Behind The Scenes: Motives Quality Control & Product Development
I often get asked WHY I choose to work almost exclusively with Motives Cosmetics, and honestly there are so many reasons. A couple that top the list is not only the quality, but the quality control as well as product development.
I consider myself fortunate to have worked directly with the Motives department as my role as a Motives Field Consultant over the last year. It’s really given me a better look at how things work. And when I read horror stories about other products and their quality issues, I know I can trust that won’t ever happen with Motives.
In a recent article published in our company blog, Sara Smith-Motives Beauty Manager, was gracious enough to share what goes into developing Motives products. This article really gives you a look behind the curtain of what all goes on behind the scenes.
Motives Product Quality & Education
The world of cosmetics, skincare, and personal care is extremely exciting and fun; however, it can also be very challenging. The beauty industry is one of the most fast-paced industries out there, running right alongside fashion. With that being said, as a team working on the product development side of the business, we have to make sure to hit trends and come up with innovative concepts, while maintaining the highest quality and standards. For our beauty brands, we pay special attention to details — a few being ingredients, packaging, regulations, and formulations.
Importance Of Ingredients
Ingredients play the ultimate part in product development. The right or wrong ingredients can make or break a product. Ingredients are what make up your product, so it’s so important to know where your raw ingredients are coming from. After being in the industry for a while, you begin to learn what locations are best known for which ingredients. That helps you to make sure you are truly sourcing the best of the best.
Packaging Packs A Punch
Packaging is a big one, too. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into deciding on the right package. You have to make sure the package is right for the product — aesthetically, physically and functionally. We do all types of different testing to make sure the package we use will work well with the formula of the product. Packaging can be one of the fun parts of the job, too! We get to play with fun concepts and work with the creative team on artwork for our seasonal palettes, like Thrill Me and Visionaire.
Going Global
With our market spread globally, regulations come into play with each product launch. Regulatory restrictions are different for every market, so our scientists here at our headquarters help us with making sure any product we decide to launch is acceptable for everyone. We do various ingredient and regulatory reviews to make sure we know the “ins and outs” of what’s in our products. Along with reviews, products in our international markets undergo consultant review and are filed with the respective government agencies for each country. We adjust and make changes as needed based on regulation restrictions.
Fantastic Formulas
When it comes to formulations, we take pride in making sure to develop the best possible product. We create formulas based not only on just color, but what benefits and characteristics we want. This really becomes prominent in our skincare lines since they are always very benefit focused. If we want a product that focuses on fine lines and wrinkles, we work closely with our science teams and vendors, while performing market research to decide what ingredient and formula is going to get us to where we want to be.
At the end of the day, there is truly an art to product development. It’s incredible to see all of the steps you have to take to get a product to market. While a fun journey, it takes an incredible amount of patience, follow up and team work. We are blessed to have an amazing leader, Loren Ridinger, and team to help us accomplish what we want. We strive to continue to bring you high-quality products at a competitive price.