5 Qualities to Look for in a Trustworthy Natural Ingredient Supplier

The business of skincare has grown tremendously over the past few years. Between 2012 to 2022, the global skincare market’s value rose from USD 99.6 billion to USD 163.5 billion. By 2025, it’s expected to reach USD 189.3 billion. It’s not yet too late for businesses to be a part of the skincare industry and earn their slice of the pie.

To effectively break through into the skincare scene, however, emerging companies must pay attention to the trends that are currently shaping this business sphere. Today’s skincare companies and consumers are keen on supporting natural skincare products for their direct beauty benefits as well as their positive impact on the environment and local communities. A business that aims to keep up with this all-natural trend and stay true to it in the long term needs to partner up with a natural ingredient supplier that shares the same vision and values. If you’re in the market for such a supplier, here are some of the qualities that you should look for:

The Supplier Offers Ingredients of Consistently High Quality

First and foremost, an ingredient supplier–whether they deal with natural components or not–should be able to provide other businesses with high-quality materials that will go into their own formulations. High quality means that these ingredients must be safe and effective, and they should be able to provide the results that businesses are looking for. 

To preserve the integrity of the materials, some suppliers try to minimize the processes that their raw ingredients go through. This is acceptable to some manufacturers as long as the level of impurity does not reach a certain threshold. 

Keeping such arrangements in mind, it’s important to forge a mutual agreement on a certain standard of quality when you’re partnering with a supplier that specializes in natural ingredients. Having easy access to ingredients that adhere to a particular standard, after all, will enable your business to manufacture skincare products that are also of consistent quality. 

The Supplier Has the Right Documentation and Certification

When verifying the quality of the materials that are being provided to your production facility, it’s not enough to take the supplier on their word. Any claim about the raw material that the company is providing should be backed by a certificate of analysis (COA). 

A COA is a formal document prepared and signed by a laboratory that details the result of the analyses conducted on a material. This offers proof and assurance that the material your company is receiving is exactly as the supplier claims it to be. 

In addition to a COA, some suppliers can also provide skincare manufacturers with a material safety data sheet (MSDS), a technical document that details the hazardous components of an ingredient. These papers can help skincare manufacturers familiarize themselves with the intrinsic properties of the ingredients they are dealing with, such as their temperature stability, solubility, and compatibility. 

The Source of the Raw Ingredients Can Be Traced Adequately

Many consumers want their skincare products to be sourced in a clean, fair, and ethical manner. If you want to do the same, then you need to partner with a supplier that keeps track of exactly where the raw material is sourced and the manner in which it is harvested. 

Among the aspects that you might want to check are the following: 

• Are the company’s workers are being treated fairly and compensated accordingly?
• Can it be proved that the process used to collect the material does not harm its immediate environment? 
• Does the supplier steer clear of animal testing in their production methods?  

Partnering with a trustworthy and transparent supplier will allow you to build your brand on a solid foundation and market your skincare products on a clean slate. 

The Supplier Provides Expert Formulation Assistance

A natural material supplier is not just a source of quality raw materials. Such an establishment should also be able to provide other businesses with expert advice on how to formulate products using the raw materials that it specializes in. 

A coconut oil supplier, for example, should be able to offer skincare companies practical information on how to best use the said oil in skincare and cosmetic formulations. The ideal supplier should also be able to provide your company with advice on how to infuse the material with more nutrients or extend its shelf life. Having these abilities not only shows that the supplier knows everything about the material, but that they are also serious about fostering a long-lasting working relationship with your company. 

The Supplier Is Highly Regarded by Other Companies

Finally, look for a natural ingredient supplier with a good reputation among companies that also dabble with organic and natural products. While it’s always a good idea to do your own research, you can also check out the resources used by other companies and see if their suppliers are a good fit for your business. 

There are plenty of good reasons for why some suppliers are able to maintain long-term relationships with skincare companies that are known for furthering natural beauty. Perhaps you can look into these companies and see what they can do for your brand. 

Conclusion: A Natural Ingredient Supplier That Can Serve as a Reliable Partner

The natural ingredient supplier from whom you will get the base ingredients for your skincare products will serve as your partner in building your business from the ground up. A reliable partner should be able to consistently supply you with clean, natural, and high-performance ingredients, thus ensuring that your company can continue its operations and meet market demands. This will help your business carve its own space in the growing natural skincare market and maximize its chances of earning a profit while doing a world of good for the environment.