The Best Cosmetic Manufacturing Software
With over 25 years of providing software recommendations, we wrote this guide to the best cosmetics manufacturing software, enhancing processes like formula management.
- Infinite serialization levels for diverse requirements
- Integrated QC tests throughout product lifecycle
- Seamless regulatory compliance with ERP foundation
- Advanced R&D/formulation tools
- Complies with regulations across over 55 countries
- Template-based reporting builder
- Comprehensive formula and recipe management
- Robust quality control and compliance features
- Seamless integration with leading financial systems
We’ve evaluated and ranked the best cosmetics manufacturing software based on core functionalities, ease of use, pricing, and customization options. Using our advanced review methodology, our team has carefully evaluated the top options for various manufacturers, from makeup to hair care.
- Deacom ERP: Best Overall
- Cosmetri Product Manager: Advanced R&D/Formulation Tools
- BatchMaster ERP: Strong Compliance Management
- Datacor ERP: Advanced Inventory Management
- Katana Manufacturing ERP: For Mid-Sized Manufacturers
- Mar-Kov Chemical Management System: Strong Reporting Capabilities
- Aptean Process Manufacturing ERP: Great Lot Traceability
- MRPEasy: Great for Small Manufacturers
1 Deacom ERP - Best Overall
Why we chose it: Deacom is our top pick due to its total process control features. This full-fledged ERP system streamlines production, ensuring that each step, from raw material processing to the finished product, meets the required standards and specifications. Additionally, Deacom’s infinite serialization levels help track cosmetic products. Users can assign serial numbers at unlimited levels of a product’s lifecycle, ensuring traceability and quality control.
Deacom also delivers strong formula and batch management. Users can easily adjust formulations, track batch variations, and ensure product uniformity. Features like MRP, forecasting, and cycle counting streamline production processes, enhancing operational efficiency in your factory.
2 Cosmetri Product Manager - Advanced R&D/Formulation Tools
Why we chose it: Cosmetri Product Manager provides adept R&D and formulation tools through sample development, quality assurance, and inventory management. This set of tools is essential for creating, testing, and refining product formulas with precision and efficiency.
One of the key strengths of Cosmetri Product Manager is its capability to approve and securely lock a formula along with all related items. This ensures that the formula’s integrity is maintained throughout the development and production process. Additionally, Cosmetri’s extensive regulatory management allows users to monitor and adhere to regulations across over 55 countries. These include key markets like the US FDA, Canada, EU, ASEAN, and Mercosur.
3 BatchMaster ERP - Strong Compliance Management
Why we chose it: We found that BatchMaster ERP delivers advanced compliance management capabilities. This ERP system generates compliant labels and documents, catering to requirements set by authorities like the FDA and GHS/SDS. It also provides thorough audit reporting.
A key feature is its automation in creating Material Safety Data Sheets, ensuring full compliance with diverse government reporting standards. Finally, BatchMaster ERP can accommodate any required changes to meet new regulations immediately, without the need for a program update.
4 Datacor ERP - Advanced Inventory Management
Why we chose it: Datacor ERP offers comprehensive inventory management vital for cosmetics manufacturing. This system includes real-time stock level tracking, automatic reorder points, and lot and serial number tracking. Additionally, it allows for the management of multiple warehouses and locations, essential for maintaining a diverse range of ingredients and finished products. This level of inventory control helps support optimal stock levels, manage costs effectively, and avoid production delays due to shortages.
5 Katana Manufacturing ERP - For Mid-Sized Manufacturers
Why we chose it: Katana Manufacturing ERP is well-suited for mid-sized cosmetics manufacturers. Its meticulous production management helps growing factories build customer trust and brand reputation. Features like batch processing, formulation adjustments, and quality control checks ensure they can meet the highest standards, key to customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance.
Katana also helps track essential ingredients, packaging materials, and finished products across multiple locations. This is vital for mid-sized manufacturers with multiple factories. Precise control is crucial for avoiding stockouts and overstocking, vital for ingredients and products with limited shelf lives. This is important for smaller companies, which often operate with more constrained resources.
6 Mar-Kov Chemical Management System - Strong Reporting Capabilities
Why we chose it: We found Mar-Kov Chemical Management System’s reporting features effective and easy to access. This includes detailed reports on inventory movements, sales data, expired products, and demand and supply analysis. For cosmetics manufacturers, who deal with a wide range of ingredients and finished products, these reports provide critical insights into inventory levels, product lifecycles, and market trends. This level of detail helps in effective inventory management, minimizing waste and ensuring that production aligns with market demand.
7 Aptean Process Manufacturing ERP - Great Lot Traceability
Why we chose it: We picked Aptean Process Manufacturing ERP for its efficient lot traceability feature. It delivers instant visibility into raw materials, intermediates, and finished goods from receipt through final shipped sales orders.
It also provides essential audit trails and documentation, which are critical during regulatory audits and inspections. Aptean’s system is adept at generating both mock and actual recall information on demand, enabling a quick response to potential issues. Last, the software boasts real-time tracking and reporting capabilities, ensuring immediate access to detailed inventory and batch information.
8 MRPEasy - Great for Small Manufacturers
Why we chose it: MRPEasy’s intuitive design makes it easier for small manufacturers to adopt and use the system. It’s one of our top picks because it helps reduce time and resources needed for training and troubleshooting. This accessibility is critical for companies looking to streamline their operations without the complexity often associated with more advanced systems.
MRPEasy is a fully-integrated system that covers production planning and scheduling, inventory management, CRM, and BOM management. This integration helps small cosmetic manufacturers manage their entire production process from one platform. This can lead to more efficient workflow management, reduced errors, and better overall coordination across different departments.
What is Cosmetic Manufacturing Software?
Cosmetic manufacturing software helps businesses cheaply produce high-quality cosmetic and personal care products through inventory tracking, lot traceability, formula management, and compliance management. This software is used by manufacturers of makeup, hair care, lotions, perfumes, and so on.
Cosmetic manufacturers need to make sure their products are of high quality and safe for human use. Quality control testing ensures each batch meets your standards. The system also keeps track of formulas to ensure your products are consistent. Cosmetics like lipstick and nail polish often come in a range of color options. Using the same formulas ensures each variation is consistent with every batch.
Cosmetic manufacturing software will ensure you’re meeting all national and international regulatory requirements including the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labelling Act, and the ISO 22716:2007. These regulations prohibit specific chemicals from being used, outline product storage requirements, and dictate label and packaging requirements. The system will track the ingredients used in each product and where the products are being distributed, as well as the packaging used.
Methodology for Choosing the Best Cosmetic Manufacturing Software
User-Friendly Interface
- Ease of Use: Prioritize cosmetic manufacturing software that is intuitive and easy to navigate, with cloud-based options for easier access, especially for formula development and product design.
- Scalability and Updates: Ensure the software can adapt to the evolving needs of the cosmetic industry, including accommodating new trends, product lines, and regulatory changes.
Comprehensive Features and Integrations
- Core Functionalities: Look for software with modules essential for cosmetic manufacturing, such as advanced formula management, batch tracking, allergen management, inventory tracking, and quality control.
- Integration Options: Choose software that integrates seamlessly with ERP systems and supports functionalities critical to cosmetics, like color matching, stability testing, and packaging design.
Industry-Specific Specializations
- Regulatory Compliance: Select software specifically designed to meet the regulatory requirements of the cosmetic industry, including compliance with FDA, EU regulations, and other global cosmetic standards.
- Customizations: Ensure the software can be tailored for specific cosmetic manufacturing processes, like varying batch sizes, seasonal product variations, and strict ingredient control.
Cost-Effective Solutions:
- Flexible Pricing Models: Consider software with pricing plans suitable for cosmetic manufacturers of various sizes, from boutique brands to large-scale production facilities.
- Transparent Pricing: Emphasize the importance of clear, upfront pricing, a critical aspect for budgeting in the cosmetic sector.
Accessible Customer Support
- Support Availability: Ensure the software provider offers comprehensive customer support, ideally with expertise in cosmetic manufacturing.
- Dedicated Assistance: Prioritize software providers that offer dedicated account managers who are knowledgeable about the cosmetic industry’s specific needs.
Evaluation and Trials:
- Software Demos: Request demonstrations focused on manufacturing scenarios to evaluate the software’s capabilities in handling formulation, compliance, and product development.
- Hands-On Trials: Use trial periods to test the software in your environment, focusing on formula development, regulatory adherence, and product testing.
What Regulations Apply to Cosmetics?
Cosmetic manufacturing software helps businesses keep in line with all national and international regulatory compliance mandates. Certain cosmetics and personal care products need to list the ingredients and potential allergens on the packaging, as well as include a tamper-resistant seal. The system will keep lists of each ingredient used and manage what type of packaging needs to be used with each product.
Cosmetic manufacturing software tracks all ingredients used during the manufacturing process. Specific chemicals are prohibited or heavily restricted in other countries. For example, lead is banned in Canada and restricted to a maximum level of contamination of 10 parts per million in the US for externally applied cosmetics like eye shadow, powders, and lotions. The software will flag products containing specific chemicals that are meant for sale in a country with restrictions against them.
Some of the most common regulations for the cosmetic industry include:
| Regulation: | Regulatory Agency: | What Does the Regulation Do: |
|---|---|---|
| Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act | FDA | Restricts unsafe ingredients from being used in cosmetics manufacturing and bans mislabeled products from being marketed. Restricted and prohibited ingredients include bithionol, mercury, vinyl chloride, chlorofluorocarbon propellants, and more. |
| Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) | FTC and FDA | Regulates labeling of cosmetic products - labels cannot be misleading, a list of ingredients must be included, and safe-use directions and warning/allergen statements must also be included. Many cosmetic and personal care products also require tamper-resistant packaging. |
| ISO 22716:2007 | ISO | It provides guidelines that are accepted under the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for production processes, shipment, and storage of products. |
What Are the Key Features of Cosmetic Manufacturing Software?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Management | Ensures ingredients are stored, labeled, and procured in compliance with national and international standards including the FDA, ISO, and GMP. |
| Production Scheduling | Schedule the required raw materials, labor, and other resources needed to manufacture each cosmetic product. |
| Quality Control | Test samples from product batches throughout the manufacturing process to ensure pre-specified parameters are met. Automatically flag batches that don’t meet requirements. |
| Formula Management | Keep track of the ingredients and quantities used to keep products consistent and scale batches as needed. |
| Inventory Management | Track details on raw materials and finished products including expiration dates, inventory levels, and storage locations. Manage the inputs, outputs, intermediates and byproducts across your manufacturing process. |
| Lot Traceability and Recall Management | Track where each ingredient came from and how it is used throughout the manufacturing process. Batch traceability makes it easy to identify which product is contaminated and where they were sold to effectively recall the products. |
| Product Development | Record and manage the progress of test formulations, while calculating the cost of material inputs, processing, and byproduct disposal. |
| Production Scaling | Determine production capacity based on the availability of machines, labor, and materials. Calculate reserves of finished cosmetic products that will be necessary to respond to uncertain order volumes. Achieve JIT production. |
| Cost Control | Track expenses and risks while identifying sources of revenue loss. |
| Supply Chain Management | Track and ensure the integrity of your supply chain to maintain quality and regulatory compliance. |
What Are the Advantages of Cosmetic Manufacturing Software?
Inventory Control
Cosmetic manufacturing software tracks the location and inventory levels of chemicals and other ingredients, as well as on-hand finished stock. The software allows you to scan barcodes for each product to give you real-time information on product quantities and storage locations.
Automating purchase order is another important feature of cosmetic manufacturing software. When chemicals or other materials are running low, the system will automatically place a purchase order with your preferred vendor. This prevents unnecessary downtime during the manufacturing process and helps ensure customer demand is being met.
Lot Tracking
Cosmetic manufacturing software provides complete traceability of each batch. The system will record the ingredients used, as well as the equipment and labor used to make each product. Detailed records of each QC test will also be recorded within the system to ensure the product’s quality from start to finish.
The software helps cosmetic manufacturers track and trace batches throughout the supply chain from manufacturing to packaging and distribution. You can easily see which retailers are selling products associated with a specific lot number. It’s important to know where products from each batch were sold in the event of a recall. This allows you to notify affected retailers and reduce the risk of having to recall more products than needed.
Formula Management
Cosmetic manufacturing software is a type of process manufacturing software, so it stores formulas for each product and variation you manufacture. This ensures your products are consistent among each batch, not only in quality but also in color. For example, some lipstick products have a number associated with them to designate a particular shade. The software will store the formula associated with the shade to ensure the product is always the same color.
The software also stores conversions for batch scaling. The number of cosmetic products can be scaled up or down and the calculations will be calculated automatically. Batches can be scaled based on the availability of raw materials you have on-hand.
ERP Software for Cosmetic Manufacturers
Many systems tailored to cosmetic manufacturing businesses are complete ERP solutions. These solutions manage manufacturing processes along with other business processes like accounting, human resources, and customer relationship management. Cosmetic manufacturers that sell directly to consumers can also have an ERP solution with e-commerce functionality.
ERP systems typically include manufacturing resource planning (MRP) to help streamline manufacturing processes with advanced production scheduling and inventory control. MRP helps cosmetic manufacturers calculate the chemicals and raw materials needed to manufacture products, as well as coordinate workloads and plan purchasing.
Cosmetic ERP software often integrates with other systems. For example, cosmetic wholesalers and manufacturers can integrate ERP with their warehouse management software or integrate with accounting software like QuickBooks.
