How to Sell Skincare Online

The beauty market is massive but saturated. Specificity wins.

**Niche options:** - Clean/natural skincare - Sensitive skin focus - Specific concerns (acne, aging, hyperpigmentation) - Ingredient-focused (vitamin C, retinol, etc.) - Demographic (men's, teen, mature skin) - Values-based (vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable)

**Questions to answer:** - What problem do you solve? - Who is your ideal customer? - Why would they choose you over established brands?

You have several paths to market.

**Option 1: Private label** - Pre-made formulas with your branding - Lowest cost and fastest to market - Limited differentiation - MOQs typically 100-500 units

**Option 2: Custom formulation** - Work with a contract manufacturer - Your unique formulas - Higher MOQs (500-2000+) - More control, more investment

**Option 3: Self-manufacturing** - Make products yourself - Highest control - Requires knowledge, equipment, compliance - Good for small-batch artisan products

**Finding partners:** - Private label: Alibaba, MakingCosmetics, contract labs - Custom: Cosmetic contract manufacturers - Ingredients: Lotioncrafter, BrambleBerry

Cosmetics are regulated. Get compliant from day one.

**FDA requirements:** - Proper labeling (ingredients, warnings, net weight) - Facility registration (if manufacturing) - No "drug claims" without approval - Good manufacturing practices

**Labeling requirements:** - Product identity - Net contents - Ingredient list (INCI names, descending order) - Distributor/manufacturer info - Warnings if applicable

**Claims to avoid:** - Medical claims ("cures acne") - Drug claims ("treats wrinkles") - Stick to cosmetic claims ("helps appearance of...")

**Get professional help:** - Consult a cosmetic regulatory expert - Consider cosmetic insurance - Document everything (formulas, testing, batch records)

Beauty is about emotion and aspiration.

**Brand elements:** - Name that conveys your positioning - Visual identity (clean = minimal, luxury = elegant) - Brand voice (clinical vs approachable) - Packaging that reflects brand (and protects product)

**Photography:** - Product shots (clean, professional) - Lifestyle/application shots - Before/after (be careful with claims) - Ingredient/texture shots

**Content strategy:** - Ingredient education - Routine building - Skin concern guides - Behind-the-scenes

Your platform needs to support beauty-specific needs.

**Essential features:** - Subscriptions (skincare is replenishable) - Product variants (sizes, shades) - Rich product descriptions - Review/testimonial display - Email marketing for retention

**Product page best practices:** - Full ingredient list - How to use instructions - Skin type recommendations - Results timeline expectations - User reviews prominently displayed

**Bundles and upsells:** - Routine bundles (cleanser + serum + moisturizer) - Sample sizes for discovery - Subscribe & save options

Beauty margins need to support marketing costs.

**Typical margins:** - Mass market: 40-50% gross margin - Prestige: 60-70% gross margin - Luxury: 70-80% gross margin

**Pricing strategy:** - Cost-plus: COGS × 4-5x for prestige - Competitive: Match or position vs competitors - Value-based: Price on perceived value

**Cost components:** - Product cost (formula + packaging) - Fulfillment & shipping - Marketing (often 30-50% of revenue) - Platform fees

**Don't undercharge:** - Beauty customers associate price with quality - Low prices can hurt credibility - Need margin to fund marketing

Beauty marketing is visual and community-driven.

**Essential channels:** - Instagram (still #1 for beauty) - TikTok (discovery, education, virality) - YouTube (reviews, tutorials) - Email (retention, education)

**What works:** - Before/after content (with disclaimers) - Ingredient deep-dives - Routine content - UGC and reviews - Influencer partnerships

**Growth strategies:** - Micro-influencer seeding - Affiliate program - PR for credibility - Sample programs - Referral program

**Paid advertising:** - Meta (Instagram/Facebook) for targeting - Google for search intent - TikTok for awareness - Budget 20-40% of revenue early on