Thanks for answering. I have also heard that you can repackage for PL but I have never read that myself in any official document. Hearing is not the same as seeing/having an official document though…

From what I understand, if you repackage PL products, you are liable if anything goes wrong with the product. For example, if there’s a bad batch of product and a consumer’s skin gets damaged and they decide to sue, if you repackaged the product, you are liable for the damage. If the PL company is the one that packages for resale, they are liable.

I would consult with an attorney, however, if you are thinking about PL options, this being one of them. I’m not definitely not a legal eagle! This is just based on what I have read.

what is about repackaging, are PL allowed to do it? Any reference by chance?

I see many wholesale companies selling big buckets and drums of their stock products. One 2L bucket will make 65-67 1-oz portions.

thank you

Most larger brands that use PL are going to work with the lab to custom formulate, which will be unique to that company and not something the lab can sell to other brands while they continue to work together (I am not clear on who retains ownership of the formulation if the company leaves the mfg,and I do believe that the formula remains with the company). So I do think this is a bit of a fluke, although I think it’s really unfair to the original brand.

But like I said there is a lot that goes into pricing like packaging. Better packaging can mean a more stable product. With something like Vit C, if you package in a clear container, for example, you are allowing sunlight to get into the product which could cause it to spoil. And you want it dispensed so that the least amount of oxygen gets in when it’s opened. So while there’s a general sense of ‘uh I don’t want to pay for packaging” by consumers, I think what is often left out is that packaging is extremely important to product stability. What consumers don’t want to pay for is the marketing. And from what I could see, neither brand is spending a whole lot on that.

I think what the original TIA post unfairly highlights the stigma of PL, which points to why companies are not willing to disclose this. The end paragraph talks about sticking with brands that are known to have their own in-house labs. So I do think it would kill a small company’s ability to compete if they admit to PL.

And what it all really boils down to is what the customer is willing to pay. If they are open to paying $25 for a serum then that’s what the serum is worth to them. For example, I am not open to spending $350 on Cream de la Mer–I don’t think any formula justifies that sort of price tag. But I am OK with spending $40 – $60 for a moisturizer that I know gets the job done.

But for those that do spend $350, could there be a product out there for less that will offer the same thing, whether it’s the same formula or a similar formula? Perhaps. Are they willing to spend the time investigating that? Spending money on different products that may or may not work? If it’s several hundred’s dollars difference maybe yes. But for 12 bucks? I don’t think the leg work required is worth it. Particularly when I do think the cost is associated with the choice in packaging.