How to Label Your Own Skincare Products for Selling in South Africa

Making your own skincare products can be exciting and rewarding. However, selling skincare products comes with responsibilities.

Your label is not simply a pretty sticker. It provides customers with important information about the product, its ingredients, how to use it and who is responsible for making or selling it.

If you are selling handmade skincare products in South Africa, it is important to understand the labelling requirements before you print your labels.

What Should Be on Your Skincare Label?

A professional skincare label should provide clear and accurate information.

Before selling your product, check that your label includes the information applicable to your particular product.

1. Product Name

Start with a clear product name that tells the customer what they are buying.

Examples include:

Nourishing Face Oil

Lavender Body Butter

Moisturising Hand Cream

Rosemary Hair Oil

Avoid using a cosmetic product name that suggests the product treats or cures a medical condition.

For example, “Moisturising Body Cream” is more appropriate for a cosmetic than “Eczema Cure Cream.”

2. Net Contents

Your label should clearly state how much product is inside the container.

Examples include:

50 ml

100 ml

200 g

The quantity declared on your label should be accurate. Don’t estimate the contents simply from the size of your container.

3. List Your Ingredients Correctly

The ingredient declaration is one of the most important parts of your label.

Cosmetic ingredients should generally be declared using recognised INCI names rather than simply using everyday names.

For example:

Shea butter: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter

Jojoba oil: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

Sunflower oil: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

Your finished ingredient list will depend on your actual formulation.

Where Can You Get INCI Names?

If you purchase ingredients from a reputable cosmetic raw-material supplier, ask the supplier for the correct INCI name for each ingredient.

Your supplier may also provide useful technical information such as:

• INCI name
• Ingredient specification
• Recommended usage level
• Preservative information
• Safety or technical information
• Certificate of Analysis where available

Don’t assume that the name printed on the supplier’s packaging is automatically the correct INCI name.

Keep your supplier documentation with your formulation records. This makes it much easier to prepare accurate labels and maintain proper product records.

4. Responsible Person and Business Address

Your label should identify the responsible person or business associated with placing the cosmetic on the market.

For example:

Manufactured by:
Fun With Soap
[Business Address] South Africa

Use your actual business details.

A telephone number, email address or social-media page should not be treated as a substitute for required business information.

5. Batch or Lot Number

A batch number helps you trace your products.

For example:

Batch No: FWS0826-01

Keep a batch record for every production run.

Your records can include:

• Date manufactured
• Product name
• Formula used
• Ingredient batch numbers
• Quantity produced
• Packaging used
• Relevant production notes

Good record keeping can become extremely valuable if a customer has a question or complaint.

6. Expiry or Minimum Durability Information

Cosmetic products have different shelf lives depending on their formulation, ingredients, packaging and manufacturing conditions.

Don’t simply choose an expiry date because it looks convenient.

Where appropriate, shelf-life information should be supported by suitable stability considerations.

Water-based products require particular attention because microorganisms can grow if the formulation, preservation system, packaging or manufacturing process is inadequate.

7. Directions for Use

Customers need to know how to use your product correctly.

For example:

Directions:
Apply a small amount to clean, dry skin and massage gently until absorbed.

Directions are especially useful for products such as facial masks, scrubs, exfoliants, bath products and concentrated formulations.

8. Precautions and Warnings

Include precautions appropriate to your specific formulation.

For example:

Precautions:
For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Keep out of reach of children.

Don’t use identical warnings on every product without considering the ingredients and intended use.

Certain cosmetic ingredients may have restrictions or specific requirements. Always check the applicable requirements and information supplied with your raw materials.

Be Careful With Cosmetic Claims

One of the biggest mistakes small skincare businesses can make is making medical claims about cosmetic products.

There is an important difference between describing a cosmetic benefit and claiming that a product treats or cures a medical condition.

For example, instead of:

“Treats eczema.”

Consider a cosmetic description such as:

“A soothing body butter for dry-feeling skin.”

Avoid claims such as:

• Cures acne
• Treats eczema
• Heals psoriasis
• Treats arthritis
• Cures fungal infections
• Treats diabetes
• Removes medical conditions

Your label, website, social-media advertising and product descriptions should all be considered when describing your product.

A cosmetic should not be marketed in a way that makes misleading therapeutic claims.

Make Your Label Professional

Once you have prepared the required information, you can concentrate on the appearance of your label.

A good skincare label should be:

• Easy to read
• Clearly printed
• Suitable for the container
• Resistant to moisture where necessary
• Professionally designed
• Large enough for the required information
• Consistent with your branding

Don’t make the front of the label so decorative that important information becomes difficult to find.

A clean, simple design can often look more professional than an overcrowded label.

Create a Label Checklist

Before sending your labels to print, check every product individually.

Skincare label checklist:

• Product name
• Cosmetic function
• Net contents
• Ingredients using appropriate INCI names
• Responsible person’s name
• Business address
• Batch or lot number
• Minimum durability information where applicable
• Directions for use
• Appropriate precautions and warnings
• Country of origin where required

Check the current South African requirements before finalising your labels because requirements can change.

Keep Your Product Records

Labelling is only one part of selling handmade skincare products.

Keep your product records organised and up to date.

Depending on the product, your documentation may include:

• Full formulation
• Ingredient percentages
• INCI names
• Raw-material specifications
• Supplier information
• Batch records
• Finished-product specifications
• Stability information where appropriate
• Packaging information
• Safety information
• Label artwork
• Product claims and supporting information

Keeping proper records makes your business more professional and helps you respond to customer questions.

Final Thoughts

Selling handmade skincare products can become a wonderful business, but professional labelling is an important part of doing it responsibly.

A beautiful label attracts attention, but an accurate label gives your customers confidence.

Before selling a new product, check the current South African requirements rather than relying on an old label template.

Keep your formulations, supplier information, batch records and supporting documentation organised.

Most importantly, remember that your skincare label is part of your product’s professional presentation. Take the time to get it right.

A beautiful label attracts the customer. An accurate label protects your customer and your business.

This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal or regulatory advice. Always verify the current requirements applicable to your specific cosmetic products before placing them on the South African market.