Baby Products Manufacturer Australia

Epilab is an Australian manufacturer of baby and children’s personal care products. We run custom formulation, private label and white label production from a single Melbourne facility. We make baby wash, baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby oil, balms, nappy creams and kids skincare for indie founders launching their first SKU through to established baby and kids brands running retail-scale orders.

We have been manufacturing cosmetics in Melbourne since 2011. Baby and children’s formulation has its own rules. Lower fragrance loading, gentler surfactants, tear-free where the format allows, hypoallergenic positioning, and a conservative approach to actives that keep things safe for the most sensitive skin in the household.

One scope note before we go further. We do not produce primary sunscreens for the baby and kids category. Baby sunscreens are regulated by the TGA in Australia and the licensing requirements sit outside our current capability. Everything else in the baby and kids personal care category is within scope.

What we manufacture

The baby and children’s range we produce splits across ten core categories. Each has its own page with category-specific MOQs, formulation notes, costs and FAQs.

• Baby shampoo manufacturer Australia: tear-free, gentle, hypoallergenic and fragrance-free formats.
• Baby wash manufacturer Australia: body wash and head-to-toe cleansers for the bath routine.
• Baby lotion manufacturer Australia: hydrating daily lotion, sensitive-skin formulations and bath-time moisturisers.
• Baby oil manufacturer Australia: massage oils, pre-bath oils and gentle daily oils.
• Nappy rash balm manufacturer Australia: barrier balms with zinc oxide and gentle treatment formats.
• Baby balm manufacturer Australia: multi-purpose balms for dry patches, scalp, lips and cracked skin.
• Kids skincare manufacturer Australia: products formulated for the toddler-to-teen age range as kids transition out of pure baby formats.
• Hypoallergenic baby products manufacturer Australia: formulations built around minimised allergen profiles and dermatologically validated positioning.
• Natural baby products manufacturer Australia: plant-derived ingredient bases with COSMOS-compatible options.
• Newborn products manufacturer Australia: the most conservative formulations for the 0-3 month range where skin barrier is still developing.

Three production paths

Every brand starts in one of three places, and we offer all three under one roof.

Custom formulation

You bring a brief, we build the formula. Custom is the right path when you want a hero product that does not exist on a stock shelf, when you are positioning around a specific ingredient story (eg. native botanical actives, single-source plant oils, paediatric dermatologist input), or when your brand identity depends on a sensory signature that off-the-shelf bases cannot match. Custom baby and kids formulation typically runs six to twelve weeks because there is a higher safety bar than adult products. Minimum order quantities start at 500 units for most formats.

Private label

You select from our existing baby and kids formula library and apply your branding. Private label moves faster than custom, usually three to six weeks from approval to delivery, because the formula work is already complete and dermatologically tested. You still control fragrance choice (or no fragrance), packaging and the on-pack story. This is the most popular path for indie baby brands launching their first SKU.

White label

Pre-formulated, pre-tested products ready to ship with your label. White label is the fastest path to market and the lowest risk because every formula has been validated. The trade-off is less brand-specific differentiation. White label suits brands testing market response or filling category gaps quickly.

MOQ ladder

Our minimum order quantities scale with the production path and the format. Most baby liquids (shampoo, wash, lotion, oil) start at 500 units. Tube-packaged products (balms, nappy creams in tubes) start at 3,000 units because tube filling requires longer machine setup. Jar-packaged balms, pump bottles, and dropper formats run at 500 minimum. Brands running retail volume of 100,000 units or more are well within capacity.

Baby and kids formulation considerations

Baby and children’s formulation has a different risk profile than adult personal care. Skin barrier function is still developing in newborns and infants. Sensitivity to fragrance and preservatives is higher. Product can end up in the mouth via hand-to-mouth contact. The formulation philosophy follows.

Surfactants for baby cleansers tilt towards the gentlest available options: amino-acid surfactants, sulphosuccinates, polyglucosides at low usage levels. Tear-free positioning requires specific surfactant selection and pH targeting. Preservatives are selected for low irritation potential. Fragrance is either omitted entirely (fragrance-free) or kept to extremely low usage levels with allergen-screened compositions. Actives that would be standard in adult products (high-strength retinoids, salicylic acid at exfoliating levels, strong AHAs) are out of scope. The product needs to be safe even with imperfect application by a tired parent.

For brands positioning around natural, organic, COSMOS-compatible, vegan or cruelty-free claims, we build to those constraints from the brief stage. We do not retrofit a claim onto a finished formula.

Compliance and documentation

We manufacture to Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Every batch ships with documentation including batch number, manufacture date, expiry date, INCI ingredient declarations, and certificates of analysis where requested. Stability testing, preservative efficacy testing, microbial testing and dermatological patch testing are available for new formulations.

For brands exporting overseas, we can supply the documentation packages required for major destination markets. Baby and kids products often face additional regulatory scrutiny in destination markets so we scope export compliance carefully at the brief stage.

Australian-made positioning

Every product is manufactured in Melbourne. You can claim Australian Made on your packaging when the qualifying criteria are met. For baby and kids brands this is a meaningful retail and trust advantage. Parents care about provenance. Local manufacturing also gives you tight feedback loops on batch performance and consumer complaints.

Cost transparency

Baby product unit cost is driven by format, ingredient density, volume, packaging and decoration. Standard baby wash sits at the lower end of unit cost. Treatment balms with zinc oxide and multiple plant oils sit higher. Newborn-grade formulations with extensive testing programs sit at the upper end. Indicative ranges only, every quote runs against the actual brief.

Launch process

From brief to first delivery the standard path runs five steps. Step one, you send a brief through info@epilab.com.au with category, positioning, claims, age range, budget and volume target. Step two, we respond with a feasibility note covering whether the brief is buildable as-stated and what the formulation path looks like. Step three, we develop the formula (custom) or send sample units (private label or white label). Step four, you approve the sample and sign off on packaging artwork. Step five, we produce the batch, run final QA, and ship.

For most brands the path from first email to first delivery is six to twelve weeks for custom, three to six weeks for private label, and two to four weeks for white label.

Why Epilab

The Australian baby and children’s products manufacturing landscape has a handful of players, and the differences matter. We are a single-site Melbourne facility, which means your formulation, production and quality control all happen in one place under one team. We do all three production paths (custom, private label, white label) under one roof. Our MOQs accommodate indie founders running 500-unit pilot batches and established brands running retail orders, so brands do not need to switch manufacturers as they grow. And we have been making cosmetics here since 2011, so the formulation library and operational depth are real, not aspirational.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum order quantity for baby products?

500 units for most liquid formats (shampoo, wash, lotion, oil). 3,000 units for tube-packaged formats (balms in tubes). Lower minimums may be possible for certain stock white-label products.

Do you make baby sunscreen?

No. Baby sunscreens are TGA-regulated in Australia and the licensing requirements sit outside our current capability. We can make non-SPF baby skincare across the full range.

Can you do tear-free formulations?

Yes. Tear-free positioning is achieved through specific surfactant selection, pH targeting, and validation. Standard part of our baby cleanser work.

Can you do fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested baby products?

Yes to all three. Fragrance-free is a formulation choice. Hypoallergenic is a positioning that depends on screening ingredients against known allergen profiles. Dermatologically tested requires running a panel test (we can manage this).

How long does it take to develop a custom baby formula?

Six to twelve weeks from brief to approved sample. Complex newborn-grade formulations with extensive testing programs sit at the longer end.

Can you do organic-certified baby products?

We can work with COSMOS-compatible or ACO-compatible ingredients. Full certification has additional cost and audit requirements. We scope this at the brief stage.

What about preservative-free baby products?

Truly preservative-free water-based products are typically not safe to ship to retail because microbial contamination risk is too high. We can use the gentlest available preservative systems (multi-functional preservation, lower-irritation systems) but we will push back on a fully preservative-free brief for water-based formats. Anhydrous products (oils, balms) are easier to formulate without traditional preservatives.

Can you do export documentation for the US, EU and Asia?

Yes, with the caveat that baby and kids products often face additional regulatory scrutiny in destination markets. We scope this in the brief stage and supply the documentation package required for your target markets.

Can I scale from 500 units to 100,000 units with you?

Yes. We size-tested our facility specifically so brands do not have to change manufacturers as they grow.

How do I start?

Send a brief to info@epilab.com.au with category, age range, positioning, target volume, target unit cost and any specific claims or constraints. We respond within two business days with a feasibility note.