From Founder to Formulator: The Three Biggest Mistakes I See in Indie Beauty

The beauty industry is shifting. Brands we thought would be around for years—like Ami Colé ( One of my favorites, still very sad)—are closing. Even with investors, retail placement, and what looks like all the right pieces in place, some of these beloved brands just don’t make it.

This isn’t about diving into every reason why. This is more about the “what now?”

I’ve been there. I started my first product line, Limegreen, in 2007. The name came from a nickname my best friend/sister Tamara gave me—she always called me “Lima.” Limegreen had a kiosk in Chelsea Market for almost three years, made it into the New York Times, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and more. Martha Stewart even named me Maker of the Year.

I pitched my brand to investors, stood in front of judges, and even pitched Amy Zuckerberg on the Today Show. In less than two years, we brought in almost a quarter of a million dollars in sales, which landed us a spot on Project Runway: Fashion Startup—where we became one of the only brands to walk away with an investment.

During those years, I attended a lot of trade shows. I was supposed to be selling to buyers, but more often than not, you’d find me in the aisles talking to other founders, giving them formulation advice. At the time, we were one of the only brands making our own castile soap as the base for our cleanser, body wash, and shampoo.

The problems other founders were running into then are the same ones I see now.

One of the biggest? Selling products that haven’t been tested.
Just because you can’t see mold doesn’t mean it’s not there. I know what you might be thinking—preservative testing is expensive. And it can be. But so is recalling your products if there’s a safety issue. If you’re new to this, start with a USP 61 bacterial, yeast, and mold test. It can be done in-house, but I recommend beginners send it to a third-party lab. It’s usually under $100. From there, preservation and stability testing needs to happen at every stage so you know exactly where your product stands. A stability test will tell you if your product changes in color, texture, or smell. If it does at 30, 60, or 90 days, adjustments are needed—and the clock starts over.

Another issue? Ignoring pH balance.
pH isn’t optional. Most raw materials have a pH range, but preservatives and active ingredients are the ones you need to watch most closely because they’re only stable within certain ranges. For example, most serums and cleansers sit well between 5 and 6.5. There are exceptions—think exfoliants or Vitamin C—but in most cases, you’ll need to bring your pH down. Citric acid is beginner-friendly; just make a 2:1 solution and adjust from there.

And finally—overheating ingredients.
I know it’s tempting to crank up the heat to melt things faster, especially with waxes, butters, and oils. But if your oil is smoking, it’s way too hot. Many waxes—like beeswax, candelilla, and carnauba—have specific melting points. If you go beyond those, you can damage their structure and end up with unstable emulsions.

I know this can feel like a lot, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. This is exactly why I share more formulation tips over on Instagram @talimadavis, so you can avoid some of the mistakes I’ve seen over and over.

My plan is to make this blog a “weekly-ish” thing, so check back often—and tell me what you’d like me to cover next.

Happy creating

Talima