TD Labs ยท For beauty founders
Formula Review
I want a chemist to look at my formula.
Your product works and your customers like it, but no chemist has ever checked it. I review your formula on paper and send a written report: what's working, what's at risk, and what to do next. No call needed.
$699 ยท Written report in 7โ10 business days
Most founders I talk to have a product their customers love, and it has never been checked by a chemist.
Nothing looks wrong. That's exactly why.
A formula can look, feel and sell just fine while something underneath isn't doing its job. Run yours through these 10 questions. Be honest. "Not sure" counts.
Talima Davis, cosmetic chemist, TD Labs ยท Former founder. Took my own brand to TJ Maxx, Walgreens and Walmart.
The 10-Point Chemist Check
Is Your Formula Ready to Sell?
For beauty founders who already have a formula. Ten questions a cosmetic chemist would ask before you order your next batch.
01
Your formula adds up to 100%.
Do your percentages total exactly 100%, written down?
Why it mattersIf they don't, no one can make your product the same way twice, including your manufacturer.
02
Your preservative fits your formula.Safety check
If your product contains water (or will meet water, like in a shower), has your preservative been challenge-tested in this formula (USP 51), or does your supplier's data cover your pH and product type?
Why it mattersA product can look fine for months while it isn't protected. Your customer may find out before you do.
03
Your pH is measured and recorded.
For water-based products: have you measured the pH of your finished product and written it in your batch notes?
Why it matterspH affects whether your preservative and your key ingredients can do their job.
04
Your ingredients work together.
Have you checked that your ingredients are compatible with each other?
Why it mattersSome clashes show up as separation or clumping. Others are invisible and quietly waste the money you spent on your best ingredients.
05
Your claims match the jar.
Can every claim on your label (brightening, hydrating, smoothing) be traced to an ingredient at a level, and in a form, that can do that job in your formula? And is each one a cosmetic claim, not a drug claim (like "treats eczema" or "heals acne")?
Why it mattersAn active at the wrong level or in the wrong base can sit in the jar doing nothing while your label promises it does. A drug claim can turn your product into a drug in the eyes of the FDA.
06
It survives heat and cold.
Have you kept a sample somewhere hot and somewhere cold (think a delivery truck in July, a mailbox in January) and checked it afterward?
Why it mattersMelting, graininess and separation show up in summer reviews and refund emails, not on your bench.
07
Your formula and packaging get along.
Have you stored your formula in its final packaging for several weeks and checked both the product and the container?
Why it mattersSome formulas react with some packaging. Leaks, warping and changes in texture or scent start here.
08
You can back up your shelf life.
Is the expiration date or shelf life on your label based on testing or observation, or is it a guess?
Why it mattersRetailers and serious buyers ask. "We think it lasts a year" isn't an answer.
09
Your ingredient list is labeled correctly.
Is your ingredient list in the right order (highest amount first) with the correct ingredient names?
Why it mattersIt's one of the first things a retail buyer or regulator reads, and errors make a brand look new.
10
Batch 3 matches batch 1.
Does every batch look, feel and smell the same?
Why it mattersYour customers notice before you do. Repeat buyers expect the same product every time.
Your score
Count your No and Not sure answers.
0โ2: You're in good shape. Keep your records, and re-check when you change an ingredient, a supplier or your packaging.
3 or more: That's what a Formula Review is for.
Preservative check
Answered No or Not sure on #2 (preservative)? Get it checked, whatever your score.
Formula Review
$699
Send me your full formula. I review it as a cosmetic chemist and a former founder, and you get a written report: what's working, what's at risk, and what to do next, plus a proposed formula. No call needed.
One follow-up review: if you change the formula based on the report, send it back within 30 days and I'll review the updated version.
Add a lab sample. We make a sample of your product in our lab from the recommended formula and send it to you with notes on what changed from your original. $1,350 total.
Not sure yet? Book a free call instead.
How it works
Six steps. No call needed.
- Buy your Formula Review. Add a lab sample at checkout if you'd like one made.
- Sign the mutual NDA. It arrives by email from Dropbox Sign within 1 business day, so your formula is protected before you send it.
- Email us your formula. Send the full ingredient list with percentages (weights are fine; we'll convert them). Your 7โ10 business day review starts the day we receive it.
- Get your written report. What's working, what's at risk and what to do next, plus a proposed formula with ingredient, supplier and packaging recommendations and links.
- Made changes? Send the updated formula within 30 days for one follow-up review.
- Added a lab sample? Once you approve the recommended formula, we make your sample and send it to you with notes on what changed. Allow about 2โ3 weeks from there, once the raw materials arrive at our lab. We'll email you when they're in and your sample is underway.
A Formula Review is an on-paper review by a cosmetic chemist. Lab testing is separate.
Before you buy
Is a Formula Review right for you? It is if:
- You've actually made a sample of your formula. Percentages or weights are both fine; we'll convert weights to percentages.
- It's not a concept, a formula found online, or one generated with AI.
- It's a hair, skin, body or lip product. We don't review color cosmetics or SPF products.
- You want your existing formula reviewed, and it's one product per review.
Not a fit? Book a free call and we'll point you to the right option.
Formula Review ยท $699
Written report in 7โ10 business days.
This checklist is a starting point, not a substitute for testing. A Formula Review is an on-paper assessment by a cosmetic chemist. Lab testing (for example, preservative efficacy testing) is separate. This checklist does not evaluate safety or regulatory compliance.