How to Design Your Own Supplement Formula Like a Pro

So you want to create your very own custom formula, that’s awesome! The supplement industry is highly competitive so creating a customized formula is a great way to set yourself apart from your competition.

Plus, having a unique product will help you retain customers because they won’t be able to find your product anywhere else.

But before you jump into how to create your custom formula first let’s find out if a custom formula is really the ideal solution for your business.

Private Label or Custom Formula?

A private label supplement is a formula that’s mass produced and sold to many companies so that they can sell that product to their customers under their label. A custom formula, on the other hand, is completely unique to your company.

There are many pros and cons of each but here are a few questions to help you figure out which path you should take.

Should I Private Label?

• Are you just starting out? If you’re just starting out in the world of supplements, private label products are a great way to get your feet wet with less risk.
• Are you unsure of the specifics of your supplement? If you don’t have a lot of specifics in mind (color, flavor, dosage, etc.) private label products work great because all that work is done for you.
• Not sure of ingredients? If you’re not sure which ingredients you want to include you should really be thinking private label. Those formulas have been designed with proven, popular ingredients.
• Do you want a product that is already hot on the market? If you’re looking to capitalize on a trending supplement that customers are already searching for, you should consider private label.
• Are you looking to minimize your financial investment? If you’re looking for a cheap option then private label is your answer. The minimum order quantities on private label supplements are much lower than custom supplements.

To learn more about private labeling, contact us today.

Should I Create a Custom Formula?

• Do you know which ingredients you want to include in your formula?
• Do you know how much of each ingredient you want to include?
• Do you know how many servings per container you want?
• Do you know how many units you want?
• Do you know what type of supplement you want to create?
• Do you know the what type of packaging you want to use?
• Do you have the funds to at least purchase the minimum order quantity?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then it’s time for you to think seriously about creating your own custom formula. Here’s how to get started

7 Questions to Ask When Creating Your Custom Supplement Formula

Creating your own custom supplement formula means doing your research and answering seven simple questions along the way. Some of these questions are simple and you might know the answer immediately but others will require you to do a deep dive. When you’re designing a high-quality supplement cutting corner is not an option!

Here are the 7 questions you need to answer to create your custom formula.

1. Type of Supplement

It might seem obvious but the first thing you need to know before starting the process of creating your custom formula is what type of supplement do you want to create. Are you interested in making a weight loss supplement, sports supplement like protein or BCAAs, a health supplement?

Knowing this first will help you answer all the other questions on this list.

2. List of ingredients

When creating your own custom formula it’s really up to you to decide which ingredients you want to use in order to make your product stand out in the market.

Obviously this is going to take some research. Find out which ingredients are trending and what’s up-and-coming. You also want to make sure that whatever ingredients you choose have plenty of research to back up their effectiveness.

The supplement industry has seen plenty of “hot new” ingredients come and go because the results customers saw did not live up to the hype. Look for academic research articles that discuss benefits and results in detail. Examine.com is a great place to start.

3. Amount of Ingredients

The next thing you need to know is how much of each ingredient you want to include in a serving. This is where doing your research on ingredients will come in handy.

Make sure that you include the right amount of the ingredient in order to get the promised results. Find out what dosage was used in the studies because that’s a great place to start when creating a high quality, powerful supplement.

Keep in mind that more is not always better. There are some ingredients that can cause unwanted side effects if the dosage is too high. Also keep in mind that the more of each ingredient you include will increase the size of each serving. Some customers won’t like having to take more than two capsules or tablets to get the full serving.

4. Supplement Form

There are a few basic forms of supplements to choose from:

• Capsule
• Tablet
• Powder
• Gel caps

Tablets and capsules are two of the most inexpensive options to manufacture. They’re also very flexible as far as which ingredients you can use plus they’re easy to ship.

5. Servings per container

Knowing how many servings you want to include might not seem like a big deal but there are a few things to consider.

First you’ll want to look at your competition to see what they offer. This can give you a good idea of what works and what’s popular. Servings per container usually revolve around a month or 2 months supply, so 30 or 60 servings.

Keep in mind the more servings the more expensive it is for your customer. Depending on your supplement a 60 day serving might seem too pricey for customers who don’t want to drop that much cash all at once.

The serving size and amount of servings will also affect your packaging. A larger serving size will mean you’ll need a bigger bottle/tub/bag unless you cut back on servings per container. This will affect your shipping costs which is why it’s important to think about.

6. Units Needed

We’ve already discussed that minimum order quantities for custom formulas are much higher than that of private label supplements. But you don’t necessarily want to order just the minimum.

Find out the lead time on production and shipping. Lead time is an important factor in deciding how many units you need. If your new supplement is a total hit, you don’t want to stock out and lose sales while waiting for the next shipment.

7. Desired Type of Container/Packaging

Your packaging is a reflection of your branding. Deciding what type of packaging to use is not only functional but it’s also a marketing tool. You want your supplement to look good whether you’re selling it on Amazon or in a retail store.

In these highly competitive spaces you need to catch the eye of your customer so it’s important to know what type of packaging your target demographic is drawn to.

Finding the Right Supplement Manufacturer

Now that you’ve figured out all the details, it’s time to find the right manufacturer to bring your formula to life. You want someone that has the experience and capacity to help you grow your business.

With over 45 years of supplement manufacturing experience. We’ve helped countless businesses design and produce their very own custom supplement formulas and we can help you too.

We’ll be with you every step of the way to answer any questions!