Did you know that your cosmetic product quality plays a crucial role in the overall success of your cosmetic business? It narrates the product’s capability to meet the consumer’s expectations and standards. Your product’s quality leads to customer retention and increases customer’s trust in your brand and makes them buy your products more.
Here is the glimpse of a quality cosmetic product;
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Must be a solution to consumer’s problem
If your cosmetic product can solve any skin problem of consumers then certainly consumers would adore it.
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Easy application
Consumers should not feel bewildered while using your product. A high-quality product should be easy to use.
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Clarity in design
The packaging of the product should be in a way that your customers would love to take it home. Get inspiration from the latest packaging trends. Besides, it should be timeless and universally appealing. Moreover, the colors, dimensions, fonts (if applicable) and other elements of design should be in alignment.
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Bespoke target audience
Your cosmetic product should be made according to the consumers’ needs and expectations. Your willingness to understand your consumers and modifying as per their needs will be a decisive factor in the success of your cosmetic business.
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Less customer complaints and returns – 5 Star Ratings
Several Market studies show that if you manufacture high quality products it will minimize customer complaints and increase repeat purchase which will ultimately help you to enhance and excel in your cosmetic business. The purchase of a cosmetic product depends on its ratings to a great extent as it increases the sales of your product.
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Social media and customer reviews
Social media has strengthened the connection between brand and consumer as it creates a compulsion to be accountable and aware on issues which affects your consumers.From inspirational social campaigns to a range of particular products available in store or online it provides all the information through social media.
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Aesthetics creates impression in the mind of consumers
How consumers feel after using your product will be memorable. The color, prints, shapes, texture, features; smell creates a long lasting impression of your product.
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Repeat customers to grow and make profit
- Concentrating on customer retention and encouraging repeat customers creates long-lasting, profitable relationships.
- Repeat customers spend more money
- Promote your business
- Businesses are built on customer retention
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Finding the right partner for product development
Your manufacturing partner will have a significant role in the success of your cosmetic business. It will always be wise to research a bit before approaching your partner to manufacture your cosmetic products.
Stability testing
The stability testing of cosmetic products ensures that the product meets the required physical, chemical and microbiological quality standard along with functionality and aesthetics in its shelf life. Notably, the development cycle of cosmetic products is relatively short. This is why each manufacturer should design their own stability testing program that is economically reasonable and efficiently fulfills the required testing. Moreover , the accelerated stability testing samples should be stored in elevated temperature and humidity conditions according to market demands.
There are three forms of stability tests: physical and chemical integrity tests which evaluate color, odor / fragrance, pH value, viscosity, texture, flow, emulsion stability; microbiological stability tests which evaluate the degree of contamination with bacteria, mold, and yeast; and packaging stability tests which evaluate the impact of packaging on the contained product.
Claims and product performance
Your product claims should be authentic, attractive to the consumers and based on reliable evidence. As it is going to describe the effects of the product. It is usually required for marketing of the product. Your product claims should have legal compliance , it should be easy to understand for a common user.
Product safety – metals, allergens, microbiology, formaldehyde etc.
Cosmetic products like creams, lotions , and fragrances can cause allergic reactions in some people. So it is important to ensure safety of your cosmetic products from metals, allergens,microbiology, formaldehyde and any harmful chemicals which could cause severe allergic reactions. Heavy metal contamination in cosmetic product is dangerous for consumers
Skin irritation
Cosmetic product may cause contact dermatitis that leads to rashes skin irritation,
Fragrance selection
Fragrance in your cosmetic products can also cause severe allergies like asthma and headache which can drift away your consumers from buying your cosmetic product. Fragrance creation is an integral part of cosmetic formulation as it combines an artistic vision with an understanding of fragrance material chemistries and their dynamics together.
Testing with focus groups
The most appropriate way to know your products and marketing strategies for your customers is to test your products on a focus group.
Compliance with Regulatory requirement in your target market
The regulatory compliance of quality, safety, efficacy and labeling requirements is important for your target audience. Your cosmetic products should meet all the regulatory requirements under the provision of Cosmetics Rules 2020. India is regulated under a system of inspection and licensing by the State Drug Control Department while the import of cosmetics is regulated under a system of registration by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO),
BIS standards for cosmetics
The Ninth Schedule to the Cosmetics Rules specifies the BIS Standards that are applicable to a total of 37 categories of cosmetics including skin powders, skin creams, hair oils, shampoos, soaps, lipsticks, foundations, etc. Further, if any new BIS standards are introduced for cosmetics; those would become mandatory after six months from the date of publication.If any of the standards specify labeling requirements, they must mandatorily be complied with. This requirement applies to both domestically manufactured and imported cosmetics.
To cap it all, with the right strategy you can ensure your product’s efficacy and fulfill the regulatory compliance to give overall strength to your product’s quality and authenticity.
Click here to read our next blog in this series on sampling and marketing in cosmetic business.
