Working On A Development Project With Colin's Cosmetic Consultancy

Working on a Development Project with CCC

 

CCC is an independent development lab that works with clients to provide them with the technical support they need to achieve their goals. Our aim is to give them what they need to succeed.  We hope that they do.  It gives us satisfaction in a job well done.  We like to see people doing well, not least because we hope they come back for more in the future.

 

Every client and every project is different.  But in essence, we aim to provide you with both a formulation that performs well and with everything you need from us to go forward with it.  This includes the formulation itself.  We retain no ownership of it and you are free to do with it whatever you wish.  We include specifications for the raw materials used and suggested suppliers for those raw materials.    We set specifications for the finished product itself and give the full details of how it should be manufactured.   If needed, we can also provide a report detailing the development process itself - this is something that might be needed for some pharma applications or may be of interest if you have your own lab or plan to set one up in the future.

 

We can also provide whatever regulatory support you need for your particular market whether it be an EU compliant CPSR, a full stability report, a claims support package or the contents for a chemistry and pharmacy dossier for a product license application.   

 

All in all, we can do everything you need allowing you to concentrate on the important task of building your business.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can we change the brief?   

 

We will be as pragmatic as possible about changes to the brief and can often accommodate modifications as the project progresses.  We do however reserve the right to decline changes that will cause significant alterations to the project plan, or to make charges where we incur extra costs.

 

Do I have to pay for raw materials used in the project?

 

We don’t charge for the basic materials that we use in the project.  Unusual or active materials might need to be purchased specifically for your needs.  You can supply these or we can get them and cross charge.  We have good contacts with raw material suppliers who are often willing to provide us with small quantities of material free of charge, so although we can’t promise this will be the case it is often not necessary to charge for raw materials on a project at all.

 

How many versions of the product can we evaluate?

 

We are very experienced cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulators and only take on jobs where we are confident that we can fulfil the brief relatively rapidly.  We would expect to meet your requirements well within 5 attempts.  If this for any reason isn’t possible we reserve the right to review the project.

 

We allow for sending samples using 2nd class post in the cost quoted, but reserve the right to cross charge for requests to use couriers or first class post.

How long does development take?

 

This varies enormously from one project to another for obvious reasons. Six weeks would be a typical timescale from agreeing a brief to finalising an agreed formulation and moving on to a stability study.

 

There are trade-offs in all projects, and what is known as the iron law of project management applies as much to cosmetic product development as it does to any other human activity.  In general, it is desirable that a project can be optimised for speed, quality or cost.  But it is only possible to optimise for two of them at once.  So you can have it fast and good, fast and cheap or good and cheap.  But you can’t have it fast, good and cheap at the same time.

 

Can I get a refund if I change my mind about a project?

 

Once we take on a project we allocate the resources to completing the project. We cannot necessarily re-allocate them easily or possibly at all. We understand that development work by its nature doesn’t always pan out as intended, and will do our best to accommodate changes in circumstances.  But we cannot guarantee to be able to do so.

 

What happens if I can’t keep in touch with you?

 

We understand that everyone has busy lives and priorities often shift. If we don’t hear from you for a period of time during a project we will keep the project live for as long as we can.  However, if 3 months hav e gone by with no contact from you we cannot keep the project running and will notify you that we will be closing it down.

 

Can You Manufacture The Product Once It Is Developed?

 

We are a development company and we can’t manufacture at the kinds of volumes or the kinds of prices that are commercially viable in the long run.  Lab samples produced during development will not usually made to cosmetic GMP and so cannot be sold to the public.  We can make batches to the required standard in some cases. (See Lab Scale Manufacture to cGMP.)

Do you provide artwork?

 

We can do, but we will simply contract it out to a suitable graphic artist. Most clients chose to do this aspect themselves.  Our expertise is in product development rather than design.

 

Can you help with finding manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and packaging?

 

Yes, we know this sector well and can point you in the right direction on good suppliers of goods and services.

 

Who owns the formulation?

 

You do.  

Can You Manufacture The Product Once It Is Developed/?

We are a development company and we can’t manufacture at the kinds of volumes or the kinds of prices that are commercially viable in the long run.  Lab samples produced during development will not usually made to cosmetic GMP and so cannot be sold to the public.  We can make batches to the required standard in some cases. (See Lab Scale Manufacture to cGMP.)

Can You Advise On Sourcing Full-Scale Production?

Yes.