How to Start a Skincare Brand from Scratch (Your First 10 Steps)

Ever walked through a Sephora or browsed an online beauty boutique and had that spark of an idea: "I could do this. I want to create my own brand"?

It's a powerful dream. But for most aspiring founders, that dream quickly collides with a wave of overwhelming questions. How do I make a formula? What are the legal rules? How much does it all cost?

The journey from a simple idea to a finished, shippable product is complex, but it's not magic. As an expert platform that helps launch new brands on a daily basis, we've guided countless founders through this exact process.

It's not one giant leap; it's a series of manageable steps. Here is your 10-step roadmap to starting a skincare brand from scratch.

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Step 1: Define Your Niche & Brand "Why"

Your first instinct might be to create a "great moisturizer for everyone." This is the number one mistake new founders make. The skincare market is one of the most competitive in the world. To succeed, you can't be for everyone. You have to be for someone.

Your niche is your "why." It's the unique gap in the market that only your brand can fill. Ask yourself:

• Who is my customer? (e.g., "Teens with hormonal acne," "Men over 40 concerned with anti-aging," "New moms looking for pregnancy-safe products")
• What is my philosophy? (e.g., "Science-backed clinical results," "All-natural and organic," "Waterless and sustainable," "Vegan and cruelty-free")
• What problem am I solving? (e.g., "Hyperpigmentation for skin of color," "A gentle retinol alternative for sensitive skin," "A simple 3-step routine for minimalists")

Your "why" will dictate every single decision you make, from ingredients and packaging to your price point and marketing.

Step 2: Solidify Your Brand Identity & Name

Once you know why you exist, you can define who you are. This is your brand identity—its soul. Before you ever speak to a chemist, you need a clear vision for:

• Brand Name: Is it catchy, professional, or playful? Most importantly, is it available? Check the U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) and see if the domain and social media handles are free.
• Logo & Visuals: What is your color palette? What fonts will you use?
• Brand Voice: How do you talk to your customers? Are you a wise expert, a fun best friend, or a calm, trusted authority?

This visual and tonal guide is essential for your website, social media, and, most immediately, your packaging design.

Step 3: Create a Realistic Business Plan & Budget

This is where the dream meets the spreadsheet. A "fuzzy" budget is a recipe for failure. You need to get specific and list out every potential line item. As a platform that manages this for founders, we know the costs they often forget.

Your budget should include:

• Business Formation & Legal Fees: LLC registration, trademark application, product liability insurance.
• Brand & Web Development: Logo design, website build.
• Product R&D: Formulation fees, sample shipping costs.
• Safety & Testing: Stability testing, microbial (PET) testing, and any clinical testing for claims.
• Initial Inventory: The cost of your "Minimum Order Quantity" (MOQ) for both your product and your packaging.
• Shipping & Fulfillment: Boxes, labels, and warehouse space (or a 3PL).
• Marketing: Your launch budget for ads, influencers, and PR.

We've seen founders launch with $5,000 (starting with one private-label product) and others with $50,000 (launching a full custom line). The number doesn't matter as much as knowing the number.

Step 4: Handle the Legal & Business Structure

This is the non-glamorous—but non-negotiable—step that protects you and your business. This is your brand's armor.

1. Form a Business Entity: For most founders, this is an LLC (Limited Liability Company). This legally separates you (the person) from your business, protecting your personal assets.
2. Get Product Liability Insurance: If your product allegedly causes a bad reaction, this insurance will cover you. No reputable manufacturer or retailer will work with you without it.
3. File for a Trademark: Once you are sure about your name, file for a trademark. This gives you legal ownership and stops copycats.

Step 5: Choose Your Formulation Path: Private Label vs. Custom

This is your single most important product decision. How will your product actually be created? You have two main paths.

Path A: Private Label (or White Label)

This is where you choose a pre-made, pre-tested formula from a manufacturer's catalog and simply put your brand's label on it.

Pros: Very fast (launch in weeks), much cheaper, low MOQs, and the formula is already proven to be stable and safe.

Cons: It's not unique—hundreds of other brands could be using the same base formula. You have no control over the ingredients and you do not own the formula.

Path B: Custom Formulation

This is where you work directly with a chemist or formulation lab (like the ones Genie partners with) to create a 100% unique formula from scratch based on your "why."

Pros: The product is 100% unique to you, you can hand-pick every ingredient, and you own the intellectual property (IP).

Cons: It takes much longer (3-12 months for R&D), and it's more expensive due to R&D fees and testing.

How to choose? If your priority is speed-to-market and testing an idea, start with private label. If your "why" is based on a unique ingredient story or a specific result, you must choose custom formulation.

Step 6: Find Your Manufacturing & Formulation Partner

This is less like a purchase and more like a partnership. You are trusting this partner with your product's quality and your brand's reputation. Whether you go private label or custom, you need to find a manufacturer that:

• Is GMP-Certified: "Good Manufacturing Practices" is the gold standard for quality control.
• Has MOQs That Fit Your Budget: "Minimum Order Quantity" is the smallest order they'll accept. Don't partner with a lab that has a 10,000-unit MOQ if your budget is for 1,000.
• Communicates Transparently: You are their partner, not their prisoner.

Ask them these questions: "What are your R&D and sampling processes?" "What are your average lead times?" and "Who handles stability and safety testing?"

Step 7: Source Your Packaging & Design Your Labels

Your packaging is your product's "first impression." It has two jobs:

1. Protect the Formula: Is your formula light-sensitive (needs an opaque bottle)? Is it prone to oxidation (needs an airless pump)? Your manufacturer can help you choose compatible packaging.
2. Sell the Product: This is where your brand identity from Step 2 comes to life.

Once you have your container, you must design your label, which is regulated by the FDA. To be compliant, your label must include:

• Product name
• Net weight or volume
• Your company name and address
• Country of origin
• A full ingredient list (in INCI format)
• "How to use" directions

Step 8: Run Safety, Stability & Compliance Testing

You've made your product. Now, you have to prove it's safe and stable. Do not, under any circumstances, skip this step. Any reputable lab or platform like Genie will require it.

• Stability Testing: Your product is put through an intensive 12-week process of being heated, frozen, and exposed to light. This ensures it won't separate, change color, or go bad on a shelf or in a hot bathroom.
• Microbial Testing (PET): A "Preservative Efficacy Test" deliberately introduces bacteria, mold, and yeast to your product to ensure its preservative system can fight them off and keep it safe for its entire shelf life.

Step 9: Build Your E-commerce Storefront

You have a tested, packaged product. Now you need a place to sell it. This is your 24/7/365 flagship store.

While you could sell on a marketplace, owning your own dot-com is essential for building a long-term brand. Platforms like Shopify are the industry standard for a reason. This is the central hub where you control your brand story, your customer relationships, and your pricing.

At Genie, our platform is built to integrate this step seamlessly. Your e-commerce store "talks" directly to your inventory and manufacturing, so when a customer clicks "buy," the entire fulfillment process is already in motion.

Step 10: Plan Your Go-to-Market & Launch Strategy

You're at the finish line. But a great product doesn't sell itself. You need a launch plan. Your goal is to get your first 100 customers. How will you do it?

• Pre-Launch: Build an email list and a social media following by teasing the product and sharing your "why."
• Launch: Announce your product to your list.
• Post-Launch: Engage with influencers, run targeted social media ads, and collect those all-important first reviews.

You're Ready to Begin

Starting a skincare brand is a complex, detailed journey, but as you can see, it's a journey of clear, defined steps. Every massive brand you admire started exactly where you are now: at Step 1, with an idea.

The journey from "idea" to "in-stock" is our specialty. If you're ready to start your formulation or build the e-commerce backbone for your brand, you don't have to do it alone.

Talk to a Genie expert today, and let's build your brand together.