Cosmetic Makers vs Citco USA
Citco USA is a Walnut, California private label and contract manufacturer founded in 1997 that specializes in hot-filled lip balms, balms and deodorant sticks, and also sells its own lip balm brands. Cosmetic Makers is built for beauty brands that want formulation, production, software and fulfillment from one place.
5
areas where Cosmetic Makers offers something a beauty brand needs that Citco USA does not list on its website.
Where Cosmetic Makers leads
- Quality control software
- Live inventory and shipping-cost app
- Marketplace integration
- Packaging sourcing
- Fulfillment warehouse
A manufacturer run on software.
Cosmetic Makers runs production, quality and fulfillment on software, so you see your product, your stock and your shipping costs as they happen.
Quality control enhanced by CM+
Every product is checked before it ships, with quality control enhanced by CM+.
Every lot tracked
Raw materials are quarantined and tested, and every lot is tracked from ingredient to shipped order.
Live inventory app
Watch your inventory and shipping costs in real time, across every channel you sell on.
Marketplace integrations
Connected to TikTok Shop and Amazon as an official partner of both, so orders flow straight to fulfillment.
Looking for a Citco USA alternative?
Choose Cosmetic Makers if you
- are launching or growing a skincare, body care, haircare or deodorant brand
- want to start from one of 3,000+ proven stock formulas, or have one built for you
- sell on TikTok Shop or Amazon and want fulfillment under the same roof
- want live inventory and shipping costs in one app
Choose Citco USA if you
- need USDA Organic certified lip balm formulas, certified through CCOF
- want an ISO 22716 certified plant that specializes in hot-filled lip balms and sticks
- want a short production run of 2 to 6 weeks once formula and packaging are final
Side by side.
Citco USA details are from its own website and public sources, checked November 2026. "Not listed publicly" means we could not find it, not that they lack it.
| Feature | Cosmetic Makers | Citco USA |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 10 years in manufacturing | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, Florida | Walnut, California |
| Business model | Contract manufacturer for beauty and personal care brands | Private label and contract manufacturing, plus wholesale of its own brands Papaya Naturals, Chap-Lip and Nature's Bees |
| Markets | Skincare, body care, haircare, sun care, deodorants | Beauty brands across the USA; its own brands sell to retailers and distributors |
| Expertise | ||
| Stock formulas to private label | 3,000+, ready for your label or to customize | Library of ready-to-brand lip balm formulas; no count published |
| Custom formulation | Yes, $1,800 per SKU, samples in 8 to 14 weeks | In-house lab develops new formulas or refines existing ones; customer-supplied formulas also accepted |
| Specialties | Hot pour, aluminum-free, non-OTC deodorants | Hot-filled lip balm tubes, paper tubes, jars and deodorant sticks on automated lines |
| Makeup | Through our official partner, Lady Burd | Lip gloss listed; no other color cosmetics listed |
| Technology and testing | ||
| Product formats | Creams, lotions, serums, gels, oils, washes, shampoos, balms and sticks in bottles, tubes, jars and pouches | Lip, body and foot balms, gel sticks, deodorant sticks, lip masks, toners, serums, creams, lotions, oils, shampoos, conditioners |
| Testing | Stability, microbiological, packaging compatibility and efficacy; clinical testing through a partner lab | In-house FTIR identity testing of key raw materials; pre-production samples for every new project |
| Registrations and certifications | FDA-registered, state-licensed, cGMP facility | FDA-registered facility, ISO 22716 GMP certified, MoCRA compliant; USDA Organic formulas certified by CCOF |
| Software and technology | ||
| Quality control software | Cosmetic Makers leads: Quality control enhanced by CM+; every lot tracked | Not listed publicly |
| Live inventory and shipping-cost app | Cosmetic Makers leads: Yes, real time, across every channel you sell on | Not listed publicly |
| Marketplace integration | Cosmetic Makers leads: Official TikTok Shop and Amazon partner; orders flow straight to fulfillment | Not listed publicly |
| Infrastructure | ||
| Manufacturing sites | 1, in Hollywood, Florida | One fully automated facility in Walnut, California |
| Production lines | 10, for bottles, tubes, jars and pouches | Automated hot-fill lines; number not published; 35 million+ units annual capacity |
| Packaging sourcing | Cosmetic Makers leads: 1,000+ packaging suppliers and an office in China | Custom packaging offered; no office in China listed |
| Fulfillment warehouse | Cosmetic Makers leads: 50,000 sq ft, in the same facility | Not listed publicly |
| Services for brands | ||
| Order fulfillment | Pick, pack and ship; orders in by 2pm EST ship the same day | Delivers retail-ready goods to the client's warehouse or 3PL; can coordinate international shipping |
| Retail track record | Products sold at Target, Sephora, CVS, Ulta and Whole Foods | Not listed publicly for client brands |
| Minimum order | 5,000 units per product | Lip balms typically from 5,000 units per SKU; smaller pilot runs in some cases |
| Production lead time | 8 to 12 weeks after sample approval | Typically 2 to 6 weeks once formula and packaging are final |
Questions brands ask.
Which is better for a new skincare brand?
For most new skincare, body care, haircare and deodorant brands, Cosmetic Makers is the closer fit: you can start from one of 3,000+ stock formulas, and formulation, production, testing and fulfillment happen in one building, tracked in software you can see.
When is Citco USA the better choice?
Citco suits brands focused on lip balms and stick formats that want USDA Organic formulas, ISO 22716 production and production runs of 2 to 6 weeks once the formula and packaging are final.
Do both companies offer fulfillment?
Cosmetic Makers runs a 50,000 sq ft fulfillment warehouse in the same facility, connected to TikTok Shop and Amazon, with same-day shipping for orders in by 2pm EST. Citco says it delivers finished goods to the client's warehouse or 3PL; we could not find order fulfillment services on its website.
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Sources
- Citco USA homepage and FAQ, citcousa.com
- Citco USA: Portfolio, citcousa.com/portfolio
Published by Cosmetic Makers. See an error about Citco USA? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.
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