Cosmetic Makers vs Libby Labs
Libby Laboratories is a Berkeley, California manufacturer that has formulated, compounded and filled hair, bath and body products for brands since 1959. Cosmetic Makers is built for beauty brands that want formulation, production, software and fulfillment from one place.
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areas where Cosmetic Makers offers something a beauty brand needs that Libby Labs does not list on its website.
Where Cosmetic Makers leads
- Makeup
- Quality control software
- Live inventory and shipping-cost app
- Marketplace integration
- Packaging sourcing
- Fulfillment warehouse
- Order fulfillment
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 Libby Labs 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 Libby Labs if you
- want a lower minimum of 1,000 units
- make pet shampoos, coat conditioners or paw and nose balms
- want to start from unscented bulk bases sold by the gallon
Side by side.
Libby Labs 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 | Libby Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 10 years in manufacturing | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, Florida | 1700 Sixth Street, Berkeley, California |
| Business model | Contract manufacturer for beauty and personal care brands | Custom development and filling for brands, plus a wholesale store of unscented bases by the gallon |
| Markets | Skincare, body care, haircare, sun care, deodorants | Growing hair, bath, body, skin, men's grooming and pet care brands |
| Expertise | ||
| Stock formulas to private label | 3,000+, ready for your label or to customize | Proven bases to adapt, and unscented wholesale products in gallons and pails (Poppy Meadows Beauty store) |
| Custom formulation | Yes, $1,800 per SKU, samples in 8 to 14 weeks | Yes, with in-house chemists; samples $120 each, 3 to 8 weeks |
| Specialties | Hot pour, aluminum-free, non-OTC deodorants | Rinse-off and leave-on hair, bath and body products; pet shampoos and paw care; site cites 20,000+ formulas designed |
| Makeup | Cosmetic Makers leads: Through our official partner, Lady Burd | No. Lists color cosmetics including makeup among products it is unable to manufacture |
| Technology and testing | ||
| Product formats | Creams, lotions, serums, gels, oils, washes, shampoos, balms and sticks in bottles, tubes, jars and pouches | Shampoos, conditioners, styling products, washes, lotions, creams, scrubs, oils, serums; no aerosols, powders or sticks |
| Testing | Stability, microbiological, packaging compatibility and efficacy; clinical testing through a partner lab | Preservative efficacy testing and stability testing at three temperatures; every batch tested |
| Registrations and certifications | FDA-registered, state-licensed, cGMP facility | Site cites cGMP standards |
| 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 facility in Berkeley, California |
| Production lines | 10, for bottles, tubes, jars and pouches | Not listed publicly |
| Packaging sourcing | Cosmetic Makers leads: 1,000+ packaging suppliers and an office in China | No. Says it does not provide packaging sourcing or procurement; fills customer-supplied packaging |
| Fulfillment warehouse | Cosmetic Makers leads: 50,000 sq ft, in the same facility | No. Says it does not provide warehousing |
| Services for brands | ||
| Order fulfillment | Cosmetic Makers leads: Pick, pack and ship; orders in by 2pm EST ship the same day | No. Says it does not provide order fulfillment or dropshipping; palletizes for freight |
| Retail track record | Products sold at Target, Sephora, CVS, Ulta and Whole Foods | Not listed publicly; site cites 25+ million units manufactured |
| Minimum order | 5,000 units per product | 1,000 units |
| Production lead time | 8 to 12 weeks after sample approval | Manufacturing 2 to 6 weeks, then filling and pack-out 1 to 3 weeks |
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 Libby Labs the better choice?
Libby Labs fits brands that need smaller runs from 1,000 units, pet grooming products, or bulk unscented bases by the gallon. It has manufactured in Berkeley since 1959.
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. Libby Labs states that it does not provide warehousing, order fulfillment or dropshipping.
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Sources
- Libby Labs homepage, libbylabs.com
- Libby Labs: Capabilities, process and FAQ, libbylabs.com/capabilities
- Libby Labs: Wholesale store, libbylabs.com/wholesale
Published by Cosmetic Makers. See an error about Libby Labs? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.
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