Has Anyone Built Their Brand with a Custom Formula?

I’m researching custom cosmetic formulation for a potential beauty brand launch and wanted to get some honest feedback. I’ve seen companies offering R&D, lab testing, and ingredient customization, promising to align products with your brand identity. It all sounds great but is it truly worth it?

For those who’ve done it, how involved were you in the custom cosmetic formulation process? Did it take a long time to finalize the formulation?

I’m also wondering how flexible these services are with small batch orders. I don’t want to invest in huge volumes right away. Did your lab offer scalable solutions and transparency about ingredients and testing?

Also, if you went the custom route, did it really give you a competitive edge, or do most customers not notice the difference compared to private label?