Services
Ask The Chemist
From The INCI Lab · Auckland
Expert cosmetic chemistry, sized to what you need.
Not every founder needs a full R&D contract. Sometimes you need a 30-minute call. Sometimes a written formula review. Sometimes lab-grade stability testing on a recipe you have already developed. Ask The Chemist is our entry-level service family for exactly these moments — led by Merve Samur, President of the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and the team at The INCI Lab.
The Process
What happens after you order.
For Consultations: Choose a time, fill a short pre-call questionnaire, and join the 30-minute video call. You receive a recording plus written summary within 2 business days.
For Formula Review: Purchase below, receive our intake form within one business day, submit your formula and questions. Written report delivered within 7–10 business days.
For Formula Supplied: This is a Service-tier engagement — not a checkout. Book a free 15-minute discovery call (or send us a brief). We confirm scope, materials, and timeline, then send our Services Agreement. Once signed, lab work begins. The full programme runs 12–16 weeks with timepoint reports at Weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and a final report in Week 13.
Why work with us
Expertise without the agency overhead.
Award-winning chemistry. The INCI Lab won two categories at the 2026 C&T Allē Awards, plus multiple wins at the 2025 ceremony.
Real lab, real chemists. Every project touches our Auckland studio — not outsourced overseas.
Regulatory fluency. Working knowledge of NZ, AU (AICIS), US (FDA), UK, and EU (CPNP) compliance baked into every review.
Indie-first pricing. Our service ladder starts at NZ$150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consultation (NZ$150) is a 30-minute video call — great for one specific technical question, ingredient selection, or strategic guidance on pathway choice. Conversational, no written report.
Formula Review (NZ$650) is a written desk-based analysis of your existing formula — ingredient review, stability red flags, regulatory notes, swap recommendations. No lab work.
Formula Supplied (from NZ$1,750) is a Service-tier engagement — lab sampling plus 12-week accelerated stability testing of your existing formula in our Auckland studio. Enquiry-only; we confirm scope on a free discovery call before any commitment.
If you have a single technical question or want to discuss which pathway is right — book a Consultation.
If you have a working formula and want expert eyes on it before you scale — order a Formula Review.
If you need to validate your formula in our lab with stability testing — enquire about Formula Supplied.
If you want an original scent built for your brand, see Bespoke Fragrance Development. Not sure? Book a Consultation first.
We treat all conversations as confidential by default. For Formula Review and Formula Supplied, we send our Services Agreement (which includes confidentiality terms) before any sensitive work begins. If your business requires a separate NDA, we are happy to sign one before you share your formula — email us at hello@theincilab.com.
No. Stability testing is a critical pre-launch step but it is one of several. Final product launch also requires regulatory compliance documentation specific to your target market, packaging compatibility testing (available as an add-on), microbiological safety challenge testing (available as an add-on), and your own market liability and insurance coverage. We will flag every regulatory and safety concern we identify during testing, but final responsibility for product compliance, safety, labelling, and commercialisation remains with you.
12–16 weeks, driven by the stability test duration. You receive timepoint reports at Weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12, with the final written report delivered in Week 13. Premium tier includes a 30-minute review call to walk through the findings.
Yes. If you book a Consultation and decide you want a written Formula Review, the consultation fee credits toward the Formula Review purchase. If you complete a Formula Review and decide to move forward with Formula Supplied lab work, the review fee credits toward your Formula Supplied engagement. Just mention it when you book the next step.