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Custom Deodorant Formulation Services | Billed Hourly

Custom Deodorant Formulation Services

Paid Sample Development for Private Label Deodorant (USA)

If you’re interested in customizing one of our proven deodorant formulas, this page explains how our custom formulation service works. Custom formulation is a paid service billed hourly, and the goal is to create samples for you to test before deciding whether to move forward with production.

Rate: $150/hour (prepaid before work begins) + cost of any additional supplies/ingredients (if applicable).
Lead time for samples: typically 2–3 weeks.

What this service is for

  • Adjusting one of our base deodorant formulas (like adding or removing an ingredient)
  • Scent work (testing fragrance oils or essential oils you provide) to dial in your scent strength before a production run (this is mandatory if you want a scented deodorant)
  • Creating a custom version of our formula that better fits your goals
  • Creating a new formula from your ideas

What you receive

  • Sample deodorants based on the agreed changes, or formula ideas you have, for you to evaluate and test
  • Clear confirmation of the final ingredient list once a formula is finalized for production

Important: Custom formulation fees cover the work of creating samples. Payment for formulation does not include a production run, and you are not required to place an order after testing.

What is billed hourly

Time spent on custom formulation may include:

  • Formula adjustments and sample development
  • Research related to requested changes
  • Scent testing and preparing multiple sample strengths
  • Extended correspondence needed to clarify goals, constraints, and next steps

Please read through all materials and emails thoroughly to minimize back-and-forth communication and keep costs down.

Scent work (you provide the scent)

We do not stock scents—you'll send us what you want to use. Bulk Apothecary’s natural fragrance line is very popular since it is more natural, but they also sell essential oils as well as have a full conventional fragrance collection.  However you can use any supplier you like for your scent - it just needs to work with a wax/oil base.

How scent samples work:

  • You send us a 2 oz bottle of the fragrance or essential oil you want to use.
  • We typically prepare sample deodorants at 3%, 4%, and 5% scent strength so you can choose the strength you prefer.
  • Sample work is billed at $150/hour and is prepaid before work begins.

Scent sample time:
1 scent: 1 hour
2 scents: 1.5 hours
3 scents: 2 hours
4 scents: 2.5 hours

Ingredients We Stock In-House

To streamline formulation and keep costs down, the majority of custom formulation work is done using ingredients we already stock and work with regularly. If your project requires ingredients outside this list, you are responsible for sourcing and sending them to us, and understand that additional formulation time may be required to evaluate compatibility and performance.

Current in-house deodorant ingredients include:

  • Organic refined coconut oil
  • Baking soda (aluminum-free)
  • Organic corn starch
  • Magnesium hydroxide
  • Organic arrowroot powder
  • Non-nano zinc oxide
  • Kaolin clay
  • Wild-crafted candelilla wax
  • Organic unrefined jojoba oil
  • Lactobacillus ferment (bacillus coagulans strain)

Ingredient availability may change over time, but this list reflects the materials currently used in our deodorant formulations.

Testing is your responsibility

Any formula changes can affect texture, stability, and performance. Please order enough samples to test in real-world conditions (heat, cold, humidity) and with your chosen packaging. Limited testing can miss issues like formula cracking, or melting in shipping.

Testing is your responsibility before placing a production order. If you want added assurance, consider third-party testing, or choose one of our proven base formulas without changes.

Formula ownership

To keep costs low, formula ownership remains with Island Deodorant.

Not Sure If Custom Formulation Is the Right Step?

These resources may help you decide whether custom formulation makes sense for your project at this stage:

Next step: If you’re ready to request custom samples, please reach out through our contact page and include details of what you want to do.

Payment for custom formulation work is collected up front (prepaid before work begins).

Shipping for sample orders will be calculated based on your address. Local pick up is not available.

Documents and Certifications: Cosmetic products are not required to be FDA-approved before going to market in the U.S., and the FDA does not certify cosmetic manufacturing facilities. If certifications or specific documentation are required, please let us know upfront, as we may not be able to provide them. Learn more from the FDA here.

We do not hold third-party certifications such as USDA Organic or Leaping Bunny, and to keep our prices low we do not facilitate certification applications for private label clients. If your product will require such certifications, you would need to pursue them independently.

If you require production in a certified facility (such as FDA-registered, GMP, or ISO certified), we do have access to a USA-based manufacturing partner that meets those standards. However, this option is only available for large production runs of 10,000+ units per formula, and costs are significantly higher.

International orders You are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with your country’s import regulations, including labeling, claims, documentation, taxes, and fees. If you provide specific requirements, we can confirm whether we can meet them. Please note that U.S. cosmetic regulations are often less strict than those in other countries, so we usually are not able to fulfill all necessary criteria for import.

Please contact us with any questions you have!

MSDS / SDS The items do not pose a danger to persons handling the products in the forms in which they are supplied. Therefore, these products are exempt from SDS Requirements under OSHA Hazard Communication Standards 1910.1200(b)(6)(vii) and 1910.1200(b)(5)(iii), which provide the following exemptions:

- 1910.1200(b)(6)(viii) Cosmetics which are packaged for sale to consumers in a retail establishment, and cosmetics intended for personal consumption by employees while in the workplace;

- 1910.1200(b)(5)(iii) Any food, food additive, color additive, drug, cosmetic, or medical or veterinary device or product, including materials intended for use as ingredients in such products (e.g. flavors and fragrances), as such terms are defined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) or the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act of 1913 (21 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), and regulations issued under those Acts, when they are subject to the labeling requirements under those Acts by either the Food and Drug Administration or the Department of Agriculture;

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1200

ALL GOODS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS,” “WITH ALL FAULTS.” SUPPLIER HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, AND THE RECIPE OF FORMULA FOR THE GOODS IS THE SUPPLIER'S CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY, TRADE SECRET INFORMATION, AND PURCHASER ACQUIRES NO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS BY VIRTUE OF ANY PURCHASE WITH SUPPLIER.