Careers in skincare formulation

So, you might be wondering ‘what happens after I’ve graduated? What next? What would I do with all this amazing new knowledge?!’ Well, we’ve got some great news for you! Graduating from the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation opens up some exciting career prospects, freeing your potential in the world of skincare formulation and manufacture!

The Diploma doesn’t just give you the knowledge to create safe, effective, and natural skincare products, it also gives you the skills you need to create products that customers will love, and a business that can grow and transform your whole career. From high-level business must-haves, to hands-on product creation, the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation has set our students up to develop the products – and the businesses – they’ve always dreamed of making!

1. Running your own beauty brand.
2. Contract manufacturing.
3. Private labeling.
4. White labeling.
5. Formulation consultancy.
6. Offering live training classes on skincare production and formulation.

In fact, our graduates and formulation tutors are already working in all of these areas!
Our formulation tutor Tina says:

In a couple of years I learned so much about formulation I got almost addicted to making new products!

With these formulation skills, Tina then went on to create her own brand and a line of products, developing new products according to her customers’ needs and wants, and also developing her brand vision.

Later in Tina’s career she was approached by a company to create a skincare line for them:

I was in charge of formulating and manufacturing. By then, I had very good knowledge about cosmetic formulating and I used it to advise on which products to include in the line… I was not completely free when it came to designing the products, but a real bonus was very little worry about finances, premises, retailers, marketing, and so on.

I’m interested in… running my own beauty brand

You’ve come to the right place! Once you have graduated from our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, you will be well on your way. The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is a comprehensive, start-to-finish course that covers everything you need to know to begin formulating a range of natural products and developing your business, so you can start creating straightaway. We cover everything from ingredients to skin science to cosmetic regulations to packaging and product safety under one umbrella course.

When you run your own beauty brand you are completely free in terms of creativity, which is one of the biggest benefits of this option.

You can have fun creating a brand your way and letting your creativity loose on product formulation, too! It’s likely in the beginning that you’ll do everything yourself – you formulate, manufacture and market the products, you manage supplies and stock, you deal with business finances and formalities, you need to find a place for storage and manufacturing. Even though it can be hard at times, it is a very rewarding option, chosen by many of our graduates. As your business evolves you can start to outsource some of this if you wish, for example the manufacturing or finances.

You can read some of our student success stories here: https://www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com/student-success-stories/

We’re so proud!

I’m interested in… contract manufacturing

In contract manufacturing, you are contracted by an external skincare company to manufacture products for them, to their specifications. They provide the formula, you are contracted to manufacture it. There should be no formulation involved. However, you may find you enter into a contract manufacturing agreement, then end up having to charge a formulation consultancy fee (see below), if the client hasn’t provided a stable formula.

There are large contract manufacturing labs which require a high minimum order, and this could be challenging for small businesses just starting out, but there are also smaller brands who would be looking for talented individuals just like you to manufacture for them.

Contract manufacturing: The company owns the formula (which they provide), you manufacture, and the product is sold under their brand.

I’m interested in… private labeling

In private labeling, you’re the brains behind the products rather than the face of the brand. You are contracted by an external skincare company to create a formulation for them, to their specifications. You formulate and manufacture the product exclusively for your client. You may even create a whole line of products for them. The public will probably never know they are your formulations. Some people in our community have made a successful living from this for many years. You could offer this service alongside your own brand, or on its own.

Private labeling: The company owns the formula (which you create), you manufacture, and the product is sold under their brand.

I’m interested in… white labeling

Once your skincare business is up and running, and you’ve made a name for yourself, you might find yourself being approached by another brand – one which doesn’t offer the same kinds of products as yours, and which would like to sell yours, under their label. This is called white labeling.

In white labeling, you develop your own formula, ensuring it is stable and fully tested – and you can then offer it to multiple retailers. Benefits of this option include not having to deal with marketing, branding or sales yourself. Challenges include having to create the products up front, and sometimes having to slightly modify formulations. You could offer this service alongside your own brand, or on its own.

White labeling: You own the formula (which you create), you manufacture, or the manufacturing is outsourced, and the product is sold under multiple brands.

I’m interested in… formulation consultancy

Formulation consultancy involves creating a formula for another brand, or advising on a brand’s existing formula: modifying it, making it suitable for organic certification, and so on. Manufacturing is not necessarily involved – just working on the formula. Your client would provide details of the type of product they want, their target customer, cost price, etc and you would create something that meets that description, or adjust their existing formula to meet their requirements.

Formulation consultancy: The company owns the formula (which you either create or adjust), they manufacture, and the product is sold under their brand.

I’m interested in… offering live training courses

Upon graduating from our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, you will have all the knowledge you’ll need to formulate and create your own products – the next stage will be teaching it to others in live workshops! Many of our students have decided to do just that, for example: Mollies Coddles, Maid in the Meadow, and Clann Botanicals Ireland. This is a great way to do something you love and earn excellent money while you’re at it! There is a huge interest in natural skincare and so many people wanting to learn. There is also a huge shortage of teachers, workshops and classes. Which is great news for you!