Stevi, our founder and CEO, shared 3 key learnings in starting a successful bespoke skincare brand from her experience. Having been in the skincare manufacturing business for over 10 years, she started The Camel Soap Factory in 2012 in her garden shed and scaled the business to multiple markets.
If you identify a gap in the market, find your niche by defining your target audience and product-market fit. The beauty of the skincare business is that almost everyone uses skincare products. The Camel Soap Factory started successfully as a beautiful gift from the Middle East celebrating the local heritage and culture, and later we grew our commitment to natural products and sustainability.
Formulation is the soul of a skincare brand. …. A great idea is not enough for a great business. Your formulation needs as much care as your business plan. The right ingredients can make all the difference to your price point, and your appeal. There are plenty of great formulators out there and we formulate many products for our customers.
Find a trustworthy contract manufacturer
It’s no secret that China has tons of highly efficient manufacturers. However, Covid taught us that a reliable local contract manufacturer that listens to you, incorporates your idea and shares your passion might be a better option. We’ve been there, learnt it a hard way. That’s why we offer contract manufacturing in our Dubai Silicon Oasis factory to empower similar dreamers.
Not only do we offer handmade and milled soaps as our bread and butter, we also have the capabilities to produce solid haircare, balms and creams, room sprays and candles.
We know the pain of not being able to afford a large order when you want to test out the idea and market. Therefore, we can work around a small batch and a low minimum order quantity.
We are aware that small batches get little attention from the big manufacturer, because it’s a business of scale. But we treat everyone like family, offering expertise and help beyond the contract manufacturing.
We are transparent and proud of our sustainable manufacturing practices. You can join a factory tour to learn about our working conditions and procedures, and decide if we are a good fit for you business and values.
Starting your own skincare brand is never easy, but as long as you have the right idea, great formulation, determination and suitable manufacturing resources, it’s no longer just a dream up in the air.
