SteriDose coordinates facial serum OEM/ODM projects through partner factories, covering formula development, packaging selection, filling and finished-pack supply. You can start with an existing formula, a reference product or an idea for a new serum. The first task is to decide how much development the product needs.
Start with the formula you have, or the one you want
Already have a formula? Tell us whether it is a laboratory sample, a formula currently in production or finished bulk that needs filling. Include the composition, preparation method and any stability or packaging work already completed. A formula transfer and a bulk-filling order involve different work, so make that distinction early.
Starting from a reference serum? Explain what you want to keep and what you want to change. Texture, fragrance, colour, application amount and the finish on skin give the development team more to work with than a claim such as “premium anti-ageing serum”. A sample can help describe the target; it does not promise an exact copy of another brand’s formula.
For a new concept, describe the customer and the place the serum will have in their routine. Hydration, brightening, soothing and firming are product directions represented in our partner materials. The ingredient choices and finished-product claims follow from the formulation work.
Suppliers use private label, OEM and ODM differently. Ask the quotation to state whether it covers an existing formula, changes to a base, custom formulation, or filling a formula you supply. Formula ownership, exclusivity and access to the manufacturing information belong in the agreement. Use our guide to choosing a skincare manufacturing model to compare these options and prepare a supplier enquiry.
Choose the pack while the serum is being developed
Routes a serum brief usually shortlists
Starting routes for a serum brief. None of these is promised as stock.
BFS single-dose
- One use, polymer unit
- Opening designed into the mold
Glass dropper
- Multi-use reservoir
- Familiar on a serum shelf
Glass ampoule
- Break-open neck
- Still a live filling route
For a single-use serum, a BFS unit or glass ampoule puts the opening and dose at the centre of the pack choice. A dropper or treatment pump offers repeated dispensing from one bottle. A dry serum with a companion liquid adds a mixing step; that route is covered in our freeze-dried serum OEM guide.
A thick sample that feels right in a dish may be awkward to dispense through a small opening. An oil-rich formula raises different packaging questions from a water-based gel. Use the intended container during development so the team can assess dispensing, contact materials, closure and appearance together. See our formula and packaging compatibility guide for the information that belongs in that assessment.
The BFS catalogue overview includes several 1.5 mL shapes and selected smaller and larger fills. A capacity caption is a starting reference. Bottle geometry, usable fill and the amount a customer can dispense still need to match the selected product.
Ask which kind of sample you are receiving
An attractive sample box can hide an important difference: the contents may demonstrate the formula, the container, or the complete product. Keep those purposes separate when you give feedback.
- Formula sample: use it to discuss colour, fragrance, texture and skin feel. A laboratory bottle may differ from the retail pack.
- Packaging sample: use it to assess shape, opening, size and presentation. An empty unit does not establish how the serum behaves inside it.
- Filled sample: assess the proposed formula in the proposed container, including dispensing and the agreed product checks.
- Packed sample: check the carton, unit count, insert and instructions as a customer will receive them.
Agree which samples are included in the project, what each is intended to establish and how revisions are handled. Record the sample version with your comments. “The second sample, with less fragrance and the wider opening ” is useful only if both teams can identify the same unit.
Decide what goes into the retail pack
For an ampoule set, specify the number of units, whether they remain connected in strips and how they sit in the carton. For a dropper bottle, include the closure, label or decoration, carton and any leaflet. These choices affect assembly and the components needed for the order.
A trial pack and a retail pack can use the same formula but need different unit counts and artwork. State whether your request covers filled units alone or the complete pack, including inserts and shipping cartons.
What determines the MOQ, cost and production schedule?
A serum quotation has several parts: formula work or bulk supply, the container and closure, filling, agreed checks, decoration and final packing. Custom tooling adds a separate task. The quantity must also be clear: bottles, individual ampoules and retail sets are different order units.
We do not publish one MOQ or lead time for every serum. Those figures need a selected formula route, container, artwork and pack quantity. The MOQ and supplier comparison guide explains how to compare quotations on the same basis.
Send these details for a useful first quotation
- Formula status: idea, reference sample, existing formula or supplied bulk.
- Serum direction, preferred texture and any ingredients or fragrance requirements.
- Target fill and preferred container, with a photo if available.
- Destination market and intended sales channel.
- Expected quantity, clearly stated per unit or per retail set.
- Carton or kit contents, artwork status and target launch date.
Missing a detail? Mark it as open. Send your serum project with what you know so far; the next conversation can focus on the choices that affect samples and pricing.