Having worked in the beauty manufacturing industry for 3 years, I have seen far too many brands stumble when it comes to “choosing a lipstick manufacturer”. For example, one client collaborated with a small factory to produce matte lipsticks, which felt like rubbing sandpaper on the lips—only a few dozen units were sold within a month of launch. In contrast, another client switched to a professional lipstick manufacturer, and the same shade sold out three times in three months.
In fact, for brands, choosing the right lipstick manufacturer is not about “finding a factory that can simply produce the product”; it is about “finding a partner that can help you sell your products well and safeguard your brand reputation”. Today, using practical experience, I will guide you step by step to select a lipstick manufacturer that suits your brand.
I. First, clarify: For a brand, a lipstick manufacturer is of crucial significance
Many clients initially think, “Isn’t a lipstick just some paste in a case? You can just find any factory to make it.” It’s only after they run into problems that they realize: a lipstick manufacturer directly determines the “make-or-break line” of a brand’s products.
1.The texture of a product is a brand’s first impression.
When a consumer picks up a lipstick, their first reactions are “Is it smooth to apply?” and “Does it accentuate lip lines?”. A reliable lipstick manufacturer will create a silky and fine texture for the lipstick—even matte formulas won’t cling to lip lines. However, products from small factories may feel like “having a layer of wax smudged on the lips” because the ratio of wax to oil isn’t properly adjusted; customers will never buy them again after just one try.
I once helped a startup brand collaborate with a small factory to produce a bean paste-colored lipstick. Customer feedback noted, “It clings into lip lines and feels like old tree bark.” In the end, 10,000 units had to be cleared at a low price. Later, the brand switched to a professional lipstick manufacturer, which adjusted the raw material ratio—using carnauba wax paired with jojoba oil. The same bean paste color lipstick was now smooth and moisturizing to apply, selling over 5,000 units within a month of launch. You see, for the same brand and the same color shade, just because the lipstick manufacturer was different, the sales volume differed by 10 times.
2. Safety and Compliance Are the Bottom Line for a Brand’s Survival
Lipstick is a product that “comes into contact with the lips every day,” so the safety of its raw materials is more important than anything else. A reliable lipstick manufacturer will use food-grade waxes and EU-certified colorants, and can also provide test reports from authoritative institutions such as SGS and Pony Testing International. In contrast, small factories may use industrial waxes and prohibited colorants. Once excessive heavy metals are detected in their products, the brand will not only have to recall the products but may also be penalized by regulatory authorities, which directly ruins its market position.
Last year, one of our clients failed to closely monitor the raw materials used by their lipstick manufacturer. As a result, excessive lead content was detected in the products. The brand not only had to remove the products from all online platforms but also compensated consumers. In the end, the brand was almost driven out of business. This is not an alarmist talk. For a beauty brand, choosing a lipstick manufacturer that meets safety and compliance standards is equivalent to safeguarding its own “lifeline.”
3. Stable Quality Control Reduces After-Sales Troubles for Brands
Many brands are not afraid of “poor product sales”, but rather “too many after-sales issues ruining their reputation”. Some lipstick manufacturers make excellent samples, yet during mass production, the lipsticks either break in the middle or have significant color deviation. For instance, the sample is a true red, but the mass-produced ones lean orange; when customers receive such products, they request returns. The after-sales costs alone can drag down small brands.
Reliable lipstick manufacturers have a strict quality control process, closely monitoring every step from raw material preparation and filling to packaging. I once visited the workshop of a lipstick manufacturer—for every 100 lipsticks they filled, they randomly selected 1 to test its hardness and check for color deviation. Before delivery, they also inspected each lipstick one by one for burrs and air bubbles. Products made through such a process have an after-sales rate controlled within 1%, which is far more trouble-free than the 10% after-sales rate of small factories.
II. Choosing a Lipstick Manufacturer: 6 “Must-Check Points”
Choosing a lipstick manufacturer isn’t a decision based solely on “low quotes”; instead, you need to verify these 6 points one by one—each point holds key information that determines “whether a cooperation is feasible.”
1.First, check “raw material control”: Don’t let low-quality raw materials ruin the product
The core components of lipstick are “wax + oil + colorant”. A reliable lipstick manufacturer will clearly inform you of the specific raw materials used and can also provide raw material traceability reports—for example, whether the wax is carnauba wax (which ensures smooth application) or ordinary beeswax (which offers good cost-effectiveness); whether the oil is jojoba oil (which nourishes the lips) or mineral oil (which is cheap but may cause dryness); and whether the colorant complies with the EU EC 1223/2009 standard (ensuring safety and non-irritation).
If a lipstick manufacturer only vaguely claims, “We use high-quality raw materials” and cannot answer questions about specific brands or specifications, there is a high chance that something is wrong. I once helped a client investigate a factory that claimed to use “imported wax”. However, testing revealed that the wax was actually industrial mixed wax. The lipsticks produced not only broke easily but also had an unpleasant odor—you should never cooperate with such a lipstick manufacturer, no matter how low their quote is.
2. Clarify the “production process”: Details determine the product texture
With the same raw materials, different production processes can result in drastically different lipsticks. When choosing a lipstick manufacturer, you must ask about three key process aspects:
- Filling temperature: When pouring lipstick paste into molds, the temperature must be controlled between 58-62°C. If it is too high, the wax and oil will separate, leaving air bubbles on the surface of the paste; if it is too low, the molds will not be fully filled, causing “corner defects”. A client of mine once had lipsticks covered in small air bubbles—this was entirely due to the manufacturer’s poor control of filling temperature, and in the end, all products had to be reworked.
- Mold precision: High-quality molds ensure the edges of the lipstick paste are smooth and free of burrs. I once compared samples from two manufacturers: the one with inferior molds produced lipsticks with rough, jagged edges that irritated the lips during application; while the one with good molds had edges as smooth and flat as a mirror, providing a very comfortable user experience.
- Cooling time: After filling, the molds need to be cooled in a -5°C freezer for 15 minutes. Cooling too quickly will cause the paste to shrink and crack; cooling too slowly will reduce production capacity. Small factories may use ordinary refrigerators for cooling, leading to unstable temperatures—as a result, 3 out of 10 lipsticks they produce end up cracked. Such a process simply cannot meet a brand’s mass production needs.
3. Verify compliance certifications: Never choose a lipstick manufacturer without certifications, no matter how low their price is
Lipstick falls under the category of cosmetics, which is subject to strict regulation in every country. Whether you target the domestic market or export overseas, you must confirm that the lipstick manufacturer holds the corresponding certifications:
- Basic certifications: The manufacturer must possess GMPC certification and ISO 22716 production certification. These serve as the bottom line for ensuring standardized production.
- Export certifications: For the EU market, the manufacturer must be able to provide CE certification; for the U.S. market, their products must comply with FDA standards; and for the Chinese market, they must assist in completing cosmetic filing procedures.
One of the most regrettable cases I’ve seen is this: A client partnered with an uncertified lipstick manufacturer. Although the lipsticks were produced, they couldn’t be listed on e-commerce platforms. In the end, 100,000 lipsticks had to be sold at a low price, resulting in a loss of over one million yuan. This is why, when choosing a lipstick manufacturer, checking certifications should be your first step—any manufacturer without certifications should be rejected outright.
4. Monitor the quality control process: Avoid the issue of “good samples but poor mass-produced products”
Many lipstick manufacturers produce stunning samples, yet encounter countless issues during mass production. The core reason lies in inadequate quality control. Reliable lipstick manufacturers implement a highly detailed quality control process, which should include at least these 3 steps:
- Raw material testing: Upon the arrival of each batch of raw materials at the factory, purity is tested first (for example, the purity of wax must be ≥ 99%); any substandard materials are returned immediately.
- In-production sampling inspection: During the production process, 1 lipstick is randomly selected for testing (to check paste hardness and color deviation) for every 100 lipsticks filled, ensuring consistency across all batches.
- Full inspection before delivery: Before each lipstick leaves the factory, checks are conducted to see if there are burrs, air bubbles, or broken cores on the product, as well as if there are missing prints or misprints on the packaging.
I previously collaborated with a lipstick manufacturer where their quality control staff recorded the paste temperature 3 times per hour. They also sent samples to third-party institutions for testing at irregular intervals—only this level of quality control can ensure that mass-produced products are as good as the samples.
5. Evaluate customization capabilities: Ability to help you create “differentiated products”
Nowadays, the beauty market is so competitive that if your lipstick is identical to others, it will be hard to achieve good sales. At this point, you need to look at the customization capabilities of lipstick manufacturers: whether they can adjust formulas and create distinctive products according to your needs.
For example, if you want to make “moisturizing matte lipsticks”, a reliable lipstick manufacturer will adjust the ratio of wax to oil and add moisture-locking ingredients, ensuring the lipstick has a matte texture without drying out the lips. If you want to develop “temperature-sensitive color-changing lipsticks”, their R&D team can adjust the color-changing formula to achieve the effect of “cool-toned pink turning into warm-toned orange”.
Previously, I helped a client develop “shimmering lip gloss lipsticks” and contacted 3 lipstick manufacturers. The first two said they “could only use fixed formulas”, while the R&D team of the third manufacturer tried 8 times and finally created a product that “has shimmer without clinging to lip lines and offers long-lasting wear without smudging”. It quickly became a bestseller after being launched. For brands aiming to achieve differentiation, the customization capabilities of lipstick manufacturers are extremely important.
6. Discuss after-sales response: A reliable partner won’t shirk responsibility when problems arise
Problems are inevitable during cooperation—for instance, lipstick cores breaking or packaging being misprinted—and at such times, the after-sales attitude of the lipstick manufacturer is crucial. A reliable lipstick manufacturer will take the initiative to solve problems rather than make excuses and shirk responsibility.
Previously, one of our clients encountered an issue where the lipstick packaging had “#07” printed instead of the correct “Shade #02”. The collaborating lipstick manufacturer proposed a solution within 24 hours: they reprinted the packaging for free and also covered the round-trip shipping costs, ensuring the client didn’t spend an extra penny. However, another client had a different experience—their lipstick manufacturer delayed resolving the problem for half a month, which ultimately held up the product launch and caused them to miss the major promotion period. When choosing a lipstick manufacturer, you should not only look at “how well they perform when things go smoothly” but also, more importantly, “how responsible they are when problems occur”.
III. Final Step: Precisely match lipstick manufacturers based on brand needs
You don’t need to overthink choosing a lipstick manufacturer. The key is to first clarify your brand’s needs, then find a manufacturer that matches them accordingly.
1.Choose based on “brand positioning”
- Budget-friendly route (unit price ≤ $7): Select lipstick manufacturers with stable production capacity and qualified quality control. Focus on cost control—for example, those that can use cost-effective raw materials like beeswax + mineral oil. The minimum order quantity (MOQ) should not be too high (preferably 500-1000 units per order) to avoid inventory backlogs.
- Mid-to-high-end route (unit price: $7-$28): Opt for lipstick manufacturers capable of customizing formulas and using high-quality raw materials, such as carnauba wax + jojoba oil. They should be able to provide clinical test reports for claims like “non-irritating” and “6-hour long-wearing” to support your pricing strategy.
- Luxury route (unit price ≥ $28): Choose lipstick manufacturers with an R&D team and the ability to develop exclusive craftsmanship, such as manual filling and custom packaging texture. They should also offer raw material traceability (e.g., “pigments from CI in France, wax from the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil”) to highlight the high-end texture.
2. Choose Based on “Sales Scale”
- Start-up brands / Small-batch trial production (500-2,000 units): Look for lipstick manufacturers that support small-batch production. Avoid factories with a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of over 10,000 units—otherwise, unsold inventory will pile up if you can’t sell the products.
- Mature brands / Large-batch production (5,000+ units): Select lipstick manufacturers with a daily production capacity of over 100,000 units. This ensures timely restocks during major promotions and prevents missed sales opportunities due to stockouts.
Final Critical Reminder:Before choosing a lipstick manufacturer, always request samples! It’s best for you and your team to test-wear the lipstick for a week—experience its texture (whether it glides smoothly, whether it clings to lip lines), long-lasting performance (how much it fades after meals), and safety (whether it causes irritation). You can also send the product to a third-party institution to test the safety of its raw materials. After all, lipstick is a product customers use every day. Choosing the right lipstick manufacturer is essential for your brand to develop steadily and go far.
We highly recommend the lipstick manufacturer DESIFINE, which is very friendly to start-up brands and cross-border sellers. It offers a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of just 1,000 units, uses raw materials such as carnauba wax and EU-certified pigments, and maintains strict control over filling temperature and mold precision. Additionally, it can provide compliance documents including GMPC, CE, and FDA certifications, and boasts a fast after-sales response. This manufacturer helps brands control costs while avoiding production and compliance risks.
