TD Labs

TD Labs ยท Free for beauty founders

Is Your Formula Ready to Sell?

The 10-Point Chemist Check. For beauty founders who already have a formula. Ten questions a cosmetic chemist would ask before you order your next batch.

  • Ten yes / no / not sure questions you answer about your own formula
  • One line on why each one matters to your brand
  • A simple score that tells you when it's time for a chemist
Cosmetic formulation lab

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Nothing looks wrong. That's exactly why.

Most founders I talk to have a product their customers love, and it has never been checked by a chemist.

A formula can look, feel and sell just fine while something underneath isn't doing its job. This check walks you through the 10 questions I'd ask before you order your next batch. Be honest. "Not sure" counts.

Talima Davis, cosmetic chemist, TD Labs

What the check covers

Ten questions in three parts, the same way a chemist would look at your formula.

Part 1 ยท Checks 1โ€“3

Your formula on paper

  • Does it add up to exactly 100%?
  • Is your pH measured and recorded?
  • Is your ingredient list labeled correctly?

Part 2 ยท Checks 4โ€“8

Will it hold up?

  • Does your preservative fit your formula?
  • Do your ingredients work together?
  • Does it survive heat and cold?
  • Do your formula and packaging get along?
  • Can you back up your shelf life?

Part 3 ยท Checks 9โ€“10

Ready to sell

  • Do your label claims match what's in the jar?
  • Does batch 3 match batch 1?

Then count your answers. Your score tells you whether you're in good shape or it's time for a chemist's review.

Is this checklist for you?

It's for you if

  • You already have a formula and have made a sample
  • You sell it, or you're about to
  • It's a hair, skin, body or lip product
  • You want a chemist's eyes on it before your next batch

Skip it if

  • You're still at the idea stage, or using a formula found online or made with AI
  • You make products just for yourself
  • Your product is color cosmetics or SPF
Talima Davis in the TD Labs lab

Who made this checklist

A chemist who's been the founder

I'm Talima Davis, cosmetic chemist and founder of TD Labs. Before the lab, I built my own beauty brand and took it to TJ Maxx, Walgreens and Walmart, so I know what changes when a product has to hold up batch after batch, on shelves and in shipping.

Today I help indie beauty founders fix and improve their formulas: stability, preservation, texture and separation.

Find out before your customers do.

Run your formula through the 10-Point Chemist Check. It takes a few minutes.

This checklist is a starting point, not a substitute for testing. It does not evaluate safety or regulatory compliance.