Which Service Should I Choose?
Everything you need to know about our formulation services, from what’s included, what you receive, and which service is right for you. Clear scope. No grey areas. No surprises.
Theoretical vs. Physical: What’s the Difference?
The single most important distinction across our entire service range is whether a service is theoretical (paper-based) or physical (bench-based). Understanding this difference will immediately clarify which service category is right for your project.
Theoretical Services
Formulation Review, Reformulation, and General Consultancy are all paper-based. No samples are made. No lab work is conducted. You receive professional documentation built on scientific knowledge, ingredient data, and formulator expertise.
Best for: Cost-effective optimisation when you already have a formula and don’t need physical validation.
Physical Services
Custom Formulation Development and Reverse Engineering involve real bench work — ingredients are ordered, formulas are made, samples are shipped to you, and preliminary stability testing is conducted in our facility.
Best for: New product development where you need a manufacturing-ready, tested formula with physical samples.
Theoretical (Paper)
Physical (Bench)
The Core Comparison: Review vs. Reformulation vs. Development
These three services are the most commonly confused. Here is exactly what you get — and what you don’t — from each.
| Review (Theoretical) | Reformulation (Theoretical) | Custom Development (Physical) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written review of your formula | Yes | No | Yes (during development) |
| Formula document | No | Yes (theoretical) | Yes (bench-verified) |
| Physical samples | No | No | Yes (up to 3 rounds) |
| Lab work / bench testing | No | No | Yes |
| Preliminary stability testing | No | No | Yes (3-week) |
| Manufacturing method | Recommendations only | Yes (theoretical) | Yes (tested and verified) |
| Supplier recommendations | Where relevant | Where relevant | Yes |
| Tweaks included | N/A | No ($300/tweak) | Up to 3, then $300/tweak |
| Best for… | Quick check before you commit | Professional optimisation of an existing formula (no lab needed) | Full development, samples, and testing done for you |
Custom Formulation Development
From $2,950 (Standard) | From $3,450 (Cosmeceutical / Organic / SPF15) | + Sample Packaging & Shipping
This is the full hands-on development service. You provide the concept and brief; I take it from there — ordering ingredients, formulating at the bench, making physical samples, conducting preliminary stability testing, and delivering a complete formulation dossier with full IP ownership transferred to you on final payment.
What’s Included
- Formulation development from your brief or benchmark product
- Up to 3 rounds of physical samples (30–50 mL each)
- Complete formulation dossier (INCI, % w/w, manufacturing method)
- Preliminary 3-week stability testing (−10°C / AT / RT+10°C cycling × 6 cycles)
- Ingredient sourcing research and supplier recommendations
- Up to 3 formula tweaks based on sample feedback
What’s Not Included
- Full stability testing (available as add-on)
- Preservative Efficacy / Challenge Testing (outsourced separately)
- Safety assessment or toxicological review
- Label or claims compliance review (separate services)
- Manufacturing or production of any kind
- Fragrance sourcing or development
- More than 3 tweaks (new agreement + additional fees)
Custom Development: Step-by-Step
Formulation Review (Theoretical)
$500 Standard | $800 Complex (Cosmeceutical, SPF, Specialist)
A paper-based diagnostic assessment of your existing formula. Submit your complete ingredient list, percentages, and manufacturing method — and receive a detailed written report covering ingredient compatibility, interaction risks, regulatory considerations, and performance concerns. This is a review service only. No new formula is created. No samples are made.
What You Receive
- Detailed written PDF/Word report with findings and recommendations
- Assessment of ingredient compatibility and interaction risks
- Regulatory considerations for AU, EU, US, ASEAN, Canada, Brazil, and others on request
- Identification of potential stability, preservation, or performance concerns
- Recommendations for substitutions, preservation improvements, or texture enhancements
- Optional voice note walkthrough of the report
What’s Not Included
- A new or reformulated formula — this is diagnostic only
- Physical samples of any kind
- Implementation of recommendations
- Full regulatory certification or safety approval
- Stability testing, PET, or any physical testing
- Ongoing follow-up beyond the report (see Q&A or Consultancy)
Theoretical Reformulation: Professional Optimisation on Paper
$1,250 Standard | From $1,500 Cosmeceutical | Add-on Tweaks $300 per tweak
This service sits between a Review and full Custom Development. You already have a formula that’s close — but it needs professional optimisation. You specify the required changes, submit complete documentation, and receive a fully reformulated formula as a written document, ready for you to test. No samples. No lab work. No bench development.
What’s Delivered
- Complete reformulated formula document (INCI, % w/w)
- Reformulated manufacturing method
- Stability considerations and regulatory recommendations for specified target markets
- Supplier suggestions where relevant
Your Responsibility
- Provide complete original formula with all ingredients, exact percentages, and method
- Submit detailed product brief: target consumer, desired texture, claims, restrictions
- Source all ingredients and arrange all testing independently
- Make and test the formula yourself or through your manufacturer
Important Limitations
- No physical samples are provided under any circumstances
- No lab verification — formula is delivered as-is based on formulator knowledge
- Quality of output depends heavily on quality of information you provide
- No tweaks included — additional changes billed at $300 per tweak
Theoretical vs. Physical Reformulation: Head-to-Head
Theoretical Reformulation
Custom Development
Reverse Engineering
From $2,450 Standard | From $2,950 Complex (Cosmeceutical) | Priced on Complexity | + Sample Packaging & Shipping
This service analyses an existing market product — its texture, performance, ingredient profile — and recreates a similar formulation adapted to your brand requirements. This is not about producing knockoffs. It is about understanding why successful formulas work and building on proven frameworks whilst fully respecting intellectual property boundaries.
What’s Included
- Analysis of benchmark product (texture, performance, ingredient assessment)
- Recreation of similar aesthetics and performance characteristics
- Custom adaptation for your brand, ingredient preferences, and market positioning
- Up to 3 physical samples (30–50 mL)
- Formulation documentation (INCI, % w/w, manufacturing method, supplier suggestions)
- Preliminary stability assessment (freeze + thaw + heat cycling × 6 × 24-hour cycles)
Critical Client Responsibilities
- Purchase and post the benchmark product, packaging, and any specialist ingredients to us
- Confirm you hold legal rights to commission reverse engineering of the specified product
- Ensure compliance with IP laws, trade secret regulations, and patent protections in your jurisdiction
- Source ingredients and confirm availability from your manufacturer before we begin
- Arrange all stability, microbiological, and consumer testing independently
Stock Formulations: Ready-Made vs. Custom-Built
DIY Range: $50–$800 | Brand Licensing: $1,200–$2,400
Stock formulations are professionally developed, ready-made formulas available for immediate digital download. They offer the fastest path to a starting formula at the lowest entry cost — but they come with important limitations when compared to custom development.
Stock: DIY Range ($50–$800)
Personal use only. Immediate digital download. No customisation. No samples. You source ingredients, make the product, and conduct all testing independently. Ideal for home formulators or those beginning their product journey.
Stock: Brand Licensing ($1,200–$2,400)
Commercial usage rights included as specified in licensing agreement. Pre-developed formula with immediate access. Still no customisation, samples, or testing included. You are responsible for all regulatory compliance in your target markets.
Custom Development (From $2,950)
Fully bespoke formula built to your brief. Physical samples. Preliminary stability testing. IP ownership transferred on completion. Manufacturing method verified at the bench. The highest-investment, highest-output option.
Stock Formulations vs. Custom Development: Full Comparison
| Stock (DIY) | Stock (Brand Licence) | Custom Development | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customisation | None | None | Fully bespoke |
| Physical samples | No | No | Up to 3 rounds |
| Stability testing | No | No | Preliminary 3-week |
| Commercial use | Personal only | Yes (as per licence) | Full IP ownership |
| Support included | None | None | Up to 3 tweaks + dev support |
| Delivery | Immediate download | Immediate download | 2–6 months |
| Investment | $50–$800 | $1,200–$2,400 | From $2,950 |
Development Add-On: Stability Testing
$1,800 Accelerated | Optional Real-Time Extension +$800 | Microbial Testing Quoted Separately via External Lab
Physical stability testing conducted in our facility on your product to generate data that supports shelf-life claims. This service generates real data from real conditions — not theoretical estimates. Microbial testing is outsourced to an accredited external laboratory and quoted separately.
Accelerated Testing
5 checkpoints over 9 months. Environmental and analytical testing including temperature stress, visual assessment, pH, and viscosity as applicable. Written stability report at each checkpoint.
Real-Time Extension
Optional 3 additional checkpoints over 30 months (+$800). Provides longer-term performance data to support extended shelf-life claims beyond accelerated testing indicators.
Your Deliverables
Stability testing report with data at each checkpoint, assessment of product behaviour under test conditions, and data to support shelf-life claims.
Label Compliance & Claims Compliance: What They Cover
Compliance services are paper-based assessments — no lab work, no physical testing. They are reviewed against current regulatory requirements at the time of delivery.
Label Compliance — $300 per Region
I review your product label for regulatory compliance in your specified target market. Each region is charged separately because requirements differ significantly between jurisdictions.
- INCI ingredient listing review and correction
- Label regulation review: AU, EU, CAD, UK, India, South Africa, Brazil, US, and others on request
- Warning statements and mandatory declaration check
- Written report with findings and corrected INCI listing
Not included: Label design, claims compliance, ongoing regulatory monitoring, legal advice.
Claims Compliance Support — $800
I review your proposed marketing claims and suggest compliant, compelling language. Assessment is based on ingredient research, scientific literature, and regulatory guidelines — not product testing.
- Claim-by-claim written assessment
- Compliant alternative language suggestions
- Guidance on substantiation requirements for target markets
- Covers both standard cosmetic and cosmeceutical claims
Not included: Product testing, claims substantiation through testing, legal advice, label compliance.
Consultancy, Troubleshooting & Q&A
Not every challenge requires a full formulation service. These flexible, hourly and per-question services give you targeted access to formulation expertise when you need it — without committing to a full development engagement.
General Consultancy — $180/hr
Flexible hourly access to cosmetic chemistry expertise. Ingredient research, problem diagnosis, regulatory guidance, formulation challenge support. No written reports unless specifically agreed.
Formulation Troubleshooting — $230/hr
When your formula has gone wrong. Diagnostic assessment of separation, instability, off-odours, texture changes, or preservation failures. Higher rate reflects deeper diagnostic complexity. Physical samples recommended for best results.
Q&A Service — $30 / $95
One-off queries answered with science-based context. Simple questions ($30) or complex questions ($95) responded to via email or voice note within 48–72 hours. Educational context included — not just “do this.”
Project Management Add-On — From $600
Technical liaison between your formulation and your manufacturer during scale-up and production. Troubleshooting, ingredient substitution guidance, and production coordination. Simple projects from $600; complex projects quoted individually.
Education & Tutoring Services
Building knowledge within your team, organisation, or personal practice. These services are designed for cosmetic science students, emerging formulators, brand teams, and retail staff who need to understand what products actually do beyond the marketing copy.
Education-Focused Consultancy
$250/hr | Educational Materials from $500 per subject
- Custom educational content development for your audience and subject
- Training delivery for in-house teams (virtual or in-person)
- Workshop design and delivery for retail staff
- SOP and policy development
- Content tailored to your product line and brand
Not included: Formal qualifications, ongoing updates as science evolves (available at additional cost), regulatory training replacing legal compliance advice.
Tutoring Services
$50/hr IPCS Students | $80/hr Non-IPCS | $150/hr Group Sessions
- One-on-one or small group tutoring for cosmetic science students
- Chemistry fundamentals, regulatory requirements, ingredient function
- Practical lab skills and exam preparation
- Sessions adapted for neurodivergent learners, language needs, and pacing
- Lesson notes and follow-up resources after each session
Not included: Formal qualifications or academic credit, assignment completion, practical lab supervision (virtual sessions).
Quick Reference: All Services & Pricing
Transaction fees apply based on payment method. Prices are subject to change.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Custom Formulation Development (Standard) | From $2,950 + shipping |
| Custom Formulation Development (Cosmeceutical / SPF / Organic) | From $3,450 + shipping |
| Reverse Engineering (Standard) | From $2,450 + shipping |
| Reverse Engineering (Cosmeceutical / SPF / Organic) | From $2,950 + shipping |
| Formulation Review | $500 standard / $800 complex |
| Reformulation (Theoretical) | $1,250 standard / $1,500 complex |
| Tweak (add-on) | $300 each / $750 × 3 bundle |
| Label Compliance | $300 per region |
| Claims Compliance Support | $800 |
| Stability Testing (Accelerated, 9 months) | $1,800 |
| Stability Testing Real-Time Extension | +$800 |
| Project Management (Simple) | From $600 |
| Project Management (Complex) | From $1,200 (quoted) |
| Stock Formulations (DIY) | $50–$800 |
| Stock Formulations (Brand Licensing) | $1,200–$2,450 |
| General Consultancy | $180/hr |
| Formulation Troubleshooting | $230/hr |
| Education Consultancy | $250/hr |
| Educational Material Development | From $500/subject |
| Q&A (Simple Question) | $30 |
| Q&A (Complex Question) | $95 |
| Tutoring (IPCS Students) | $50/hr |
| Tutoring (Non-IPCS Students) | $80/hr |
| Tutoring (Group Sessions) | $150/hr |
Service Investment at a Glance
Comparing investment levels across core service categories helps clarify which tier best fits your project stage and budget.
The Nature of Formulation Science: What We Can & Cannot Guarantee
Cosmetic formulation is a complex, multivariable discipline. Even with extensive professional knowledge, published research, and years of practical experience, it is not possible to guarantee specific outcomes for any formulation — theoretical or physical.
Raw Material Variability
Raw materials vary between suppliers, between batches, and between regions. Even the same ingredient from the same supplier can behave differently across production runs.
Environmental Conditions
Water quality, humidity, and temperature during manufacturing all affect outcomes in ways that no formulator can fully anticipate or control from a bench or paper-based standpoint.
Theoretical Limitations
A theoretical formulation is a professionally informed starting point — not a finished product. It has not been subjected to the real-world variables that only physical testing can reveal.
Physical Testing Required
Full stability testing, preservative efficacy testing, microbiological testing, and safety assessment are always the client’s responsibility and must be completed before any product is offered for sale — regardless of which service was used.
Sweet Little Crumb does not and cannot guarantee the stability, efficacy, safety, shelf life, or commercial success of any formulation. Our liability is limited to the amount paid for the specific service giving rise to a claim, to the maximum extent permitted by Australian Consumer Law.
Payment Methods & Transaction Fees
Payment is required before service commencement unless alternative arrangements are specified in your individual service agreement. You are responsible for all payment processing costs.
Bank Deposit / PayID
No surcharges from Sweet Little Crumb. Your bank may apply its own fees — this is not our responsibility. Recommended payment method.
Wise
+2.1% surcharge on invoice total. Example: $1,000 invoice = $21 processing fee added.
WooCommerce / Stripe
Calculated automatically at checkout. Fee displayed before you commit to payment.
PayPal
+4.5% surcharge on invoice total. Example: $1,050 invoice = additional $47.25 processing fee. Highest-cost option.
Still Not Sure Which Service You Need?
If you’re still not certain, reach out before purchasing and either book a free 15 minute consultation or email me your questions. I’d genuinely rather steer you toward the right service than have you invest in something that doesn’t fit your needs. Every project is different, and a five to ten-minute conversation can save significant time and money.
Get in Touch
Ready to move forward, or still weighing your options? Reach out through any of the channels below. I work with clients worldwide and am happy to help you identify the right service before you commit to anything.
Contact Details
Email: sales@sweetlittlecrumb.com
sales@thisformulatinglife.com
Phone & WhatsApp: +61 472 624 927
Web: sweetlittlecrumb.com.au
thisformulatinglife.com
Instagram: @sweet.little.crumb
ABN: 30 695 166 050
Business Address
11 Badet Street
Brighton QLD Australia 4017
Mailing Address
8 Stella Place
Carseldine QLD Australia 4034
Social & Community
Patreon: patreon.com/ThisFormulatingLife
LinkedIn: Natalie Skiller
Facebook: Sweet.Little.Crumb
Last Updated: 25 March 2026 | Version 2.0
