What to send a Korean cosmetics manufacturer before you ask for a quote

A quote is only as good as the request behind it. Send a manufacturer “I want to make a hydrating cream, how much?” and you’ll get a vague range, a long list of questions, or no reply at all. Send a clear one-page brief and you’ll usually get a faster answer, a more accurate price, and a quote you can put next to the others.

Manufacturers get many requests from new brands. The ones that are easy to quote tend to get answered first.

The one-page brief

You don’t need a finished formula or final artwork. You need enough for a manufacturer to know what you’re asking for and whether it fits what they do.

1. About you

Your brand name and website if you have one, where you’ll sell, and when you hope to launch. A manufacturer wants to know whether you’re testing an idea or preparing a launch with a date.

2. The product

• The product type and format, such as a 50 ml hand cream or a sheet mask with 22 ml of essence
• The texture and feel you want
• Key ingredients and the claims you’d like to make
• Anything you want to avoid, such as fragrance, certain preservatives or animal-derived ingredients
• One or two reference products, and what you like about each

3. Packaging

Say whether you want stock or custom packaging, the type (airless pump, tube, jar or pouch), how it’s decorated, and whether you need a carton. Say whether you expect the manufacturer to source packaging or plan to source it yourself. Packaging often moves the price and the minimum more than the formula does.

4. Quantities

Give your first order per variant and the number of variants. Ask for prices at two or three quantities, such as 3,000 and 5,000 units, so you can see how the price changes with volume.

5. Price

Share your target retail price and the unit cost you’re aiming for. It can feel like giving something away, but it lets the lab choose ingredients and packaging that fit, instead of guessing.

6. Markets

List where you’ll sell. The US, the EU, Korea and other markets have different ingredient rules and paperwork, and a manufacturer that exports regularly will know which documents to prepare.

7. What you want back

Ask for the same things from everyone:

• A price breakdown: formula and filling, packaging, and one-time costs on separate lines
• What is and isn’t included
• The minimum order, and what sets it
• How sampling works, how many rounds are included and what extra rounds cost
• Lead times for samples and for production
• Price terms, such as ex-factory or delivered to a port, and how long the price is valid

What to leave out, at first

• Confidential details. If you have your own formula, describe it in general terms until there’s a reason to share more, and consider a non-disclosure agreement before you do.
• Final artwork. Packaging type and decoration are enough for a quote.
• Every variant you might ever make. Quote the launch range. You can add more later.
• A long deck. One page that answers the questions above beats twenty slides.

An example brief

Brand: a new skincare brand selling online in the US and EU, launching in about six months.

Product: 50 ml hand cream. Light, fast-absorbing gel-cream texture. Key ingredients: ceramides and shea butter. Light citrus scent. No mineral oil. Reference: we like the texture of a light gel cream that doesn’t leave hands greasy.

Packaging: 50 ml PE tube with a flip-top cap, offset printed in two colors, in a printed carton. Please source tubes, caps and cartons if you can.

Quantity: two scents, 3,000 units each. Please also quote 5,000 each.

Price: retail around $18. Target unit cost under $2.50, including tube, cap and carton.

Please include: a price breakdown, what sets the minimum, sample rounds and fees, lead times, price terms and how long the price is valid, and the documents you can provide for the US and EU.

That’s the whole thing. It fits on one page and answers most of the questions a manufacturer would otherwise send back.

Sending it

• Send the same brief to every manufacturer, so the quotes you get back are comparable.
• Use metric units, and give sizes in ml or g.
• Many manufacturers that work with overseas brands reply in English. A short Korean summary can help with smaller manufacturers.
• Follow up after a week if you haven’t heard back. A short, polite reminder is normal.

When the quotes arrive, check what each one covers before you compare prices. We explain how in reading a hand cream quote, and our guide to finding a cosmetics manufacturer in Korea covers how the industry is organized and what to ask.

How Andle helps

Our free feasibility check tells you the specs to settle before you ask for quotes, the likely limits on quantity and budget, and the kind of manufacturer to look for. When you’re ready, we send the same brief to manufacturers and packaging suppliers that fit, and lay their quotes side by side. You see every one of them by name and work with them directly. Read more about making skincare in Korea, or tell us what you’re making and we’ll reply within 48 hours.