Hey all! Welcome back to my blog!
In the past couple of weeks I've been beginning to realize just how much work it takes to launch a line of products and a new brand too! So here are the main steps that I've discovered on my journey so far:
- Think of a great concept or product that isn't on the market yet, or you have an edge up on
- Research, research, research. Look at the current market to scope out the competition.
- Research ingredients and formulas to use as the base for your product.
- Formulate your product (with many trials and errors of course)
- Create your brand (during the entire process)
- Create packaging for your product that is compliant with governmental regulations
- Create marketing for your product and brand to get the name out there (including websites, ads, and promotional events.)
I'm currently in a bunch of these stages, trying to create a website for my brand, while creating packaging for my lip treatment, and formulating my clay cleanser.
This can at times feel like a lot, but it's so so rewarding and so much fun to get the opportunity to create my own brand as a high school student! But this is why I'm going to change the scope of my senior research project to exploring how a brand is created and how dermatology products are made. My questions have turned into: how is a brand created?' and 'what is the process to create a cosmetic line?'
I'm so excited to get to present what I've learned and created at our SRP presentations! (Some of you were asking when they are, and all of them are on May 6th, and mine is at 1:40pm if any of you want to come! More details will be in the next blog post :))
Anyways, onto what I did this week!
At the lab I got to create my second batch of the clay cleanser! It is made with bentonite clay (quick shoutout to Olivia who knew what bentonite clay is), and this is one of the key ingredients because it is really able to help clean out pores and regulate the oil production. The first batch was a little too natural smelling with guava extract so we decided to pull that out! Here's some pictures of the process!
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| My second batch of the clay cleanser! |
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| Top down view for viscosity, the mask has an airy texture, which I love because it kind of bounces when you touch it! |
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| Using the clay cleanser as a mask! |
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| Using computer programming to create my packaging |
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| A glimpse at my silver lettering |
Hi Lauren! Thanks for the shoutout ;) I'm so excited you decided to use bentonite clay in your cleanser. It is definitely a high quality, natural product that really cleans impurities out of your face, without making your skin really dry and sore. Since one of your ways to create a successful product is to think of a product that will give you an edge up on competitor products, I actually think the pinkish color of your cleanser is a good thing. Most bentonite clay masks and cleansers I have used are an ugly color of gray and if yours is pink and says "natural" on the cover, I think a person's eye will definitely be attracted to it. I will definitely be attending your presentation on May 6th and good luck on the rest of your project!
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia! Of course! Thank you! So true! Haha thank you so much and I'm so excited to see you at my presentation!
DeleteHi Lauren! Your product looks amazing! As Olivia said before, the pink color is very different from other clay masks, so it would definitely stand out from other products. Also, since you took out the guava, are you adding any other natural scents to your cleanser? For instance, eucalyptus or rose? I really like your packaging so far, the silver letters are a nice touch. Do you plan to continue your work with your products, even after your project is over? I will definitely be coming to your presentation. Good Luck on the rest of your project!
ReplyDeleteHi Divya! Thank you! Awesome! The guava created the really bad smell, and I have a bunch of other natural oils to help with cleansing and they have a very clean, natural smell :D Thank you! I plan to potentially come back to these products even after college and maybe start up my brand, it has been such a great experience!
DeleteHey Lauren, the progress you've made on your clay cleanser product is amazing! I'd go for the pink-brown one especially since it works! And not only is your product original, but the packaging stands out too- it'll catch customers' eyes for sure! When you said at first that in making a product, you should come up with an original one, do you need to do this? As in, is it possible to have a product similar to others out there but that will still make it big, despite not being super unique? And if so, under what circumstances could this occur?
ReplyDeleteHey Annalise! Thank you! For sure, if you are just looking to create another product and you already have a brand name, you can totally make similar products, but when starting a new brand, I would say it's so much better to start making unique products to really launch your brand. :D
DeleteHi Lauren, you really seem to be enjoying the product. Can natural smells be too strong? Or do some brands choose to include it in their product? I think a pink-brown color or any other dark-toned colors that contrast with the usual green ones would make it stand out more. I hope the final product is something you're very happy with.
ReplyDeleteHi Spencer! Totally, that is why I took the guava out, some may have natural smells but it is really up to what the brand wants :) Thank you!
DeleteHi Lauren! Your products seem to be developing really well! I think a pink-brown cleanser would be great, especially since your product is all-natural. What kind of government regulations do you have to comply with? Has this presented much difficulty as you create your packaging? Also, will you be replacing the guava extract with something more toned-down? Thank you! I can't wait to see your final packaging and product!
ReplyDeleteHi Nitya! Thank you!! So there aren't many government regulations just regulations on packaging which is kind of worrying, but this will all be in my final presentation. And it's actually been quite easy with regulations to create packaging because you can be really creative. I won't be replacing the guava extract, but I have plenty of other natural oils in my product to allow the product to help take off makeup too! Thank you!
DeleteHey Lauren! The consistency of your clay cleanser looks amazing! I would definitely want to use that as a mask. I also like the pink-brown color, as it makes the product seem more natural, and different from many of the bluish-gray masks that I own. Is there a specific reason that you chose to remove the more natural guava scent? Also, is the color of the mask taken into consideration when deciding what (if any) scent to add to the cleanser, or is the color changed based on a specific scent? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey Esha! Thank you!! Yes, the guava scent was super over powering so I had to take it out, and totally!! Color is a huge factor, for instance you wouldn't want peppermint with a purple colored product, it would just be a little strange to the consumer. Pleasing the consumer is #1 in creating products :D Thank you for continuing to follow my blog!
DeleteHiya Lauren! I'm super excited to see the final packaging! The idea looks really cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anil!!
DeleteHi Lauren! I think it would be a great idea to use a pink/brown color to stand out from competitors that use similar ingredients because it might be more appealing, yet still give off a natural vibe. I noticed that scent was a concern for your first batch, so how do you plan on addressing this? Are you going to add natural fragrances, or did the second batch have a more neutral scent? Additionally, would you consider expanding the range of your brand? What types of products would you be interested in? I can't wait to see the finished project at your presentation!
ReplyDeleteHey Bobby! Thank you!! Yes, I took out the guava extract which was the cause of the really overpowering scent, but I still have natural oils in the cleanser which add to a clean, natural scent. :D
DeleteTotally! I would love to create all types of skincare products mainly for the face including cleansers, moisturizers, and treatments.
Thank you!
Hey Lauren.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the overall summary at the top, it really helped me understand more by putting it all together. Personally, I would not have a problem with a pinkish brown cleanser, it might be nice to take a break from all the green ones. I really like the font/design you made for your product, it really seems ti fit well. I cannot wait to see your product in stores! Thank you.
Zafeerah Sheikh
Hey Zafeerah! For sure! That's awesome! Thank you so much!!
DeleteHey Lauren! I really like the color of the mask as it looks very natural. I also really like the packaging that you chose for your lip balm. Are you going to sell your two products online? If you were to, would it be as a set or individually? To add on to that, are people more likely to buy dermatology products as a set or individually? If you do make a website and sell your products, make sure to tell me, I would love to try out your products! I'll also try to make your presentation! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHey Christina! Thank you so much! The idea would be to sell online and in higher end stores, definitely as individuals because they are so different :D
DeleteThank you Christina!!
Hey Lauren! The fact that you have created your own product from concept to execution is awesome! Not only learning the chemistry behind the product but how to sell it is very important to create the finished product and you are learning all of that!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jack!!
DeleteA website and making a new product and packaging your own product- that's a lot of work! I think, given how much you're doing, it makes sense to broaden your research question a bit more. Is the advertising and marketing portion of your SRP going to continue after the actual SRP is over in a couple of weeks?
ReplyDeleteThanks Justin! Yes, I'm planning on maybe making a couple of blogs to go on my website :D
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