The Launch That Almost Didn't Happen

I felt like we were finally on the home stretch!  Five years after beginning the journey to formulate a new facial sunscreen (yes five years - it has been intense y'all!) I had found a chemist who created a formula that remarkably improved on our previous one with more bells and whistles, finally nailed down our packaging, which going to be beautiful and had found a manufacturer to work with - it was all coming together!!!  When I tell you that this SPF has dominated my life for the last year an a half it's an understatement.  The FDA considers sunscreen a drug so you have to save up your pennies to pay for a LOT of testing.  And you have to actually pass those tests.  But it was happening!!  Then I got this email from our manufacturer:

"Due to the cost of the raw materials, we will have to increase the minimum order quantity on this formula by an additional 50%."  My heart dropped.  Our original order had been a big stretch for us in the first place, there was literally no way we could afford to add the tens of thousands of dollars it would take to increase it by 50%. 

My mind began to spiral and the loudest voice in my head was saying "you're not going to be able to launch this product - you've sunk a ton of money into it - formulating, testing, you've bought the packaging and now you can't do anything to get it into the hands of your customers.  It has all been for nothing."  

Just find another manufacturer, right?  Easy!  Except it wasn't.  Most manufacturers want a minimum of 25,000 pieces for a run of a drug because it's a lot of work on their end with the FDA too - smaller orders aren't worth it.  And 25,000 pieces is more than we can currently sell.  After months of research we had found a wonderful manufacturer who was willing to work with us and our MOQ (minimum order quantity), which was under 25,000 pieces.  But then, because we use organic ingredients and one of the highest quality zincs on the market, our raw material cost was too high for them at that lower quantity and they had to up it.  

Like I said - I spiraled.  And felt defeated, overwhelmed, naive for thinking I could make this work - every "what were you thinking?" thought came out of the woodwork.  And it sounds Pollyanna-y but this sunscreen is SO BEAUTIFUL and I was really sad at the thought that no one would be able to try it - no one!  Ugh.  

A day passed and a thought came from the back of my mind.  Our chemist had mentioned another manufacturer in passing months before but for some reason it never made it to our research list.  I asked her to call them.  Long story short - they said yes.  THEY SAID YES!!  They tried the product and were willing to do our quantities because they believed in the formula the way we did.  "This is best sunscreen I've ever used" the woman in their regulatory department shared - YES!!!

We have continued to have some bumps in the road but in just a couple of weeks time we get to launch it and share our Peptide Protection SPF 30 with you - I'm so grateful!  I feel like a little piece of me goes into every product we make but this sunscreen has an even bigger piece.  I'm so excited for you to try it and I hope that you love it as much as our team and I do!!