How to Start a Skincare Brand in India: A Step-by-Step Guide
To start a skincare brand in India, you do not need your own factory. Most new brands work with a licensed third-party (private label) manufacturer that makes the products, while the brand owner handles the brand, marketing and sales. This guide walks through the steps in the order most founders follow them.
1. Decide who you are selling to
Pick one customer and one problem first, for example oily, acne-prone skin in their twenties, or dry skin in winter. A clear customer makes every later choice easier: which products, which ingredients, which price and which packaging.
2. Choose a small first range
Most brands launch with 3 to 5 products that work together, such as a cleanser, a serum, a moisturiser and a sunscreen. A small range keeps your first order affordable and lets you learn what sells before you add more.
3. Ready formula or custom formula?
- Ready formula (private label): a formula the manufacturer already makes. Fastest and lowest-cost route. You can usually adjust fragrance, colour and packaging.
- Custom formula: developed for your brand around your ingredients and claims. Takes longer and usually needs higher quantities.
Many brands start with ready formulas and move to custom formulas once they have sales. See white label vs private label and Ready to Market.
4. Understand minimum order quantity (MOQ)
Manufacturers set a minimum quantity per product. At Harrods Health, ready formulas start from 500 units per product. Your budget for the first order is roughly the unit cost multiplied by 500 for each product, plus packaging decoration and shipping. See MOQ & pricing for what drives unit cost.
5. Request samples and test them properly
Use each sample for at least two weeks. Check the texture, fragrance and how it feels on skin, and ask friends in your target group for honest feedback. Ask for changes before you approve.
6. Choose packaging that fits the formula and the price
Serums suit dropper or airless bottles, creams suit jars or airless pumps, and cleansers suit tubes or pump bottles. Airless and glass cost more than stock plastic, so match the pack to your retail price. Browse packaging.
7. Get your label right
Cosmetic labels in India must carry the product name, a full ingredient list, net quantity, batch number, manufacturing and expiry (or best before) details, the name and address of the manufacturer and its manufacturing licence number, and the name and address of the brand owner (often as "Marketed by"). Your manufacturer will help you check the label before printing. Avoid medical claims such as "cures acne"; cosmetics may only make cosmetic claims.
8. Protect your brand name
Search the trademark registry before you print anything, then file a trademark application for your brand name in Class 3 (cosmetics). Register a matching domain and social media handles at the same time.
9. Plan where you will sell
Most new brands start with their own website and Instagram, then add marketplaces such as Amazon, Nykaa or Flipkart, and later salons, pharmacies or retail. Each channel has its own listing and packaging requirements, so tell your manufacturer early.
10. Launch, learn and reorder
Track which products sell and why customers come back. Reorder your best sellers, improve or drop the rest, and add new products one at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to sell skincare in India?
The product must be made by a manufacturer that holds a cosmetic manufacturing licence. As the brand owner you also need the usual business registrations such as GST. Check your specific case with a regulatory adviser.
How many products should I launch with?
Three to five products that form a simple routine is a common, affordable start.
How long does it take to launch?
With ready formulas, the main time is spent on samples, packaging and label artwork. Custom formulas take longer because they are developed and checked from scratch.
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