BUTTER-C
Hair care
Hair styling wax and gel OEM/ODM manufacturing
Styling Wax & Gel · Pomade · OEM/ODM
Styling products help hair hold the desired shape all day: gels for strong hold and a wet-look shine, waxes and pomades for flexible hold that can be restyled, and styling creams for soft, natural hold. Each format strikes a different balance between three factors: hold, shine and washability. Consumers judge a product on the first application — does it spread easily, does it set quickly — and at the end of the day — is the style still in place, is the hair greasy or flaking white. In hot, humid climates, hold that resists sweat and high humidity is a particular requirement. Butter-C offers full-service OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development to a finished, labeled product with its cosmetic product notification.
Formula base
Fixative polymers, waxes, clays and carrier base
Each styling format relies on one main group of holding agents; the carrier base determines how it spreads and how it washes out.
Fixative polymers
PVP, VP/VA Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer — form a clear film on the hair shaft as they dry; the base of gels and styling creams.
Waxes and oils
Beeswax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, hydrogenated castor oil — for flexible hold that can be restyled during the day.
Clays and powders
Kaolin, bentonite — for a matte finish and thicker, fuller-looking hair; the base of clay waxes.
Carrier base
A water base for gels and water-based pomades, easy to wash out; an oil base for traditional pomades, with high shine and long hold but harder to wash out.
Key technical points
Four factors that define styling product quality
The right level of hold
Polymer and wax levels are adjusted to the desired hold — light, medium or strong — and tested on styled mannequin hair over several hours.
No white flakes
Gels with too much polymer tend to flake when dry; film plasticizers and humectants keep the film flexible so it does not crack.
Resistant to humidity and sweat
Hydrophobic polymers and waxes keep the style from collapsing in humid weather or with sweat; assessed in a high-humidity chamber.
Easy to wash out
Water-based products wash out with water or regular shampoo; oil bases and hard waxes need emulsifiers to wash out easily.
Three formulation directions
Three common styling product groups
Styling gel
Clear gel with strong hold, wet-look shine or dry matte finish; easy to wash out. Suited to short hair, spiked and slicked-back styles.
Waxes and pomades
Matte clay wax, medium-shine water-based pomade, high-shine oil-based pomade; flexible hold that can be restyled during the day.
Styling cream
A light emulsion with soft hold and frizz control; suited to long hair, curly hair and women's styles.
Packaging is designed together with the formula
Aluminum jars and screw-cap plastic jars for waxes; tubes and jars for gels; pump bottles for styling creams.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
Below are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Viscosity or hardness
- Viscosity measured for gels and creams; hardness and melting point measured for waxes.
- pH
- Measured at 25°C for water-based products.
- Hold
- Styled on standard hair tresses; style droop monitored over time and at high humidity.
- Shine, flaking
- Shine and white flaking assessed after drying and after combing.
- Washability
- Test washes with water and regular shampoo; cleanliness and residual feel assessed.
- Stability
- Freeze–thaw cycling and storage at 40°C; monitored for separation, softening and discoloration.
- Microbiology and preservative efficacy
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930 for water-based products.
- Heavy metals
- Clays are a source that must be controlled; checked against certificates of analysis and tested in the finished product.
Claims
Writing claims within the cosmetic scope
Styling products have clear, easily verifiable functions; the point to watch is any figure for hold duration. Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and marketing materials while preparing the notification dossier.
Styles and holds hair
Describe the level of hold (light, medium, strong) and shine; instead of: permanent hold.
Holds for the number of hours assessed
State a number of hours only when supported by an assessment.
Washes out easily
State this only after wash-out testing with water or regular shampoo.
Contains hair-conditioning ingredients
Instead of: repairs hair, nourishes hair roots.
Thicker, fuller-looking hair (styling effect)
Describe the styling effect; instead of: thickens hair, stimulates hair growth.
Directions
Take a small amount, rub evenly between the palms, then work through hair; avoid contact with eyes.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Format
- Clear gel, clay wax, water-based pomade, oil-based pomade, styling cream.
- Packaging format
- Aluminum jars, plastic jars, tubes, pump bottles. Net weight agreed when selecting packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order and per fragrance.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis is supplied with each batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Suggested product concept
Strong-hold, flake-free hair gel
A product concept to help you picture the possibilities, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed to your brand positioning and price range.
Strong hold
VP/VA Copolymer and PVP form an all-day holding film for spiked and slicked-back styles.
No white flakes
A film plasticizer and Panthenol keep the film flexible so it does not crack when combed.
Wet-look shine, easy wash-out
Clear gel that washes out with water; no greasy feel left behind.
150 ml jar
Wide-mouth screw-cap jar for easy scooping.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can target very different customers depending on the brand. Tell us your requirements in the areas below, and our team of pharmacists will develop a matching formula.
Product format
Gel, clay wax, water-based pomade, oil-based pomade, styling cream.
Hold level
Light, medium, strong.
Shine
Matte, medium shine, wet-look shine.
Target users
Men, women, short hair, long hair, curly hair.
Fragrance
Masculine, fruity, woody, or unscented.
Featured ingredients
Beeswax, clay, castor oil, Panthenol, keratin.
Further reading
Related topics
Hair serum manufacturing
Conditioning and light hold for long hair.
Herbal shampoo manufacturing
Washing out styling products at the end of the day.
Clay mask manufacturing
The same clay raw materials, a different purpose.
Cosmetic labeling rules
How to write claims and directions on a wax jar (in Vietnamese).
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
Head office: Huu Le village, Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi · Factory: Thanh Oai Industrial Cluster, Binh Minh commune, Hanoi, Vietnam
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