The ten questions brands ask before the first purchase order
Short answers first, conditions after. These are what a buyer actually checks before shortlisting a factory — written so a person, or a search engine, can quote them accurately.
Are you a factory or a trading company?
A licensed factory in Huadu, Guangzhou. Cosmetics production licence 20240313, verifiable on the Guangdong MPA public register. Three automated filling lines, 100,000 units per day. Video audit any working day; on-site audit with two weeks' notice, under NDA if you prefer.
What is your real minimum order quantity?
1,000 pieces per SKU on an existing formula with a stock bottle or jar. Below that, line changeover and the 50 kg minimum batch stop making commercial sense for both sides. Custom moulds and bespoke cartons raise the floor — we quote the real number before you commit.
Do you have SPF and safety test reports?
Yes. Every formula ships with third-party testing from a CNAS-accredited lab under ILAC-MRA mutual recognition: SPF and UVA-PF in-vivo, microbiology, heavy metals, stability and preservative challenge. Reports are issued in your company's name and travel with the shipment.
Who owns the formula I develop with you?
You do, once the development fee is settled. We sign an NDA before the first brief, and the contract assigns formula, artwork and mould rights to your entity. We do not resell a client-owned formula, and we do not name your brand as a reference without written permission.
Do samples cost money, and how many revisions do I get?
Stock-formula samples are free; you cover the courier. A custom development carries a fee credited back in full against your first production order. Two rounds of adjustment sit inside the quotation. Sample lead time is 7–15 days depending on whether we match a benchmark or develop from your brief.
How do I know mass production will match the approved sample?
We seal a retention sample with you before the run, keep batch samples for three years, run first-piece approval and in-process checks, and ship a COA with every lot. If a batch falls outside the agreed specification, we rework or remake it — that clause is in the contract, not in a promise.
What is the lead time, and what if you miss my launch date?
25–45 days from the day all packaging lands at our dock, depending on filling and cartoning complexity. You get a dated schedule at PO and a weekly status line. If we miss a date agreed in writing, the contract carries a late-delivery penalty — ask us to include it.
Can you handle SFDA or ESMA registration for me?
No — registration must be filed by a licensed local entity, and we are not one. What we do is supply the complete technical file your agent needs: manufacturing licence, MSDS, COA, TDS, full INCI, stability data and free-sale letter, plus samples for testing. We flag what your agent will ask for before you appoint them.
What are your payment terms?
30% deposit with the PO, 70% against the bill of lading copy. L/C at sight is accepted above USD 30,000. Quotations are in USD and hold for 30 days; the price includes filling, QC, export documents and inland freight to the port, with moulds and certification quoted separately.
What happens if something goes wrong after delivery?
Raise it within seven days of arrival and we re-test against the retained sample. If the deviation is ours, we replace the affected units or credit them — your choice. One named project manager stays with your account from first sample to customs clearance.