Epilab has been manufacturing cosmetics in Australia since 2011. From our purpose-built lab in Melbourne we work with indie founders launching their first 500-unit pilot, established brands scaling into national retail, and everyone in between — from Western Australia to North Queensland, Adelaide to Hobart, and every postcode in between.

We currently support 100+ Australian brand partners with 700+ products formulated to date, shipped to retailers, salons, pharmacies, and direct-to-consumer warehouses across the country.

If you’re a founder anywhere in Australia trying to decide who should make your products, this page covers what working with an Australian-based contract manufacturer actually looks like, why where your manufacturer sits matters less than how they work with you, and how Epilab specifically operates with brands outside Victoria.

What we manufacture

Skincare — cleansers, toners, essences, serums, moisturisers, masks, eye care, face oils, mists, exfoliants, treatments, and active-led formulations across natural, organic, dermatologist-style, and clinical positioning.

Body care — body washes, lotions, butters, scrubs, oils, deodorants, hand and foot care.

Hair care — shampoos, conditioners, masks, leave-in treatments, scalp care, styling.

Specialty categories — beard care, men’s grooming, intimate care, pet skincare, baby and child care (with appropriate safety positioning).

We do not manufacture aerosol products, and we are not TGA-licensed for primary sunscreens above SPF 15. For everything else within cosmetic and personal care, we operate to Good Manufacturing Practice standards from a purpose-built Melbourne facility.

How we serve brands outside Melbourne

Most of the founders we work with are not in Melbourne. Here’s how the operational reality works.

Formulation development happens remotely. Brief calls, ingredient discussions, sample direction, and formulation iteration all happen over video and email. Founders in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and regional centres run brand development with us without ever needing to fly down for development. Most never visit during the formulation phase.

Samples ship via standard courier. Once we mix a formulation round, samples ship to your address — anywhere in Australia — typically within 1-3 business days depending on state. You evaluate at your end, send feedback, and we iterate. The development loop runs the same for a Hobart founder as it does for a Cheltenham founder fifteen minutes away.

Production sign-off happens via documented sample approval. Once a formulation is locked in, we move to production. There is no requirement to be physically present for production. Documentation, batch records, certificates of analysis, and finished sample retention all happen on our end. You receive the documentation; you don’t need to see the lab to verify it.

Finished goods ship via standard freight Australia-wide. Once production is complete, finished stock is typically dispatched the next day. Clients usually arrange their own freight (which gives you control over carrier and timing), or we can arrange a standard courier for you. Melbourne is well-served by every major Australian freight provider, so transit times are predictable in every direction.

The “where is your manufacturer based” question is mostly a myth. Regulatory frameworks (AICIS for cosmetic ingredients, ACCC for product safety, TGA for therapeutic products) are federal, not state-based. An Australian-made claim depends on manufacturing meeting Australian Made & Owned criteria — not on where the founder is sitting. A brand in Perth working with a Melbourne manufacturer carries the same “Australian Made” credentials as a brand in Melbourne working with the same manufacturer.

Why Australian manufacturing matters

The choice to manufacture in Australia rather than overseas comes down to four things, and they apply equally whether you’re based in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or anywhere else.

1. Regulatory clarity. Australian-manufactured cosmetics are subject to AICIS ingredient compliance, ACCC product safety standards, and TGA oversight for any therapeutic claims. The framework is enforced, predictable, and well-understood. You’re not chasing translation of compliance documentation from offshore sources.

2. Supply chain verification. When you visit a Melbourne facility, you see what’s actually being made. When you receive batch records from an Australian manufacturer, those records reflect what actually happened in production. The verification gap that exists with offshore manufacturing — where ingredient substitution at the contract manufacturer level is hard to detect from a finished product alone — is largely closed.

3. Communication reality. Working with an Australian manufacturer means same-day responses, same time zone, same language nuance, same cultural understanding of the Australian retail market. Production decisions don’t wait 14 hours for a reply.

4. Australian Made positioning. “Australian Made” is one of the strongest country-of-origin trust marks in the Australian consumer market. Pharmacy, department store, and increasingly independent retail buyers expect it for natural and skincare lines. Manufacturing in Australia is the only way to make the claim legitimately.

For boutique and indie brands, there’s also a fifth reason: at low volumes (sub-2,000 units per SKU), the cost gap between Australian and overseas manufacturing is often roughly competitive once minimums, sample fees, freight, duty, compliance certification, and lead time risk are honestly added up. The “Australia is always expensive” assumption tends to break down once a brand actually runs the numbers on small volumes.

For deeper detail on the cost comparison, see our Cost Transparency Guide and Australian vs Overseas Manufacturing breakdowns.

Capabilities at a glance

Minimum order quantities:

• Most categories: 500 units per SKU
• Tube-format products: 3,000 units per SKU (tube minimums are set by the tube supplier, not us)
• White label range (coming soon): from approximately 50 units

Scale ceiling: Production batches scale from boutique pilot runs (500-2,000 units) through established-brand growth volumes (5,000-25,000) up to retail-scale runs in the tens of thousands per batch. We’ve supported brands from first-launch through national retail listings.

Formulation services:

• Custom formulation from a brief
• Reformulation of an existing product
• White label adaptation (selecting from a base, customising fragrance, colour, and packaging)
• Stability testing and compliance documentation
• Packaging recommendation and procurement coordination

Compliance: GMP-aligned manufacturing, AICIS-compliant ingredient handling, batch-level traceability, certificates of analysis, ingredient declaration support for AICIS notification, and compliance documentation suitable for Australian retail and export.

Manufacturing in Australia since 2011

Our journey:

• 2011 — Founded
• 2012 — 50+ products formulated
• 2015 — Dedicated facility opens
• 2016 — 200+ products formulated
• 2019 — International compliance system implemented
• 2020 — Purpose-built lab, GMP-aligned
• 2021 — 500+ products formulated
• 2025 — 700+ products formulated, 100+ brand partners
• 2026 — Next-generation facility

Fifteen years of building beauty brands across Australia, one formulation at a time.

Where to start by state

If you’re researching manufacturers from outside Victoria, here’s a state-by-state summary of what to look for:

New South Wales (Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, regional NSW) — The largest concentration of beauty brands in Australia. NSW founders typically have several local NSW-based manufacturer options, but freight from Melbourne to Sydney is overnight, formulation development is remote regardless of state, and the choice typically comes down to manufacturer fit rather than geography. See our Cosmetic Manufacturer Sydney page for the full breakdown.

Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast) — Queensland has a growing cluster of cosmetic manufacturers, particularly on the Gold Coast. For QLD founders comparing Melbourne to Brisbane manufacturers, the operational difference is minimal once you’re past the initial brief. See Cosmetic Manufacturer Brisbane for detail.

Western Australia (Perth, regional WA) — WA has limited local cosmetic manufacturing infrastructure. Most WA brands work with east-coast manufacturers. We have a dedicated Cosmetic Manufacturer Perth page covering how the relationship works for Perth founders specifically.

South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart), Northern Territory, ACT, regional Australia — All actively served. The operational model is identical: remote formulation, courier samples, standard freight on finished goods.

Choosing an Australian cosmetic manufacturer: what to look for

Five practical questions to ask any Australian manufacturer you’re considering, regardless of where they’re based:

1. What are your real MOQs, by category?
The honest answer separates the manufacturers worth pursuing from the ones who will try to push you into volumes you don’t need. Watch for “starts at 1,000” claims that get walked back to higher numbers once specific packaging is specified.

2. Do you formulate in-house, or do you outsource formulation to a separate lab?
Some Australian “manufacturers” are actually packaging operations that subcontract formulation. Both models work — but you should know which one you’re hiring.

3. What’s the realistic timeline from signed brief to finished stock at my door?
For most cosmetic categories, 12-20 weeks is realistic. “We can do it in 6 weeks” is a flag. So is “12+ months.” Honest manufacturers will give you a range tied to category complexity.

4. What does the documentation look like?
You should receive batch records, certificates of analysis, ingredient INCI declarations, and any stability data. If the answer is vague, the documentation discipline is probably vague too.

5. How do you handle revisions during formulation development?
The answer here predicts how much friction you’ll experience over the next 12 weeks. Look for clear sample round structures, transparent feedback loops, and a defined point at which the formulation is locked.

Frequently asked questions

Does Epilab only work with Melbourne-based brands?
No. The majority of our brand partners are based outside Victoria — across NSW, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, and regional Australia. Working remotely with non-Melbourne founders is the standard operating model.

Do I need to visit the lab during development?
No. Some founders choose to visit once formulation is well underway, particularly for fragrance approval or final visual sign-off. Most never do, and the relationship works equally well either way.

What’s the minimum order quantity?
500 units per SKU for most categories. 3,000 units for products in tube format (the minimum is set by the tube supplier, not by us). A white label range with lower minimums (~50 units) is in development.

How do you handle freight to my city?
Finished goods are typically dispatched the next business day after production completion. Most clients arrange their own freight via their preferred carrier. We can also arrange a standard courier on your behalf if preferred.

Are you “Australian Made” eligible?
Yes. Products manufactured at our Melbourne facility meet Australian Made & Owned criteria. Brands using us as their manufacturer are eligible to apply for Australian Made certification on their finished products.

Can you do private label, or only custom formulation?
Both. Most of our work is custom formulation from a brief, but we also offer white label and private label paths for founders who want to launch faster or test the category before investing in custom development.

Are you TGA-licensed?
We operate to Good Manufacturing Practice standards and our compliance documentation supports cosmetic and personal care registration requirements. For primary sunscreens above SPF 15 (regulated as therapeutic goods), a separate TGA-licensed manufacturer would be required.

Do you make aerosol products?
No. Aerosol manufacturing requires specialised equipment and licensing we do not operate. Pump and pressurised non-aerosol formats are fine.

What categories don’t you manufacture?
Aerosols, primary sunscreens above SPF 15, and any veterinary products requiring APVMA registration. Everything else within cosmetic, skincare, haircare, body care, and personal care is in scope.

How do I start?
Email info@epilab.com.au with a short outline of what you want to make, the target volume, and any timeline. We’ll respond with the next-step questions and a rough capability fit assessment.