When launching a personal care brand, be it skincare, haircare, or hygiene, choosing the right manufacturing model is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. At AIC, we offer clear, structured models to ensure a perfect fit for every stage of your business, budget, and product vision.
For cosmetic chemists, product developers, salon distributors, and brand managers, understanding the details of these options will help you build smarter manufacturing partnerships and get your product to market efficiently.
Contract Manufacturing: True Custom Products
Contract manufacturing is the model where AIC produces items strictly according to the predefined specifications provided by the customer. This route is ideal for established brands or those with a truly unique product vision, as it provides the highest level of control and exclusivity.
Key Characteristics:
- Product Definition: The formula and packaging are typically defined and usually owned by the customer/client.
- Intellectual Property (IP): Customer IP is used (formulation, design, process).
- Development: Product development is not included in the manufacturing price; it is managed separately.
- Pricing: Based on batch size/Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ).
- Exclusivity: Full exclusivity for the customer.
White-Labelled Products: Ready-to-Brand Solutions
White-labelled products involve choosing from AIC’s catalogue of pre-formulated, ready-to-brand items. These products are available off the shelf without labels that can be purchased, repacked and branded afterwards by the customer. This is a fast, accessible option for starting or expanding an offering.
Key Characteristics:
- Product Availability: Products available off the shelf without labels.
- Speed to Market: Fastest route to market.
- Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): No MOQ; however, mandatory opening order values apply.
- Pricing: Standard pricing applies.
Hybrid Models AIC Offers: Blending Customisation and Efficiency
For brands that need something more differentiated than a standard white-label product, but don’t have sufficient IP (Fully formulated product) yet for a full custom contract, AIC offers two flexible hybrid models. These options provide a middle ground between speed, cost, and customisation.
Tailoring: Small Customisations
This model involves making minor, targeted changes to an existing white-label product to better suit the customer’s brand or application.
- Customisation Level: Small customisations of white-label products (simple raw material/packaging additions or substitutions where viable).
- Formulation: Simple raw material additions (eg, your differentiating hero ingredients) or substitutions (e.g., colour/fragrance) where viable.
- Packaging: Packing directly into customer-supplied packaging or labelling on behalf of a customer/client.
- Pricing: Based on the batch size quoted, MOQs apply.
- Exclusivity: Partial exclusivity may apply.
Unique: New Formulas with Custom Development
This option is for customers who require a new formula for the customer’s use case, where AIC manages the development. It provides the custom product benefit with the full support of Antiseptol’s Research and development team to help you design the product you want. Removing the main boundary of traditional contract manufacturing, which is the requirement of a functional formulation.
- Formula: New formula designed specifically for the customer’s use case (upfront fees may apply).
- Lead Times: Long lead times due to the iterative development and testing process.
- Fees: Upfront fees or deposits may apply for development work.
- Pricing: Based on batch size, MOQs apply.
- Exclusivity & Costs: Negotiated exclusivity and development costs.
Strategic Manufacturing Comparison
To summarise the core differences and help you decide, here is a comparison of AIC’s models:
| Feature | Contract Manufacturing | White-Labelled Products | Tailoring (Hybrid) | Unique (Hybrid) |
| Product Customisation | Full (Customer Defined) | None (Off the Shelf) | Small Customizations | Full (New Formula) |
| Formula Ownership | Typically Customer | AIC | AIC (with adjustments) | Negotiated |
| Development Cost | Customer Managed | Included in Price | Included in Price/MOQ | Negotiated Fees |
| Exclusivity | Full | None | Partial | Negotiated |
| Time to Market | Fast | Fastest | Moderate | Long |
At AIC, we are your one-stop shop for product development. Whether you’re scaling up a groundbreaking serum requiring contract manufacturing or ready to add your name to a proven product through white labelling, we are here to help.
Take the Next Step with AIC
Choosing the right manufacturing model is the final step in bringing your vision to life. At AIC, we provide a clear pathway for every business goal.
Let’s build something great together. Explore our services or get in touch today to start your journey.