Before you name your brand, before you brief a designer, before you post anything on Instagram with the words coming soon - you need to decide how your product is going to exist in the world.

There are three paths.

Private label means a manufacturer already has a formula. You put your name on it, maybe choose a scent, pick your packaging, and go. It's fast, it's affordable, and the MOQ (minimum order quantity - the minimum number of units you have to buy per run) is usually manageable. The catch? You own nothing. Another brand can be selling the exact same formula tomorrow. Private label is a legitimate starting point if you're testing a market or working with limited capital, but you need to be eyes-open about what it is.

Custom formulation means you're building something new - either with a cosmetic chemist directly or through a contract manufacturer who offers development services. You control the ingredients, the performance, the story. If your contract is written correctly, you own the intellectual property. It costs more, takes longer, and requires proper testing - but it's actually yours.

Bespoke private label sits in the middle. Some manufacturers will let you modify an existing base formula - adjust the actives, change the texture, tweak the fragrance profile. Faster than full custom, more ownership than straight off-the-shelf. Worth asking about if you're not ready to go full custom but want something that isn't completely generic.

The reason this decision matters so early? Everything downstream - your price point, your claims, your competitive positioning, your timeline - is shaped by it.

Most people want to launch a range. It feels more like a real brand. It's also one of the fastest ways to blow your budget and dilute your focus before you've proven anything.

A hero SKU strategy means you pick one product, do it exceptionally well, and build your reputation around it. You put your full formulation budget, packaging budget, and marketing budget into one thing instead of splitting it six ways across products that haven't been validated yet.

Some of the most respected brands in the industry launched with one product. It forces clarity - on who you're for, what you stand for, and what you're actually good at. You extend the range once you have proof the market wants what you're selling.

The counterargument is real: some categories need a minimum range to feel credible. A cleanser without a moisturiser can leave customers without a complete routine, which affects conversion. In that case, launching with two to three complementary products with a clear hero is the move. But a full range on day one? Almost always the wrong call.

This is where founders lose months they didn't budget for.

Your options broadly: Australian contract manufacturers (higher cost, shorter lead times, easier communication, lower MOQs in some cases, simpler regulatory alignment) or overseas - predominantly China, but Korea deserves its own mention.

Korean contract manufacturers are some of the most sophisticated in the skincare world. They're used to working with indie brands, the formulation innovation is genuinely ahead of most markets, and K-beauty has set global benchmarks for texture and efficacy. The challenges are communication and lead times - but if you're going custom and you have time to manage the relationship, it's worth exploring.

Before you commit to any manufacturer, get answers to these questions:

• Do you have GMP certification? (Good Manufacturing Practice - the minimum standard for cosmetic production. Non-negotiable.)
• Who owns the formula - you or the manufacturer?
• What are your MOQs and do they scale down for initial runs?
• What does stability testing cost and who manages it?
• What happens if a key ingredient gets discontinued?
• Can I audit the facility?

The IP question is the most important one. Some manufacturers will tell you the formula is yours while burying clauses in the contract that say otherwise. Have a lawyer read it. The cost of that review is nothing compared to what you'll spend if you discover the formula you've built your brand around belongs to someone else.

Stability testing determines whether your product stays safe, effective, and aesthetically acceptable over its intended shelf life. It's not optional. It's the thing that stands between your formula and a legal or regulatory problem down the line.

Accelerated stability testing simulates ageing through heat and humidity. It takes a minimum of three months. Real-time testing for a two-year shelf life claim takes two years - though you can launch on accelerated results with real-time testing running in parallel.

You also need compatibility testing between your formula and your packaging. This is where formulation and packaging decisions intersect, and why you can't make them completely independently. A vitamin C serum in the wrong container will oxidise. Certain actives react with specific materials. The packaging that looks best isn't always the packaging that keeps your formula stable - and finding that out after you've placed a 5,000-unit packaging order is an expensive lesson.

Here's where brands get into trouble.

Australia has a clear and enforced distinction between a cosmetic product and a therapeutic good. Cosmetics affect appearance. Therapeutic goods treat, prevent, or cure something. The line sounds obvious until you're writing your product copy and suddenly 'reduces the appearance of fine lines' feels too weak and 'repairs skin barrier' sounds better.

Claims substantiation matters. Every performance claim you make needs to be supportable - by your manufacturer's data, third-party testing, or clinical evidence. 'Brightening' is fine. 'Treats hyperpigmentation' crosses into therapeutic territory. 'Hydrating' is fine. 'Treats eczema' is not a cosmetic claim.

Getting this wrong doesn't just risk an ACCC or TGA compliance issue - it shapes how you can market, where you can sell, and what your packaging can say. Know the rules before you write a single word of copy.

On ingredients: if you're using something that isn't already on Australia's approved cosmetic ingredients list, it may require AICIS (the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme) assessment before it can be used commercially. That's cost and time you need to factor in.