If you’ve spent time looking for a Melbourne-based cosmetic contract manufacturer, you’ve already hit the same problems most founders do: most are headquartered elsewhere in Australia, most refuse to publish what they actually charge, and almost none can serve you all the way from your first 500-unit pilot batch through to a 50,000-unit retail-scale production run from the same facility. You typically have to pick: boutique-only operations that can’t scale you, or large operations with high MOQ floors that won’t touch your first launch.

Epilab has been manufacturing cosmetics in Melbourne since 2011, operating from our current facility in Cheltenham, Victoria. We run the full range — from 500-unit pilots for indie founders to 100,000-unit retail batches for established brands — out of one Cheltenham facility with the same team. This page exists to give you the answer most manufacturer sites won’t: what we actually make, who we actually serve, what it actually costs, and where we honestly aren’t the right fit.

Who we manufacture for in Melbourne

Epilab works across the full range of Australian cosmetic brands: boutique and indie founders launching their first product, established Melbourne brands scaling into retail, salon and clinic operators with their own private-label or custom range, and growing brands running 50,000-100,000 unit retail-scale production. The unifying thread is that we serve brands all the way through their growth curve from the same facility — most of our long-tenured clients started with us at pilot batch and now run retail volumes here.

Where we are not the right fit: pressurised aerosol products, TGA-licensed primary sunscreens above SPF 15, and truly extreme rush volumes — if you need a million units in a single week, a multi-line factory is your answer. Anything between a 500-unit pilot and a 100,000-unit retail run, we can run.

Where we do excel is the founder-to-manufacturer relationship. You will talk to me, not a sales team. You will see our Cheltenham facility before you commit to anything. You will get written pricing ranges before you sign anything. We have been doing this for fifteen years and we are not interested in pretending the manufacturing process is more mysterious than it is.

What we manufacture in our Cheltenham facility

Skincare — cleansers, moisturisers, serums (vitamin C, retinol, peptides, niacinamide, AHA/BHA, hydrating, anti-ageing), masks, eye creams, lip products. Custom formulation from brief, or refinement of existing formulas.

Haircare — shampoo, conditioner, treatments, masks, styling products. Salon-grade and retail-grade.

Body care — washes, lotions, scrubs, oils, butters, hand creams.

Baby skincare — hypoallergenic tear-free washes, lotions, nappy balms, bath products.

Pet care — shampoos, conditioners, grooming products for dogs, cats and other companion animals. Sensitive-skin, oatmeal, medicated, and groomer-channel formulas.

Cosmeceutical and clinical-grade skincare — high-active vitamin C, retinoids, peptide complexes, AHA/BHA exfoliants.

Deodorants — cream, stick, roll-on, balm, and pump-spray formats. Not aerosol.

Sunscreens — cosmetic-class up to SPF 15 in-house. For primary sunscreens above SPF 15 requiring TGA listing, we facilitate manufacturing through TGA-licensed partner facilities.

From 500-unit pilots to 100,000-unit retail runs — same facility, same team

The thing most boutique founders don’t realise about cosmetic manufacturing in Melbourne: most manufacturers serve either the low end (small-batch specialists, micro-MOQs) or the high end (large-volume retail) — and they’re not the same operations. Brands that succeed at boutique level usually have to change manufacturers when they scale, which means new formulations, new packaging suppliers, new QA processes, new everything.

Epilab is set up to serve the full range from the same Cheltenham facility, with the same team that briefed your formulation watching it come off the production line whether it’s a 500-unit pilot or a 50,000-unit retail run.

Pilot batches: 500 units. Our minimum for most products across skincare, haircare, body care, baby care and pet care. Lets a founder validate market response before committing to a larger run.

First commercial: 1,000 units. Our typical first commercial run for founders who have already done market validation. Per-unit costs drop noticeably at this scale.

Growth scale: 3,000-10,000 units. Where most brands are within 12-18 months of launch. Per-unit costs are most competitive in this range.

Retail scale: 10,000-100,000+ units per run. Once you have proven sell-through and are stocking with major retailers or running consistent DTC velocity, we can run production batches up to 100,000 units per SKU without you needing to change manufacturers.

Format exception — tubes. Products in tubes specifically (lotions, gels, creams in tube format) start at 3,000 units because of tube-filling line setup costs. Bottles, jars, pumps, dropper formats all hold to our standard 500-unit pilot minimum.

Low-quantity white label — coming soon. For founders who want to test the market without committing to a full pilot batch, we’re rolling out a white-label option with quantities starting as low as 50 units. Talk to us if you’re interested in early access.

The only volume scenario we genuinely can’t do is the truly extreme — if you need a million units inside a single week, that’s beyond our scheduled capacity. Anything short of that, we can run.

Brands that grow with us typically run their pilot batch within 3-4 months of first contact, validate market response over the following 6 months, place their first growth-scale order in year two, and place their first retail-scale order somewhere in year two or three.

How the engagement actually works — a six-step process

Step 1 — Brief and feasibility. We talk through what you want to make, who it’s for, the price-point and category you’re targeting, and any non-negotiables. For most founders this is a 60-minute conversation. If we’re not the right manufacturer, we’ll tell you within that call and recommend who might be better.

Step 2 — Indicative quote. Within 5-10 business days we send a written quote range covering formulation development, packaging options, testing requirements, and per-unit production costs. Indicative ranges, not fixed numbers.

Step 3 — Formulation development. For custom formulation, expect 8-16 weeks from approved brief to a production-ready formula. Private label refinement is faster — typically 2-6 weeks.

Step 4 — Stability and safety testing. Stability testing runs concurrently with sample refinement. Preservative efficacy testing where applicable. Packaging compatibility testing once packaging is locked in.

Step 5 — Production. Once formula and packaging are approved and tested, your production run is scheduled. For pilot batches (500 units) we typically run within 2-4 weeks of approval. Larger batches schedule with typical lead times of 6-10 weeks.

Step 6 — Dispatch and reorder planning. Finished goods are dispatched to your nominated warehouse. We help you model reorder timing based on your launch sales velocity.

Where we sit on price

Most manufacturer sites refuse to publish anything about cost. We’ve published a detailed cost guide elsewhere on the site — see The Hidden Costs of Launching a Skincare Brand in Australia for the full breakdown, plus our Skincare Brand Launch Cost Calculator to model your own numbers.

Broad picture for a Melbourne-based founder budgeting realistically:

• Custom formulation development: $5,000-$9,000 per formula depending on actives
• Private label base with light customisation: $1,000-$3,000 per product
• Stability testing: $800-$1,500 per SKU
• Preservative efficacy testing: $1,000-$1,500 where applicable
• Production at 500-unit pilot: per-unit cost roughly 20-30% above the 3,000-unit price
• Production at 3,000+ units: per-unit cost moves into the price-competitive zone
• Packaging: highly variable, typically 30-40% of total launch cost

A realistic single-SKU boutique launch lands between $35,000 and $80,000 total — and the brands that make it through their first eighteen months almost always budgeted another $20,000-$40,000 for operating costs above that.

If your budget is under $20,000 and you need to launch this quarter, we’ll tell you to start with private label refinement of an existing base rather than custom formulation. That’s not a marketing position — it’s the only honest answer.

How we’re different from the other Melbourne options

There are good Melbourne cosmetic manufacturers and we’ll happily refer you to them when we’re not the right fit. The shorthand on where Epilab differs:

We serve the full growth curve. Most Melbourne manufacturers serve either the low-MOQ boutique end or the 3,000-unit-floor retail end — not both. We’re the rare option that can run your 500-unit pilot and your 50,000-unit retail-scale batch from the same facility, with the same team. Brands that grow with us don’t have to change manufacturers when they scale.

We publish MOQs. Most don’t. We publish ours from 500 to 100,000+ because we want founders to self-qualify before they waste either of our time.

You meet the founder. Our team is involved in every formulation conversation. You’ll have a direct line, not a generic sales address.

You’ll see the facility. Photos on this site, factory walk-through available before you commit. Most manufacturers don’t show their facility publicly.

We’re GMP-aligned. Our operations meet practical GMP standards — documented procedures, batch records, quality controls, ingredient traceability — appropriate for boutique through retail-scale Australian brands. For brands that specifically need third-party-certified manufacturing for export markets, we’ll refer you to facilities that hold those certifications.

Custom formulation AND manufacturing under one roof. Some Australian operators are formulation-only. Some are manufacturing-only. We do both, in the same Cheltenham facility, with the same team that briefed your formulation watching it come off the production line.

Categories we don’t manufacture

• Pressurised aerosol products — we don’t have aerosol filling equipment. We make pump-spray equivalents which work for many use cases.
• Primary sunscreens above SPF 15 — these require TGA listing and a TGA-licensed manufacturing facility. We can introduce you to TGA-licensed Australian facilities.
• Extreme rush volumes — if you need a million units inside a single week, that’s beyond our scheduled capacity. For normal retail-scale lead times (4-10 weeks for 50,000-100,000 unit runs), we’re well within capacity.

Frequently asked questions about Melbourne cosmetic manufacturing

What’s the minimum order quantity for cosmetic manufacturing in Melbourne?

Most Melbourne manufacturers will only quote either the low end or the high end (3,000-5,000 unit floors). Epilab covers the full range: 500-unit pilot batches for first-time founders across most product formats, growth-scale orders of 3,000-10,000, and retail-scale runs up to 100,000+ units per SKU — all from the same Cheltenham facility. Tubes start at 3,000 units due to tube-filling line setup. A low-quantity white-label option starting around 50 units is also coming for founders who want to test the market without a full pilot batch.

How long does it take to develop and manufacture a custom skincare product in Melbourne?

Custom formulation typically takes 8-16 weeks from approved brief to a production-ready formula. Add stability testing (4-12 weeks, run concurrently), packaging procurement (4-16 weeks), and a production run (2-10 weeks). Realistic total: 4-8 months from first call to product on shelf. Private label refinement compresses this significantly.

How much does it cost to launch a skincare brand in Melbourne in 2026?

For a realistic single-SKU boutique launch: $35,000-$80,000 covers formulation, testing, packaging, inventory, and initial branding. Brands also need to budget another $20,000-$40,000 for operating capital between dispatch and reaching sustainable sales velocity.

Are Epilab products manufactured in Australia?

Yes, every product Epilab makes is manufactured in our Cheltenham, Victoria facility. We do not outsource production overseas. Australian-made provides regulatory advantages (AICIS compliance handled in-house), supply chain reliability, and founder access that overseas manufacturing cannot match.

Does Epilab hold formal third-party cosmetic GMP certification?

Epilab operates to GMP standards — documented procedures, batch records, quality controls, ingredient traceability — appropriate for boutique through retail-scale brands. We’re not currently third-party certified. For brands that specifically need certified-facility manufacturing for retail or export, we can refer to facilities that hold those certifications.

What categories does Epilab manufacture in Melbourne?

Skincare, haircare, body care, baby skincare, pet care, deodorants (cream/stick/roll-on/balm/pump-spray, not aerosol), cosmetic-class sunscreens up to SPF 15, lip products, and clinical-grade cosmeceuticals. We do not manufacture aerosol products or TGA-licensed primary sunscreens above SPF 15.

Can Epilab help with regulatory compliance for Australian cosmetic launches?

Yes. AICIS compliance is handled in-house. For products that require TGA listing, we can introduce founders to TGA-licensed manufacturing partners and consultants.

Talk to us

The most useful first step is a 30-60 minute conversation about what you’re trying to make, who it’s for, and what your budget looks like. We’ll tell you in that call whether we’re a good fit, what the realistic numbers look like, and what a realistic timeline is. There’s no pressure to commit and we’ll be honest if another Melbourne manufacturer would serve you better.

Reach the Epilab team at info@epilab.com.au, by phone at +61 3 9052 5800, or via the contact page.

Launching as an indie or small brand? See our dedicated page for cosmetic contract manufacturing for indie and small beauty brands — covering 500-unit MOQs, realistic launch budgets, and the growth path from pilot to retail scale.

Serving brands across Australia

Manufacturing happens at our Melbourne facility, but most of the brands we work with are based interstate. For full national context see our Cosmetic Contract Manufacturer Australia page, or state-specific detail at Sydney, Brisbane, or Perth.