White Label
Cosmetic Products
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White label cosmetics, ever heard of 'em?
When consulting all the different kinds of services cosmetics manufacturers can offer to brands and professionals, you must have probably run into the term white label cosmetics. Nope, never heard of that before? White label is the opposite concept of private label. Many brands, in fact, resort to this category to launch their products on the market.
On this page, you will find out everything about it:
• What's the definition of white label cosmetics
• All the pros and cons
• Private label VS white label
• Third party white label cosmetics
• HSA's service
Definition of white label cosmetic products
White label cosmetics are off-the-shelf products meant to be distributed to different retailers. Basically, different brands buy the same generic formula from a white label cosmetics manufacturer, apply their own label to it, and set different prices – even though the product is identical.
Historically, this term comes from the music industry: in order to release music, artists had to promote their records through radio stations. But, to avoid competitors or DJs knowing where the music came from, these promotional copies had to be anonymous, so they had “white labels”. Today the term has spread to many other fields.
Thus, a white label product has a blank label – same content, different packaging, and few customization options.
Pros and cons of white label cosmetics and packaging
Now that you know more about the definition and the history of white label cosmetic products, it's also important to understand the differences with private label solutions. See, white label offers many pros, but the cons are higher!
PROS
White label cosmetics are much faster to put on the market
Zero product development costs
They require smaller minimum order quantities
You can sell white label cosmetics as if they’re your own
That's mainly because white label cosmetics are easier to manufacture and require less time, but at the same time, they can't compete with the uniqueness and results your clientele can obtain with private label products.
CONS
White label cosmetics don’t have any kind of uniqueness
The choice of the formula and product line is limited
The formulation is under the white label manufacturer’s property
It’s almost impossible to change suppliers without changing the whole products
High unit costs can hinder growth
With white label, you have little control over the design
Professionals look for innovation and quality, not standardization
The brand’s image and reputation could be spoiled if customers were to find this out
Private label VS white label: what’s best for your brand
The choice of white label cosmetics and packaging is particularly suitable for small businesses that can’t create their own formulas. They can pick the products they like the most from a ready-made selection, which volume they want to purchase, and then also choose the label design – which unfortunately is still generic and only partially customizable.
On the contrary, this is not the best choice for big, established brands or professional retailers. In fact, all the formulas are still under the white label cosmetic manufacturer’s property. This could hinder the growth, uniqueness, and productivity of ambitious companies – since it would be hard to change suppliers or become independent.
Generally, a private label is always preferable. It allows endless formulas to choose from, much more customization possibilities both for the product and its design, and is better perceived by professionals as a safe, reliable option.
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Third party white label cosmetics
Now, you might think that private label and white label are two services that cannot be reconciled. And you wouldn't be that wrong. The thing is, even if they're different, many manufacturers are still able to offer both of them. That's how you can find third party private label and white label cosmetics in the same place!
Since white label requires fewer efforts in terms of development and customization, many third party manufacturers have the possibility to create these cosmetics internally, thus broadening their target audience.
If you're undecided about what type of products you wish to manufacture, this can be very helpful! But remember: even though white label is cheaper, it won't reach the same quality levels as third party private label cosmetics. So think about that...
HSA: no white label cosmetics in sight!
HSA is the top private label cosmetic manufacturer: high-quality products, custom formulations, and all-around brand care are guaranteed. Our private label services, of course, are unparalleled: no one does it better than us!
Thanks to 40 years of experience, quality cosmetic expertise, and an innovative approach on the market, our extraordinary lab has been developing thousands of product lines that respond to the needs of our customers.