This week, I checked in with cosmetic chemists, contract manufacturers, packaging professionals and brands to better understand the reformulation process. Reformulations have become increasingly common across the industry thanks to regulatory changes, supply chain disruption and shifting consumer ingredient preferences.
Additionally, Ulta Beauty appoints a new CMO, a new California bill could prevent the sale of certain skin-care ingredients to minors, and Cécred enters retail one year after launch.
Insiders share the secret behind a successful reformulation
Years ago, before social media and the rise of internet sleuths, beauty industry reformulations happened quickly, quietly and out of view from consumers.
But today, thanks to conversations on social platforms like Reddit and Youtube, and across retailer community message boards, beauty superfans can spot a new formulation miles away. Noteworthy reformulations have garnered headlines over the past year, both positive and negative.
For example, Givenchy’s change to its cult loose powder garnered negative internet fodder, while Kosas’s change to its lip liners resulted in positive press last year. Examples like this are plentiful and common and reveal the uphill battle formulators, R&D executives and marketers face.
There are several reasons why a brand may choose to reformulate an existing product. Some are outside of their control, like supply chain disruption or regulatory changes like the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, which created a stricter framework for brands. Others are strategic, like entering a retailer’s clean beauty program, removing potentially problematic ingredients before they become widely scrutinized or revamping a brand’s sustainability goals.
“Reformulating requires significant investment, not just financially, but in time, research and testing,” said Megan Picurro, director of marketing of heritage skin-care brand Mario Badescu.
For Picurro’s team, removing talc from the brand’s hero Buffering Lotion and Special Healing Powder was a top priority for 2024. Also motivating Givenchy’s powder reformulation, talc has fallen out of vogue due to contamination concerns such as asbestos. So while talc is still allowed to be in products, brands have invested in its removal to better align with consumer values and shifting FDA regulations.
Holly Moore, product developer, UCLA cosmetic sciences instructor and founder of the Ingredientist consultancy group, told Glossy that this type of reformulation is incredibly common as ingredient science and safety advances. “Sometimes brands didn’t know what they didn’t know [back when formulating the product the first time], right?” she said.
“We had to carefully rethink ingredient interactions, stability and texture while ensuring these formulas delivered the same or better results,” said Mario Badescu’s Picurro. She told Glossy that the team experienced numerous challenges during the reformulation, including misinterpretations of raw material inspections and unexpected pH shifts, which affected formula stability. Eventually, the team successfully reformulated and relaunched both products. The team further differentiated them with new names — Deep Blemish Solution and Blemish Repairing Powder — and packaging.
Like the Mario Badescu team, planning for some reformulations can be done years in advance, like when strategically entering the E.U. or Australian market where regulations are quite strict. Others must be done quickly, like when fixing a stability issue that’s triggered a recall.
Glossy surveyed several chemists and formulators for advice on navigating these reformulations, and each conversation began with the same piece of advice: Seamless ingredient swaps don’t really exist in beauty.
“It’s not a one-for-one ingredient substitution — it never is,” Moore said. “You have to recalibrate the formula completely.”
This requires new testing and stability data, plus regulatory compliance and registering, depending on the markets sold into, which leads many brands to discontinue products and start new to avoid the headache. For some, a reformulation is too pricey, and for others, too risky.
“It has to do with legacy,” Moore said. “[Some brands] would much rather preserve the brilliance and have the nostalgia of the memory live on versus attempting to recreate it and risk disappointment because a standard was set so high and you just can’t even come close to it today.”
Megan Cox, owner of Genie Supply, a contract manufacturer in Bedford, Indiana, recommends brands think very carefully about reformulating. “More than money, you have to consider the time involved, because the larger the company, the longer all those timelines are going to take,” she said. “[Reformulating across your markets may mean you have to] reformulate, retest and reregister, which is a two- or three-year process [for each market, like U.S., the E.U., etc.].”
What’s more, “reformulations can be so elusive, you may spend years reformulating and never hit the target you want” with the new formula, Cox said.
Genie Supply caters to entrepreneurs and emerging brands doing under $10 million in annual revenue and selling products for an average of $40-$60 at retail.
There is also packaging to consider. “A lot of brands think of packaging as an afterthought when reformulating,” said Allison Kent-Gunn, cosmetic packaging sales director at Jansy Packaging and social media educator. “But we can’t update the ingredient list on the packaging until the formulation is done, and a lot of brands don’t like to do it until the formulation has already passed compatibility and stability, which takes 12 weeks.”
What’s more, any change to the product can impact the stability of the packaging, and vice versa, and requires more testing. This causes many brands to fall behind in their reformulation timelines, Kent-Gunn told Glossy.
“Depending on how intense the reformulation is, [many brands] don’t realize how much of their testing they have to redo,” said Laura Lam-Phaure, founder of Lam Phaure Beauty and expert in technical product development and custom formulations. This includes consumer perception testing, safety and stability testing, and any other step that requires having the final version of the product before tackling.
Of course, there are some reformulations that are easier than most, like removing fragrance from a formula or switching to a different raw material supplier, said Lam-Phaure. For small shifts like this, the cost will fall well below that of developing a new product. But for major reformulations, like swapping an emulsifier or removing an active ingredient, reformulations can be more expensive than creating a new product altogether.
Either way, the decision of when and how to let the consumer in on the journey can be challenging. “A lot of consumers view reformulations as negative, but it can easily be turned into something positive,” said Lam-Phaure. “There are so many new technologies [in formulating] that can be introduced into your new formula that are wonderful and really help to push innovation forward. But I also understand [consumers’ concern] when they use something for years, and then all of a sudden, it’s changed.”
Executive moves:
- Announced Monday, Kelly Mahoney is Ulta Beauty’s new chief marketing officer. She has been with the retailer for more than nine years and most recently served as svp of customer and consumer growth marketing. She replaces Michelle Crossan-Matos, who stepped down in January after two years as CMO.
- Neela Montgomery has stepped down from her role as CEO of the beauty company Orveon, owner of brands like Laura Mercier and Bare Minerals. Her successor has not yet been named.
- Samantha Mane is the new CEO of Mane Group, the fifth-largest fragrance and flavors supplier to the beauty industry. She is the fifth generation family operator and succeeds her father, Jean Mane, in the CEO role.
News to know:
- A new bill in California could prevent the sale of certain skin-care products to minors. Assembly bill AB 728 was introduced by California Assembly member Alex Lee last week and has garnered mixed support. The bill seeks to make ingredients like retinol, vitamin C and alpha hydroxy acids only available to purchase by adults 18 or older.
- Chemical sunscreen has had its fair share of bad press over the past few years, including studies that show a high rate of absorption into the body and potential danger to the natural environment like coral reefs. In an interview last week with Beauty Matter, a representative from the Food and Drug Administration stated that, despite any industry confusion, animal testing is required for all chemical sunscreens. This could mean a change in consumer perception around chemical filters as products with chemical sunscreen are not considered “cruelty-free.”
- South Korean niche fragrance brand Borntostandout has taken on series A funding led by venture firm Touch Capital with minority investment from L’Oréal Group’s Bold Ventures. The brand offers scents like Black Guava and Black Mango direct-to-consumer for $290 for 50 milliliters.
- One year after its official launch, Cécred has entered Ulta Beauty. Starting April 6, the hair-care line will be available in more than 1,400 Ulta Beauty doors. Cécred launched in February 2024 by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and is independently held.
- Actress Gillian Anderson is the new global ambassador of L’Oréal Paris. The 56-year-old actress will front the line’s Age Perfect campaign.
- Sally Beauty Holdings, parent company to more than 5,000 Sally Beauty stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, reported consolidated net sales of $938 million, an increase of 0.7% compared to the prior year, during its first-quarter earnings call this month. The company also revealed a new distribution partnership with Unilever-owned K18 to distribute the buzzy hair treatments in all Sally stores.
Stat of the week:
New figures released on Thursday show the growth of the fragrance marketplace. According to market research company Straits Research, the global perfume market size was valued at $55.53 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $88.35 billion by 2033, thanks to a 5.3% compound annual growth rate. The firm ranks Europe as the largest existing market and Asia as its fastest-growing market.
In the headlines:
Unilever settles class suit over benzene in shampoo. L’Oréal launches female empowerment campaign in China. How consumers shopped beauty for Valentine’s Day 2025, according to Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Target and more. Chanel creates E-logo for authorized partners selling its fragrances and cosmetics.
Listen in:
MCoBeauty CMO Meridith Rojas joins The Glossy Beauty Podcast to discuss the Australian beauty brand’s U.S. expansion and the marketing strategy supporting it.
Need a Glossy recap?
What’s up with ‘Republican makeup’? How Katie Sturino is using an Instagram broadcast channel to launch products. Pvolve introduces workouts for menopause, fertility. Marie Claire bets on beauty with debut digital beauty issue.
