INQUIRY GUIDELINES

When submitting a custom product inquiry, please provide as much of the following information as possible:

• Product type and product category
• Desired product function or key benefits
• Target market / destination country
• Estimated order quantity
• Preferred product size / fill volume
• Formula or ingredient requirements, if applicable
• Fragrance preferences, if applicable
• Packaging preferences, if applicable
• Reference products, images, or links, if available
• Brand name and brand concept, if available
• Any specific regulatory or market requirements

You do not need to have every detail finalized before contacting us. Our team can help clarify the applicable development requirements during the project discussion.

The more specific your product requirements are, the more accurately our R&D and development team can evaluate the project.

Product Requirements

Please let us know:

• Product type
• Desired texture or sensory experience
• Main product benefits
• Target skin / hair type, where applicable
• Desired ingredients or ingredient direction
• Any ingredients you specifically want to avoid

Formula Requirements

You may provide:

• An existing formula
• An ingredient list
• A reference product
• A desired ingredient concept
• A target efficacy or product positioning

A reference formula or ingredient list is used as a development reference and does not necessarily determine the final formula.

Our R&D team may adjust ingredient levels, supporting ingredients, and the overall formula structure to achieve better compatibility, stability, texture, performance, and product cost.

Packaging Requirements

Please provide your preferred:

• Container type
• Fill volume
• Box / carton requirements
• Label requirements
• Printing or finishing requirements
• Logo and artwork, if available

If you do not have a finalized packaging design, you may provide your brand name and brand concept so that the packaging direction can be discussed during the project.

Clients may provide a fragrance concept, preferred notes, or a desired scent structure.

However, a fragrance concept based on individual notes does not necessarily guarantee that every specified note will remain clearly identifiable in the final product.

Fragrance performance can be affected by the fragrance composition, dosage, product base, application format, and other formulation factors. Certain fragrance notes may become softer, change, or become less noticeable after being incorporated into a skincare or personal care formula.

OAKAURA LAB has access to a broad range of commonly used fragrance options and can provide available options for review.

• Custom fragrance development may be available depending on the project.
• Custom fragrance samples can be provided for testing before bulk production.
• Standard fragrance dosage is determined according to the applicable formulation requirements.
• A higher fragrance concentration may increase the product cost.
• Premium or perfumery-grade fragrance materials may also increase the product cost.
• Custom fragrance production may be subject to a separate MOQ.

Final fragrance performance should be evaluated through actual product sample testing rather than based solely on the individual fragrance notes or written description.

Clients may request specific active ingredients such as copper peptides, ceramides, PDRN, peptides, botanical extracts, or other functional ingredients.

Our R&D team evaluates active ingredients based on the overall formula rather than simply increasing the concentration of a single ingredient.

The appropriate concentration may depend on:

• Intended product benefits
• Ingredient compatibility
• Formula stability
• Product texture and sensory experience
• Ingredient functionality
• Target market requirements
• Overall formula balance
• Product cost

A higher percentage of an active ingredient does not necessarily result in a better-performing product.

For example, if a client requests a very high concentration of a high-value active ingredient, the formula cost may increase significantly and the final formulation may require additional development considerations.

• High concentrations of certain active ingredients may result in higher product costs.
• Pure active concentrates or highly concentrated formulas may be quoted separately from standard formula pricing.
• Pure oils and concentrated oil-based products may also have different pricing from standard formulations.
• The final concentration will be determined according to the applicable product development requirements and formula balance.

Clients are welcome to provide their desired ingredients or target efficacy. OAKAURA LAB's R&D team will evaluate the appropriate formulation approach.

OAKAURA LAB can develop products using natural, vegan, or organic-oriented ingredients where applicable.

However, a natural, vegan, or organic product does not necessarily mean that the finished formula can be developed without a preservation or stabilization system.

Products intended for international transportation, warehouse storage, retail distribution, and normal consumer use generally require appropriate formulation stability and microbial protection.

Depending on the product, the formulation may therefore include an appropriate preservation and stabilization system, including low levels of applicable preservatives where necessary.

• Natural or naturally derived ingredients may be selected according to the project requirements.
• Vegan-oriented formulations can be developed where applicable.
• Organic-oriented formulations may be developed using applicable ingredients, subject to the intended certification or market requirements.
• Preservation and stabilization requirements are evaluated according to the finished formula and intended use.
• Preservation-free formulas may have significantly different stability and shelf-life characteristics and should be evaluated through appropriate testing before commercial sale.

OAKAURA LAB generally does not recommend removing preservation or stabilization systems solely to achieve a “100% natural” positioning when the product is intended for commercial retail sale.

Clients may provide reference products, product photos, packaging images, ingredient lists, or other materials to communicate the desired product direction.

Reference materials help our team understand the requested:

• Texture
• Sensory experience
• Appearance
• Packaging style
• Ingredient direction
• Product positioning

A reference product is used as a development reference and does not necessarily mean that the final product will be identical to the reference product.

Where a client requests a similar product, OAKAURA LAB will evaluate the formulation and development requirements and develop the product according to the applicable project specifications.

Estimated order quantity and target market should be provided as early as possible because they may affect:

• Formula and ingredient sourcing
• Fragrance MOQ
• Packaging MOQ
• Printing requirements
• Production method
• Regulatory requirements
• Shipping method and estimated freight cost
• Overall product pricing

Our standard production MOQ is 2,000 units, while small-batch trial production may start from 200 units, depending on the product and production requirements.

Certain customized fragrances, ingredients, packaging components, and printing processes may require higher supplier MOQs.

Please refer to our Custom Order Policy for more information regarding order quantities and supplier minimums.

After receiving your inquiry, OAKAURA LAB will review the information provided and determine the appropriate next steps.

Our team will normally respond to new inquiries within 1–2 business days.

For inquiries requiring additional product, formula, packaging, or regulatory review, additional time may be required before a complete response or quotation can be provided.

Depending on the project, the process may include:

Inquiry → Project Review → Product / Formula Discussion → Quotation → Sample Development → Packaging / Artwork Confirmation → Production

The actual process may vary depending on the product, development requirements, order quantity, packaging, regulatory requirements, and project scope.

If additional information is required, our team may contact you before preparing a quotation or moving to the next stage.

For a detailed overview of our custom development process, please visit:

Customize Your Brand → Custom Order Process