Brand building
How to start a skincare brand in Singapore
Step-by-step guide to launching a skincare brand in Singapore: define the product, choose a development route, select a manufacturer, notify the HSA and launch.
Starting a skincare brand in Singapore takes seven steps: define the customer and the product concept; research the market and the competition; choose a development route (custom formulation or a ready formulation under private label); select a manufacturer with a certified quality system; meet the regulatory requirements, including notifying each product to the Health Sciences Authority before sale; decide packaging and branding; and plan the budget, timeline and launch. A manufacturer that handles formulation, testing, packaging and regulatory documentation in one place shortens the path.
Before you start: what the guide covers
This guide walks through the decisions and requirements involved in launching a skincare brand in Singapore, from concept to first production run. It reflects how a project runs at Celcode, a Singapore formulation and manufacturing company, and the regulatory framework that applies to every cosmetic product sold here. It is not legal advice; the Health Sciences Authority’s regulatory overview is the authoritative source and is updated from time to time.
Step 1: Define the customer and the product
Skincare is a crowded category, so the first decision is who the brand is for and what problem the first product solves for them. Write down:
- The customer: skin type, concern, age range, climate, budget, where they shop.
- The concept: the product type (cleanser, serum, moisturiser, mask), its purpose, and the one thing that makes it different.
- The values: attributes such as vegan-friendly, sulfate-free, fragrance-free, or suitable for Halal consumers, which shape formulation choices from the start.
- The price point: it constrains ingredients, packaging and order quantities.
A niche - a skin concern, a professional setting, a lifestyle position - makes every later decision easier than “skincare for everyone”.
Step 2: Research the market
Look at what exists in your niche in Singapore and the markets you plan to sell into: products, prices, claims, textures and packaging. Talk to people in your target group about their current routine and what is missing from it. Note the claims competitors make and how they substantiate them, because claims are regulated (Step 5).
Step 3: Choose a development route
There are three ways to get a product made under your brand:
| Route | What it is | Customisation | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private label (ready formulation) | An existing, tested formulation from the manufacturer’s range, adapted and sold under your brand | Fragrance, colour, texture within limits, packaging, branding | Fastest | First products, essentials, testing the market |
| Custom formulation (OEM) | A formulation developed from your brief by the manufacturer’s R&D team | High: actives, texture, attributes, claims | Slower: sampling rounds and stability testing | Hero products, differentiated brands |
| Own formula | You supply a formula or an existing product for the manufacturer to reproduce or adapt | Depends on the formula | Medium | Brands moving manufacturer or scaling a small-batch product |
Most first ranges mix routes: one custom hero product and ready-formulation essentials. The OEM vs ODM vs private label guide explains the terms in detail.
Step 4: Select a manufacturer
The manufacturer decides the quality, compliance and speed of your launch. Check:
- A certified quality system. In Singapore, the HSA runs a voluntary GMP certification scheme for cosmetic manufacturers. Ask for the certificate number, scope, premises and expiry, and verify it with the HSA. Celcode publishes its certificate on the certifications page.
- In-house formulation. A manufacturer with its own chemists can develop and adjust formulations quickly; one that outsources formulation adds a step to every revision.
- Testing. Ask what stability, shelf-life and packaging compatibility testing is done, and how claims are substantiated.
- Regulatory support. Ask what documentation the manufacturer provides for notification and for export markets.
- Minimum order quantities. Offshore manufacturers commonly set minimums around 5,000 units; local manufacturers that serve small brands set lower minimums. Get the figure per product in writing.
- Location. A local manufacturer allows in-person consultations, faster sampling rounds and shorter shipping. Singapore’s free trade agreements also help with export.
- Ownership. For custom formulations, agree who owns the formula and whether it is exclusive, before work starts.
The product development page shows what a project looks like stage by stage.
Step 5: Meet the regulatory requirements
Cosmetic products in Singapore are regulated by the Health Sciences Authority under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive. The essentials:
- Ingredients must comply with the Directive’s lists of prohibited and restricted substances and permitted colourants, preservatives and UV filters.
- Notification. Before a product is supplied, the company placing it on the market must notify the HSA. Notification is a declaration of compliance, not an approval.
- Product information file. The company keeps a file with the product’s formulation, safety assessment and supporting documents.
- Labelling. The label must carry the required particulars, including the ingredient list, contents, country of manufacture, batch identification, dates where required, directions and warnings, and the name and address of the responsible company.
- Claims must stay within what a cosmetic product may say (cleansing, perfuming, changing appearance, protecting, keeping in good condition) and must be supported. Therapeutic claims are not permitted.
A manufacturer that prepares the compliance check, ingredient listing, label review and notification documentation removes most of the friction here; see regulatory support. Other ASEAN markets apply the same Directive with their own notification systems; plan them early.
Step 6: Packaging and branding
Packaging is chosen with the formulation, because containers affect stability and preservation: a vitamin C serum needs protection from air and light; a cream in a jar needs a robust preservation system. Decide on primary packaging (the container), secondary packaging (cartons and inserts), and the label artwork, and have the label reviewed against the requirements in Step 5 before printing. The packaging and branding page covers the options.
Step 7: Budget, timeline and launch
What drives cost: the development route, the number of products, the actives, packaging complexity and order quantity per product. Ask for a proposal that separates development costs from unit costs.
What drives time: sampling rounds, stability testing, packaging lead times and notification. A ready formulation with existing packaging is fastest.
Launch checklist:
- Benchmark samples approved and stability results in hand
- Packaging compatibility confirmed; label artwork reviewed
- Notification submitted for each product and the product information file assembled
- First production run scheduled; delivery and storage arranged
- Sales channels, pricing and marketing claims aligned with the label
Common mistakes
- Choosing a manufacturer on price alone and discovering later that testing or documentation is not included.
- Fixing the packaging before the formulation, then finding they are incompatible.
- Writing marketing claims the product cannot substantiate or that fall outside cosmetic scope.
- Ordering large quantities of a first product before the market has responded.
- Treating notification as a formality to handle after launch.
Working with Celcode
Celcode develops custom and ready formulations in its Singapore laboratory and manufactures under an HSA GMP-certified quality system, with packaging and regulatory support in the same project. New brands can start with a product brief; the skincare brands page describes what to prepare.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to sell skincare in Singapore?
Cosmetic products do not need a licence, but each product must be notified to the Health Sciences Authority before it is supplied, and it must comply with the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive on ingredients, labelling and claims. The company placing the product on the market is responsible for the notification and keeps a product information file.
How much does it cost to start a skincare brand?
Costs depend on the development route (custom formulation costs more than a ready formulation), the number of products, packaging choices, order quantities and marketing. A manufacturer's proposal sets out development and unit costs for your specific products; there is no reliable generic figure.
Do I need a formula or a chemist?
No. A manufacturer with in-house R&D develops the formulation from your brief or adapts a ready formulation. You need a clear idea of the customer, the product and the market.
How long does it take to launch?
A ready formulation with existing packaging is fastest; a custom formulation adds sampling rounds and stability testing. Packaging lead times and notification also take time. Ask the manufacturer for a development plan with dates before you commit.
Sources
- Regulatory overview of cosmetic products, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore
- Good Manufacturing Practice certification for cosmetic products, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore
- Written by
- Celcode Dermal Lab
- Reviewed by
- Celcode Dermal Lab
- Published
- Updated
- Last expert review