From The INCI Lab · Auckland
What Small Batch Cosmetic Manufacturing Means.
Small batch cosmetic manufacturing means production runs from 100 to 500 units, rather than the conventional 1,000–5,000 unit minimum demanded by most contract manufacturers. The INCI Lab in Auckland, New Zealand is specifically built for indie beauty brands who need to launch without warehousing tens of thousands of units they may not sell. We provide small-batch contract manufacturing for skincare, hair, body and pet-care formulations, with full intellectual property transfer to your brand and regulatory compliance documentation for New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Begin a Project
Tell us about your small-batch project.
Whether it's 100 units or 500, send us what you're building. The team — chemists, regulatory specialists, and our network of designers and manufacturing partners — will respond with a pathway recommendation.
Open the full project form →
Why Indie Brands Choose Small Batch
Lower risk. Test the market with 100 units before scaling to 5,000.
Better cash flow. Manufacture only what you can sell in 6 months.
Faster iteration. Refine your formula based on customer feedback before your second run.
Full IP ownership. The formula is yours — take it to any manufacturer when you scale.
Regulatory-compliant from unit one. Documentation included for NZ, AU, US, UK, EU.
Minimum Order Quantities
MOQs, In Plain English
Conventional contract manufacturers in New Zealand and Australia typically require 1,000–5,000 units per SKU. For an indie brand launching three products, that is potentially 15,000 units of inventory — capital you may not have, and risk you may not need.
At The INCI Lab, our MOQs start at 100 units for select Ready-to-Go formulas and 500 units for The Accelerator and The Visionary custom routes.
How a Small Batch Project Works
- Discovery call. 15-minute conversation about your brand, market, target launch.
- Pathway recommendation. Ready-to-Go, The Accelerator, or The Visionary.
- Formulation and stability. Develop, sample, 12-week stability testing.
- Compliance documentation. Regulatory paperwork for your target markets.
- Small-batch production. Boutique manufacturing sized to your launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Small batch cosmetic manufacturing refers to production runs of 100 to 500 units per SKU, rather than the 1,000–5,000 unit minimums most contract manufacturers require. At The INCI Lab in Auckland, we are specifically built for small batch.
Our MOQs start at 100 units for select Ready-to-Go formulas and 500 units for The Accelerator and The Visionary custom formulation pathways.
Per-unit cost on a 500-unit run will be higher than a 5,000-unit run — that is true of all cosmetic manufacturing. However, the total capital required is significantly lower, the cash flow risk is far smaller, and the ability to refine your product based on real market feedback before your second run is invaluable for indie brands.
Yes. With our Visionary pathway you receive full IP transfer of the formula before manufacturing begins. You are free to take your formula to any larger manufacturer in the world when you are ready to scale.
The INCI Lab specialises in small-batch manufacturing for skincare, hair care, body care, sun care, and pet care formulations. We have specific capability in cruelty-free, vegan, fragrance-free, BioGro-certifiable organic, and pet-safe formulations.
Private label means putting your brand on someone else's existing formula. Small batch manufacturing with The INCI Lab means a formula that is custom to your brand, produced in editions sized to your launch.
Next Step
Ready to Begin?
Tell us what you are building. A 15-minute discovery call is the next step — no obligations on either side.