How to start a skincare brand with a Korean OEM in about 10 weeks
The plan we use with first-time brands, week by week, with the decisions that are yours and the ones that are ours.
Before week 1: decide three things
- The product and the market. One hero product in one market beats five products in three markets on a first run. The market decides the tests and documents.
- Library or custom. A library concentrate reaches production in about ten weeks. A custom formula adds four to six weeks and a development fee.
- The quantity. 500 units is a careful start, 1,000 is the most common. Larger runs cost less per unit but tie up cash.
Week 1: brief and written quote
Answer three questions on our quote form or send a benchmark product. Within one business day you get a written quote that itemizes formula, container, decoration, tests, documents and freight. Compare it line by line, ask what is unclear, and approve the sample plan.
Weeks 2 and 3: samples
Lab samples arrive by courier. Test them on real skin for a week, share them with two or three people whose opinion you trust, and send feedback in one message. A second round usually gets the sign-off. Your approved sample becomes the reference for production.
Weeks 3 to 5: packaging and label
Choose a stock container, send your logo, approve dielines and proofs. Label copy is checked for the ingredient list, warnings and net quantity rules of your market. Custom decoration adds a few weeks, so decide early whether it matters for the first run.
Weeks 5 to 9: production
Bulk is made and tested, a pre-production sample is checked against your approved sample, then filling and sealing run on the GMP line. You pay the deposit before this starts and see progress photos and the batch number in your account.
Week 9: quality control and documents
Micro and stability results are reported. The document pack is assembled: certificate of analysis, safety data sheet, ingredient list, certificate of origin, invoice and packing list, plus the registrations your market needs.
Week 10 and after: export and delivery
Air freight for small runs takes five to ten days door to door, sea freight four to six weeks. Your importer or 3PL receives the goods with tracking and paperwork. Reorders skip sampling and artwork and ship in four to six weeks.