Product Development

As a cosmetic chemist, PIL’s Managing Member Howard Baker understands how the product formula is put together and how it works. His experience in the contract manufacturing environment enables PIL to scale up production efficiently and minimize any problems that come up.

Product Integrity Laboratory helps develop a product profile for their work. They are aware of the anticipated tests needed to substantiate the safety, effectiveness, stability, and functionality of the product, and then proceed with product development work – formulation, package functionality evaluation, and performance evaluation.

When a product moves to testing phase, safety testing is crucial. It helps comply with government regulations and guidelines, but it also minimizes liability risk. Liability is actually the most important driving force to make products as safe as possible. Additionally, testing for OTC drugs (sunscreens, acne, etc.) is required by regulations and is not cheap. This includes both drug stability testing and active ingredient assays of every production run. Product Integrity Laboratory LLC helps you manage these tests at competent testing facilities so the right tests are done at the right costs.

There are several questions a client should ask themselves when selecting a company to help them with product development.

• Do I have enough money to do things right? A quality problem at the beginning of a company’s life is usually fatal to the business. If they don’t have the funds to play the game the right way, they don’t have a business, they have a hobby.
• Do they understand the cosmetic/personal care product business? Most do, but those coming in from outside the industry play the game at a distinct disadvantage. Just understanding the marketing end isn’t really enough.

To avoid train wrecks that do happen in the product development stage, PIL recommends three things:

1. Develop the product without too many shortcuts. Do the testing on the formula and the packaging.
2. Take time to do production scale-up. Filling an important order for a huge store is a bad time to make something for the first time.
3. Implement a reasonable QA/QC program. The manufacturers all know which of their customers have Quality Control and which do not. When something goes wrong, it matters. It changes how the manufacturer responds to the problem.

Product Integrity Laboratory specializes in:

• Formulation
• Troubleshooting
• Product Development Testing & Evaluation
  • Product / Package Compatibility Testing
  • Formula Stability Testing
  • Freeze / Thaw Cycle Testing
  • Weight Loss Testing
  • Dispensing Characteristic Testing
  • Package Capacity Evaluations
  • Specification Development
  • Transit Testing
  • Decoration Resistance Testing
  • Other Tests – customized to your specific needs