Capabilities
Custom skincare formulation
How custom skincare formulation works at Celcode: ingredient strategy, texture, claims, sampling, stability testing, packaging, regulatory checks and production.
Custom formulation is the development of a skincare or haircare product from a brief rather than from an existing formula. Celcode's in-house chemists define the product's purpose and target customer, agree the business parameters, select the base and the actives, then develop, sample and test the formulation until a benchmark sample is approved and checked against regulatory requirements. The result is a formulation developed for your brand, ready for packaging and production in our Singapore facility.
What custom formulation means
A custom formulation starts with what the product needs to do and who it is for, not with an existing formula. Celcode’s chemists work from that brief to choose the base, the actives and the sensory profile, then develop and test the formula in our Singapore laboratory. The formulation is developed for your brand and, once the benchmark sample is approved, moves into packaging and manufacturing at the same site.
Why brands choose custom formulation
- Differentiation. A product that is not available to other brands, built around a claim, texture or ingredient story that belongs to you.
- Fit with a customer. A formulation designed for a specific skin concern, climate, treatment protocol or price point.
- Control. Ingredient choices, free-from requirements and attributes such as vegan-friendly or suitable for Halal consumers are decided at the start rather than inherited from a ready formula.
- Ownership. Formula ownership and exclusivity are agreed in the contract.
The development process
Custom formulation follows Celcode’s five-stage formulation process:
- Define the product USP. We identify the unique selling proposition from your brand story, or help you define one, and recommend ingredients for the goal.
- Set the business parameters. Budget and price point, actives, stability, texture, fragrance, cost cap and time to market.
- Formulate. The team identifies the base ingredients first, then the hero actives needed for the USP.
- Test and sample. Samples are delivered for feedback on texture, colour and fragrance and refined until the benchmark sample is agreed.
- Regulatory check. The final formulation is checked for stability, shelf life and compliance with the requirements of Singapore and your target markets.
Ingredient strategy
Celcode holds an inventory of active ingredients and sources additional materials from suppliers around the world as a brief requires. The strategy for a product usually combines:
- A base chosen for texture, delivery and stability (see textures and formats).
- Hero actives that carry the product’s purpose - for example a stabilised vitamin C system for brightening, a peptide for anti-ageing, a humectant matrix for hydration, or a sebum-regulating active for oily skin. The formulation solutions pages describe the actives we work with by concern.
- Supporting ingredients that stabilise the actives, preserve the product and give it the intended feel.
Supplier data on an active is a starting point, not a claim. Any efficacy statement that appears on your product is substantiated for that formulation before it is used.
Texture and sensory profile
Texture decides how a product feels, how it delivers actives and which packaging it needs. Mousse, lotion, gel, serum and cream bases each behave differently, and the choice is made with the target customer and the packaging in mind. Fragrance and colour are agreed during sampling, or the product is developed fragrance-free.
Target customer and claims
The brief defines the customer - for example a clinic patient after a procedure, a consumer in a humid climate, or a salon client between treatments - and the claims the product should support. Claims are checked against what the formulation can substantiate and against cosmetic claims rules in the target markets; therapeutic and medicinal claims are outside the scope of cosmetic products.
Sampling
Samples are produced in the laboratory for your evaluation. Feedback on texture, colour, fragrance and performance goes back to the chemist developing the formula, and the loop repeats until a benchmark sample is agreed and signed off. Sampling rounds are planned in the development plan.
Stability and testing
Formulations are tested for stability and shelf life before they are released for production. The testing page explains what stability testing checks and when it happens in the process. Tests needed to support specific claims are agreed per product.
Packaging compatibility
The primary packaging is checked for compatibility with the formulation, because a container can affect stability and preservation. Packaging is selected in parallel with formulation so the two are tested together. See packaging and branding.
Regulatory
Before production the formulation is checked against the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive’s ingredient and labelling requirements and the documentation for Singapore’s cosmetic product notification is prepared. Requirements for other target markets are checked at the same time. See regulatory support.
Commercial production
Once the benchmark sample is approved and the regulatory check is complete, the formulation is scaled to production batches and manufactured under the HSA GMP-certified quality system at our Geylang site, which covers production, packaging, labelling, quality control, release, storage and distribution.
Minimum order quantities and timelines
Minimum order quantities are confirmed per product in your proposal. They depend on the development route, the packaging and the batch size. Celcode sets its minimums for small-batch launches, lower than the 5,000-unit minimums that are common with offshore manufacturers.
Timelines are set out in the development plan for your project. A ready formulation with existing packaging moves fastest; a custom formulation adds sampling rounds and stability checks before production is scheduled.
How to start
Send a product brief and choose “Custom formulation” as the development route. Include the product type, the customer, the claims you have in mind and any ingredient preferences; our R&D team will advise on the route, the actives and the base before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does custom formulation take?
It depends on the product, the number of sampling rounds and the stability work required. A simple product with well-understood actives moves faster than a multi-active serum with a new texture. Your development plan sets out the stages and an expected schedule before work starts.
Who owns the formulation?
Ownership and exclusivity are agreed in the development contract before work starts. Raise this in your brief so the commercial terms are settled early.
Can I specify the ingredients?
Yes. You can specify actives, ingredient classes to avoid, and attributes such as vegan-friendly or sulfate-free. Celcode advises where a preference affects stability, texture or regulatory compliance, and proposes alternatives.
Can Celcode reformulate an existing product?
Yes. An existing product can be analysed and reformulated to change texture, remove an ingredient class, improve stability or meet a new market's requirements, using the same five-stage process.
What testing is done on a custom formulation?
Formulations are tested for stability and shelf life during development, and samples are refined with your feedback. Before production the formulation is checked against regulatory requirements for Singapore and your target markets. Additional tests, such as those needed to support specific claims, are agreed in the development plan.
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- Celcode Dermal Lab
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