What to Include in a Skincare Manufacturing RFQ

A useful skincare manufacturing RFQ tells the manufacturer what you want made, what you already have, and what you need help deciding. Include the product, formula status, packaging, quantities, sales markets, target cost, and delivery needs. Then ask the manufacturer to identify the assumptions and exclusions behind its price.

RFQ means request for quotation. You can start the conversation before every detail is final. The important distinction is between a decision you’ve made and an option you want the manufacturer to investigate. “50 mL pump bottle selected; drawing attached” asks for different work than “50 mL pump preferred; please recommend packaging.”

Describe the product and the work you need

Start with a short description of the product and the reason for the project: adding a moisturizer to an existing line, developing a new cleanser, or finding another manufacturer for a current product. Say whether you’re asking for formula development, bulk manufacturing, filling, packaging sourcing, or a combination.

Explain the formula’s status in plain language. Do you have a production formula and process instructions, a lab sample awaiting approval, or a benchmark product and a list of things you’d like to change? For an existing formula, identify the documents and test reports available to share. Agree on confidentiality arrangements before sending proprietary files.

For development, describe the experience you want: a cream that spreads easily, a cleanser that rinses without a heavy afterfeel, or a serum that layers under sunscreen. List required ingredients, ingredients to avoid, fragrance preferences, and proposed claims. Mark preferences separately from requirements so a suggested alternative doesn’t get mistaken for a failure to follow the brief.

Include the intended claims and sales markets

Send proposed label and website claims, even if the wording is still being reviewed. In the United States, intended use determines whether a product is a cosmetic, a drug, or both. FDA specifically identifies moisturizers marketed with sun-protection claims as cosmetic/drug products. A request for a moisturizer with SPF therefore needs to say so at the start. FDA: cosmetic and drug classification

List the countries where you intend to sell and any retailer requirements you already have. Ask who will review the formula, labeling, and supporting documentation for those destinations.

Separate confirmed specifications from open decisions

For packaging, give the fill size, container and closure, decoration, carton, and who will purchase each component. Attach supplier drawings or part numbers if selected. If you’re still choosing a format, our tube, bottle, and jar guide can help you frame the questions.

Give quantities per SKU, including the first order and expected annual demand. Distinguish a forecast from an order commitment. Two fragrances in two sizes should be listed as four SKUs, with a quantity for each, rather than one combined total. Our packaging MOQ guide explains why the component purchase and the first filling run may differ.

Define your target cost, too. Does it cover just the filled container, or also the label, retail carton, and freight? A retail selling price alone doesn’t tell the manufacturer what production cost you’re trying to reach.

Finally, distinguish the date you need finished goods delivered from your launch date. Include the destination and any fixed retailer appointment. Ask what must be approved, tested, or ordered before a delivery date can be confirmed.

Example: a moisturizer RFQ

The brief below is fictional. Its size, quantities, budget, and dates are examples for a hypothetical brand, not InSpec prices, minimums, or promised timing. Copy the request text and replace it with your own details; the notes explain why each field belongs.

Ask what the quote includes

If you want formulation and filling coordinated by one partner, use our turnkey manufacturing scope to identify the responsibilities your proposal should cover.

Ask the manufacturer to mark the following as included, quoted separately, supplied by your brand, or still to be determined:

• Formula work: development, sample revisions, any transfer work, and production of the bulk product.
• Packaging: container, closure, decoration, labels, cartons, tooling or setup, and any components you must buy beyond the first run.
• Manufacturing and packing: filling, assembly, lot coding, shipping cases, and pallet preparation.
• Testing and documentation: the proposed studies, routine batch checks, reports you’ll receive, and any regulatory or labeling support.
• Delivery and commercial terms: freight, storage, payment schedule, quote validity, and conditions that could change the price or delivery estimate.

“Testing included” needs more detail. Ask which formula and package will be evaluated, what work is proposed, who approves the plan, and who receives and retains the records. For U.S. cosmetics, MoCRA requires the responsible person to ensure and maintain records supporting adequate safety substantiation. FDA does not prescribe a single set of tests for every cosmetic product. FDA: MoCRA safety substantiation requirements

If the first response is an estimate, ask which unresolved decisions could change it. Keep your brief dated and update it when the formula, package, or quantity changes, so everyone is quoting the same product.

Send the brief you have

An open decision is useful information. Write “packaging not selected” or “target cost needs discussion” instead of filling in a specification you haven’t approved.

InSpec Solutions offers in-house skincare formulation and manufacturing. Explore our skincare manufacturing capabilities or send us your project brief to discuss the product, packaging, and quantities you have in mind.