Product Development
Explore our comprehensive selection of services that cater to a variety of needs, ensuring complete customer satisfaction.
General Consulting
Whether you are just starting to transition from a kitchen bench to a dedicated lab space (congrats, by the way!) or you are an established brand looking for a fresh technical perspective, this is where we sit down and look at the “big picture.” We cover everything from ingredient selection and regulatory compliance (yes, even the dry stuff) to scale-up logistics and manufacturing feasibility. I don’t just tell you what to do; I explain the underlying chemistry (like why that specific ester is better for your skin feel than a heavy triglyceride) so you actually understand your own brand inside and out. It’s about building a solid foundation so you don’t run into expensive headaches later down the track (sorry, rambling, but I’ve seen a lot of preventable headaches).
Troubleshooting
Is your emulsion separating faster than a bad relationship? Is your “clear” gel looking like a cloudy Queensland morning? (I know, I know… it’s frustrating!) Troubleshooting is my favourite kind of puzzle (I’m a nerd, I’ve accepted it). We dig into the “why” behind the failure (whether it’s a shear rate issue, an incompatible electrolyte load, or perhaps a pH-induced preservative crash) and find a practical fix. I’ll look at your process, your ingredient interactions, and your stability data (or lack thereof) to get your product back on its feet. Having said that, I’ll be honest with you: sometimes the “fix” involves a total rethink, but I’d rather tell you the truth than let you launch a failing product.
Reformulation
Sometimes a formula that worked five years ago just doesn’t cut it anymore (maybe an ingredient was discontinued, or perhaps you just want to move away from ethoxylated surfactants). Reformulation isn’t just about “swapping things out”; it’s about maintaining the physical integrity and the sensory profile while improving the INCI list. We look at modernising your preservative systems (moving to more “consumer-friendly” options), improving the sustainability of your raw materials, or simply making the formula more cost-effective to produce at scale without losing that luxury feel.
Product Development
So, you have a brilliant idea for a product that doesn’t exist yet (or you want to do it better than everyone else), and you need a roadmap to get there. Product Development is the full journey from a concept on a napkin to a shelf-ready formula. We start with the “why” (is it for barrier repair? or maybe a high-performance surfactant system?) and build the chassis of the product from scratch. I focus heavily on the synergy between ingredients, like how certain chelators can actually boost your preservative system (sorry, nerd moment), to ensure the final result is both efficacious and elegant. We don’t just “make a cream”; we engineer a specific sensory experience that meets your brand’s unique identity (and we make sure it actually stays together in the heat, which, being in Queensland, I’m very particular about).
Reverse Engineering
You’ve found a “benchmark” product that you absolutely adore, and you want to understand what makes it tick. Reverse engineering (or “dupe” development, as some call it) is about deconstructing that benchmark to identify the key emulsifiers, emollients, and actives that create that specific skin feel. It’s a bit of a chemistry puzzle (which I love!), involving some serious label-reading and bench-side trial and error. We look at the rheology (the flow behaviour) and the “break” on the skin to replicate (or improve upon!) the original. Just remember that this is not about stealing someone Use’; product; it’s about getting as close as possible while ensuring you aren’t infringing on any specific patents or proprietary blends.
Education Services
I think this is perhaps the most important part of what I do (I’ve got that background in education, so I can’t help myself). Whether you are a home formulator wanting to understand the “why” behind your emulsions or a brand owner needing to train your team on stability testing protocols. I offer tailored educational support. We can cover anything from basic surfactant chemistry to advanced microbial risk management (because nobody wants a fuzzy lotion, let’s be real). My goal is to empower you with the technical knowledge to make informed decisions in your own lab (or kitchen!), making the science of cosmetics feel accessible and, frankly, a bit less intimidating.
