.

While taking our course doesn’t automatically guarantee you’ll pass the testing the first time, it will give you the information and know-how to ensure you are so much more equipped to do that successfully, not to mention the confidence you’ll have from actually knowing how to create products from scratch like a professional—including knowing what you can and can’t do with ingredients, techniques, storage, labeling, and documentation.

And safety isn’t the only consideration—even though it’s a very important one, as you can tell! As the product creator, it’s your responsibility to make products which are effective, too—ones that will have the desired outcome for the customer, whether it’s soothing dry, sensitive skin or nourishing irritation. Safe products, plus healthy skin, equals happy and devoted customers!

One of the things our students tell us time and again is that our courses have given them confidence. It’s one of the top points of feedback we hear, and we’re so pleased. Whatever your starting level of experience or knowledge, you can always learn more, do better, and fill in the gaps with professional-quality formulating knowledge.

We believe that if you’re serious about formulating safely and making products you are proud to put your name on, then it’s worth doing it well and investing in your own skills. It’s true that if you have no knowledge of cosmetic chemistry, you certainly can hire someone to do it for you. But that costs money as well and you lose out on direct involvement in the creative process. If you decide to formulate without the help of a professional, and without the proper training, you are putting yourself as well as your customers at risk.

Investing in the proper training through a comprehensive course such as our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation will teach you how to formulate like a professional. Ultimately it’s your responsibility to make sure your products are safe, whether you’re legally bound by regulations or not. And beyond that, we’ll help you stamp your values and your creativity onto your brand. We will help you learn how to create products that are unique and innovative, products that allow your passion and personality to shine through.

So, while our courses don’t certify you to make and sell any product you like (no course or qualification enables you to do this!) they will help you gain the skills and knowledge you require to launch your brand. Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation will help you:

• Develop a unique brand centred around your values;
• Formulate safe, stable and effective products that cater to your ideal customers needs and desires;
• Give yourself the best chance of passing product testing, and peace of mind in what you are selling;
• Identify the Cosmetic Regulations that apply to you, and what to do to comply with them;
• Save time and money when you do things properly from the start;
• Have confidence you are doing things correctly;
• Feel like you’re supported by peers and fellow students, and have tutoring on-hand for all your questions;
• And avoid potential lawsuits.

We’re proud to have helped many students from all around the world realize their dream of establishing their own brand and selling their own skincare line. Our students have launched brands in every corner of the world including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Europe, Ireland, India and Saudi Arabia. Read about their inspiring stories and brands in our student success stories.

Free Guide

The Beginner's Guide to Formulating Natural Skincare Products (From scratch, like a professional!)

Start creating your own natural skincare products from scratch – rather than simply following recipes!

Learn how to formulate like a pro and discover our top tips for becoming a confident skincare formulator.

Exclusive for our newsletter subscribers. Sign up now.

Name

Email

Send

We look after your data in accordance with our privacy policy.

Download this fabulous guide and you’ll learn:

• What formulating is and why you need to be doing it!
• The difference between following recipes and formulating your own products.
• Our step-by-step process to designing products people love.
• Four easy ways to personalize your skincare products.
• Choosing the right carrier oils for your beauty products.
• Plus, you’ll get our Safe Product Checklist: How to make sure the skincare products you make are safe and stable

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The post Do Your Courses Certify Me to Make and Sell Skincare Products? What You Need to Know about Qualifications and Certifications appeared first on School of Natural Skincare.