Here at the School we have so enjoyed formulating makeup products during the creation of our Diploma in Formulating Natural Makeup and Advanced Color Cosmetics. It’s been a huge amount of fun and we think you’ll love formulating makeup, too!
Whether you are formulating for yourself, or for your beauty brand, there is so much to gain from expanding into makeup formulation.
In this article we look at:
- How formulating natural makeup is good for you.
- 10 ways that natural makeup is good for business.
- How you can start to formulate your own natural makeup and color cosmetics.
How formulating natural makeup is good for you
By learning how to formulate your own natural makeup, you’ll learn how to create a completely new range of natural products, have fun discovering some new ingredients and expand your formulation skills to learn how to work with ingredients to create these specialist products. It’s such a fun and creative activity, and the satisfaction for achieving the perfect product is amazing!
You can:
- Get really creative with lots of different variations, from crayons, to pencils and sticks, to creams, powders and more.
- Tailor your products to suit your skin type and tone.
- Create your desired color and finish.
By creating them for yourself, you can play and experiment, and really tailor your makeup and color cosmetics to suit you, rather than hoping to find something that works for you that someone else has made.
Of course, whenever you create your own products – no matter what type of product…
- You make the decisions.
- You are in control of your own creation.
- You can tailor your products to suit your specific needs and preferences.
That’s something that no shop bought product can do.
And of course, when it comes to being part of a business idea, formulating natural makeup and color cosmetics has lots to offer!
10 ways that natural makeup is good for business
- Grow your business with makeup products
Color cosmetics is a completely different category of cosmetic product, entirely separate from skincare and haircare. This creates some exciting opportunities for beauty brand owners.
A successful business is always on the lookout for ways to connect with and communicate with its audience and this new (and exciting) line of products provides you with a new way of doing exactly that. It’s a whole new topic that presents you with a reason to reach out to your potential customers with a new and different conversation.
Keeping existing customers and encouraging them to come back to buy more should be at the core of every sales and marketing strategy, and having a new and exciting line of products could be the very thing that’s required to make that possible. This not only gives you reason to reach out to them in your marketing, but it gives them (your customers) another opportunity to buy from you.
Identifying and attracting new customers is always at the forefront of a business owner’s mind and having that balance between keeping existing customers and finding new ones, is extremely important for any business to develop and grow. By creating a new line of natural makeup and color cosmetic products, you’ll expand into this conversation and attract new customers who are looking for these specific products, perhaps more than other products, eg skincare or haircare. They then in turn become a potential customer of your skincare or haircare products!
- Set up a natural color cosmetics brand
For those looking to expand their existing brand or launch a brand based around natural makeup and color cosmetics, there’s plenty of scope for this to be a success.
Natural makeup and color cosmetics products are surging in popularity, as are vegan and organic color cosmetics. The global natural cosmetic color market is forecasted to be worth US$ 68.46 billion by 2032, up from US$ 41.63 billion in 2022 (source: Future Market Insights). As increasing numbers of consumers switch to natural color cosmetics, there couldn’t be a better time to set up your own makeup brand!
- Additional income stream
If you are already selling skincare or haircare products then you can offer your customers a brand new set of products to meet their makeup needs, too. You’ll likely have most of the equipment and a lot of the raw materials you need already so there won’t be a big investment upfront to get started.
- Expand into a new market
Color cosmetics is a different market to skincare and haircare. So, as we’ve already mentioned, by establishing a makeup line you can tap into a brand new market and reach new customers.
- Attractive profit margins
Makeup products are sold in small sizes, typically 5-15 grams. Think of lipsticks, eye shadows, eyeliner, cream blush, etc; they are all sold in small amounts. This is one of the reasons that makeup products can have attractive profit margins; the cost of raw materials per product is minimal compared to the retail price. Makeup products are also high value products, with quality brands able to set decent retail prices.
So, if you want to make them for yourself, family and friends, you’ll be able to do so for a fraction of the price of your shop bought products. And if you want to make products to sell, there’s plenty of room to make a profit!
- One batch makes a lot of units
For many types of makeup it’s easy to manufacture large quantities of products at the same time as a small batch will fill a lot of products. For example 200g, (about 7 ounces) of tinted lip balm will make about 40 tinted lip balm products! This makes them time efficient (and therefore cost effective) products to make at home without the need for large scale manufacturing facilities.
- Opportunities for value-driven brands
You can use your personal values to guide the kind of makeup you formulate – natural, vegan, organic, clean – it’s all possible!
Just like with skincare and haircare products, consumers want to buy makeup that resonates with their personal values, so there are plenty of opportunities to create niche makeup products to fit their needs.
Paramount reports that “Many young people see the products they buy – whether natural body butters or bold lip colors – as an expression of self so they’re drawn to campaigns that align with their values”.
- Create a unique makeup brand
There is a lot of scope to have fun creating a truly unique makeup brand. In addition to using your values as a guide, consider the types of products you’ll make. For example, will you create makeup in bold, vibrant shades with fun branding and product names to match? Or will you create a sophisticated brand featuring products for a natural, understated, no-makeup makeup look?
- Social media platforms provide the perfect marketing channel
Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are perfect for promoting your makeup brand. YouTube has long provided the perfect home for makeup and beauty video tutorials, especially longer form content.
Insider reports that after a decade on Instagram and YouTube, the heart of the beauty community has moved to TikTok where opportunities abound for sharing makeup products and tutorials. TikTok’s bite-sized content format is fun and easy to consume, plus it’s easier to create this type of content as just an iPhone is required.
- Reach new demographics
Croda reports that “Formulators are now targeting the playful beauty experiences demanded by Gen Z consumers”. Makeup provides opportunities to reach a younger demographic, especially through using platforms like TikTok.
There are a wealth of trends to tap into from bold looks like graphic eyeliner and monochromatic makeup, to natural makeup, minimalist makeup and no-makeup makeup. e.l.f. Cosmetics is a great example of a brand tapping into Gen Z using TikTok.
How can you start to formulate your own professional standard natural makeup and color cosmetics?
So, if formulating natural makeup and color cosmetics is something you want to do for yourself, family and friends, or to sell, as part of your own beauty business, there are plenty of opportunities for you.
Our Diploma in Formulating Natural Makeup and Advanced Color Cosmetics will teach you how to formulate professional standard natural and organic makeup and color cosmetics, including lip products, eye products, foundation and concealer, blushers, bronzers and highlighters.
The course is online, meaning you can study from wherever you are in the world, at your own pace and in your own time. To find out more about this online course, just click here. Of course, please do email us on hello@schoolofnataralskincare.com with any questions you may have.
