Sample Evaluation & Development Assessment

Understand What Makes a Product Work

Have you discovered a skincare product with a texture, performance profile, or user experience that you'd like to recreate for your own brand?

Our Sample Evaluation & Development Service is designed for clinics, skincare brands, entrepreneurs, and product developers who want professional insight into an existing product and assistance developing a comparable formulation.

Using the sample and ingredient declaration provided, we will evaluate the product's characteristics, analyse its likely formulation architecture, and develop a comparable prototype based on our technical expertise and available raw materials.

What We Do

Our evaluation process may include:

• Visual assessment

• Texture and rheology evaluation

• Ingredient list analysis

• Formulation architecture assessment

• Identification of key functional ingredients

• Performance benchmarking

• Development of a comparable prototype formulation

• Sample batch production for evaluation

The goal is not simply to copy a product, but rather to understand the formulation strategy behind it and develop a product that delivers a similar user experience and performance profile.

Important Considerations

Reverse engineering is not an exact science.

While we strive to create the closest possible match, differences may occur due to:

• Proprietary ingredient technologies

• Protected manufacturing processes

• Trade-secret formulation techniques

• Restricted or unavailable raw materials

• Regional ingredient availability

• Regulatory requirements

• Raw material supplier variations

For these reasons, we cannot guarantee an exact duplication of any third-party product.

Why Development Costs May Exceed The Value Of The Sample

Clients are sometimes surprised that the cost of evaluating a small sample may significantly exceed the value or size of the sample provided.

A 5ml, 10ml or 30ml sample may require:

• Multiple raw material purchases

• Special ingredient sourcing

• Laboratory development work

• Prototype manufacturing

• Formula refinement

• Quality assessment

• Documentation and reporting

In addition, accurate formulation work requires the production of laboratory-scale batches that are substantially larger than the original sample to ensure precise weighing, manufacturing accuracy, and meaningful performance evaluation.

As a result, development costs are determined by the complexity of the project rather than the size or retail value of the sample submitted.

Suitable Projects

This service is ideal for:

• Entrepreneurs entering the skincare market

• Existing brands seeking alternative suppliers

• Clinics developing proprietary product ranges

• Product line extensions

• Benchmarking competitor products

• Performance-led product development

Deliverables

Depending on the project scope, deliverables may include:

• Technical assessment

• Formulation recommendations

• Prototype formulation development

• Evaluation samples

• Manufacturing recommendations

• Commercialisation guidance

Frequently Asked Question

Will I receive the formulation?

Ownership of any resulting formulation will depend on the scope of work agreed upon before development begins.

Projects based on our existing formulation platforms and development expertise generally remain the intellectual property of The Skin Consultancy

Where full custom formulation development and ownership transfer are specifically commissioned, ownership terms will be outlined in a separate development agreement.

Request A Quotation

Every project is unique.

To provide an accurate quotation, we require:

• A sample of the product

• Product photographs

• The ingredient declaration (INCI list)

• Details of the desired outcome

• Target market positioning

• Any specific performance objectives

Once reviewed, we will provide a tailored proposal outlining development scope, timelines, deliverables, and costs.

Please note: Sample evaluation and formulation development services do not include stability testing, compatibility testing, dermatologist testing, patch testing, or clinical efficacy testing unless specifically quoted and agreed upon. Additional testing services are available on request.