The science behind solid cosmetics:
how we innovate
Innovation is the word that best describes the world of cosmetics right now. Brands are racing to keep up with #sustainability demands and the fast-moving tastes of a younger generation raised on social media culture. So how does innovation translate, in practice, into real skincare products that actually work?
Let’s take a quick tour through the science behind our long-lasting solid skincare. Over more than two decades, we’ve developed hundreds of formulas for luxury hotels and leading retail brands, from small, bespoke batches to large-scale mass-market production, across more than 20 countries. Last year alone at Groupe GM Cosmética Portugal we transformed 520 tons of raw material into finished solid cosmetic products.
Why having our in-house lab matters for formulation
Every product starts with a client request. Our team maps out exactly what’s needed, from formula to packaging, through to process and quantities. This is where #privatelabel cosmetics become genuinely personal. No two briefs are the same and no off-the-shelf formula can answer them all. That’s precisely why having our own in-house cosmetic laboratory matters. It means formulation, testing and adjustment all happen in the same place, with full control over quality and timelines.
Cosmetic formulation science: from brief to bar
Once the desired performance is defined, our R&D team begins developing the formulation itself. One of the biggest concerns for brands switching to #solid formats is stability. As our Head of R&D, Marta Dias, explains: “every formula goes through dozens of iterations before it’s ready, we need to make sure the bar holds up in a customer’s bathroom in Lisbon in August and in Stockolm in January. A solid bar exposes everything. Every ingredient, every ratio has to earn its place, because there’s no water phase to smooth over a weak formulation”.
The quality of the formulation work itself is what ultimately determines whether a product is viable to produce and successful once it reaches the shelf.
How we ensure long shelf life in solid skincare products
This is where Cátia Ferreira, working in our in-house laboratory, comes in. She tests multiple variations of each cosmetic formulation in our lab, validating efficacy, safety and performance. “What fascinates me most about cosmetic formulation is that it never stops surprising you. You can work with the same ingredients for years, but combine them in a new way and they can behave completely differently. That’s what makes this work so rewarding! Every formulation is a puzzle and every experiment reveals something new. Sometimes a tiny adjustment transforms a product’s texture, stability or performance; other times, the breakthrough comes from an unexpected direction. It’s a discipline that demands patience, precision and curiosity in equal measure. Seeing a formulation evolve through countless rounds of testing until it becomes both technically robust and a pleasure to use is incredibly satisfying.”
Advanced testing methods for cosmetic formulations
Every cosmetic product made in the EU has to meet the highest safety standards so we run rigorous analysis on every formulation, from pH balance to accelerated aging tests and microbiological testing. These checks guarantee that a bar will still perform exactly as intended, long after it leaves our factory.
What if your brand had its own custom solid formula?
Curious what a custom solid formulation could look like for your brand? If you are looking for a manufacturing partner who can match your exact specifications, we are ready to talk formulas, timelines and possibilities.
