BUTTER-C
Face care
Toner OEM/ODM manufacturing
Toner · OEM/ODM
A toner is an aqueous solution applied right after cleansing and left on the skin without rinsing. Technically, it does three things: brings the skin surface pH back to its physiological range, provides instant hydration and prepares the skin for the serums and creams that follow. Because it is almost entirely water, with no oil phase or thickening system to mask anything, every raw material shows — clarity, skin feel and microbiological stability are the three deciding factors. Butter-C provides full-service manufacturing, from formula development to labeled finished goods with the cosmetic product notification.
Formula base
Humectants and water-soluble actives — the entire formula lives here
Purified water makes up 85–95%; the rest is humectants, actives and the preservative system. There is nothing to "mask" anything, so the ratio of each ingredient directly determines tackiness, absorption speed and clarity. The three groups below are the directions Butter-C works with.
Base humectants
Glycerin 2–6%, Butylene Glycol or Propanediol 2–5%, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Panthenol. They determine instant hydration and tackiness; high Glycerin hydrates well but feels sticky, which is balanced with Propanediol.
Multi-weight hyaluronate
High-molecular-weight Sodium Hyaluronate (a water-holding film on the surface), medium and low molecular weight (penetrating deeper), Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate. Small amounts of 0.05–0.5%, but with a clear effect on texture and cost.
Targeted actives
Niacinamide 2–5%, centella, licorice and green tea extracts, rose water; AHA/BHA/PHA for exfoliating toners at levels within regulatory limits. Each one must be retested for clarity and pH.
Selection considerations
Positioning such as "alcohol-free", "fragrance-free" or a short ingredient list; the cost of HA and peptide raw materials; and water quality — in an all-water system, water matters more than any other raw material.
Key technical points
pH, clarity and preservation — three things with nowhere to hide
With a toner, every formulation flaw is visible to the eye or shows up within a few weeks: haze, discoloration, off-odors. The three items below should be finalized before discussing fragrance or packaging.
pH range
Hydrating toners are kept at 5.0–6.0; AHA/BHA acid toners are set at 3.5–4.5 and need buffering. Actives must be compatible with the chosen pH — Niacinamide is stable at 5–7 and gradually breaks down if kept at low pH for long periods.
Clarity and solubilization
Extracts, fragrance and oil-soluble actives must go through a solubilizer (Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl esters). Too little causes haze in the cold; too much feels sticky and foams when shaken. Always tested at 4°C.
Skin feel and texture
Toners are usually as thin as water; for a slightly viscous East Asian-style texture, Hyaluronate or gums are added at very low levels — at the cost of slower absorption and a tendency to pill when layered.
Preserving an all-water system
High water activity makes a preservative challenge test mandatory. Phenoxyethanol/Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, or Sodium Benzoate/Potassium Sorbate when the pH is low enough; EDTA or GLDA as chelator. Process water must be microbiologically tested for every batch.
Three formulation directions
One principle, three different experiences
Hydrating toner
Thin, alcohol-free, with multi-weight HA and soothing agents. Designed for layering; suited to dry skin, sensitive skin and gentle positioning.
Balancing toner
For oily and combination skin: low levels of PHA or BHA, cooling agents instead of alcohol, oil-control extracts. A clean feel, fast absorption, no stickiness.
Exfoliating toner
AHA/BHA at low pH, at levels within regulatory limits, with directions on frequency of use. Irritation testing is mandatory before the formula is finalized.
Packaging is planned with the formula
Flip-top caps, screw caps or mist sprayers — sprayers require very low viscosity and spray-pattern testing. Light-sensitive actives need dark bottles or bottles with a UV-protective coating.
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.
- Appearance & clarity
- Color, odor, and clarity measured by turbidity. Yellowing of extracts and Niacinamide is tracked over time.
- pH
- Measured directly at 25°C. pH drift is tracked across stability time points — a key parameter for acid toners.
- Density & conductivity
- Two fast batch identity parameters for all-water systems that detect blending errors.
- Viscosity
- Measured with a rotational viscometer at high speed when Hyaluronate or gums are present; tied to the sprayer type if one is used.
- Active content
- Niacinamide and AHA/BHA assayed by HPLC. A batch identity parameter that also tracks degradation.
- Stability
- Accelerated aging at 40°C, freeze–thaw cycling and light exposure; haze at low temperatures, discoloration and precipitation are tracked.
- Packaging compatibility
- Filled into the exact bottle, cap or sprayer to be used; pump force, spray pattern, material odor and light transmission are tracked.
- Microbiology & preservative challenge
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test per ISO 11930 — mandatory for all-water systems.
- Irritation assessment
- Skin testing as required by the target market; acid toners are also tested for stinging on volunteers.
Manufacturing specifications
Current capabilities
- Texture
- Clear liquid, or slightly viscous with Hyaluronate; colorless or with a tint from extracts.
- Format
- Flip-top, screw-cap or mist spray bottles. Volume agreed during packaging selection.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order — depends on the formula direction and the format chosen.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis is delivered with every batch.
- Documentation
- The Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification are prepared by Butter-C.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Reference product
Rose Glow Toner
A sample shown here to give you a concrete formula direction. Your brand can take a completely different direction — this is simply a starting point for discussion.
Hyaluronic Acid
Multi-weight hyaluronate holds water at the surface and in the layers beneath; a slightly viscous feel without stickiness.
Rose petals in the bottle
Real petals steeped in the solution — this requires its own preservative system and stability testing, as organic material is kept in water for a long time.
pH balancing, instant hydration
Positioned for all skin types; pH kept close to the physiological range, alcohol-free.
200 ml format
Clear glass bottle that shows the petals, with a metal cap — signaling the product's market segment.
Customization options
What you can specify
Within the same product type, each brand targets a different customer group. Tell us your requirements in the areas below, and our team of pharmacists will develop a matching formula.
Humectant system
Glycerin, Propanediol, Hyaluronate — determines hydration, tackiness and cost.
Actives and pH range
Niacinamide, soothing extracts, AHA/BHA/PHA — chosen together with the pH range.
Skin feel
Water-thin, slightly viscous, or cooling on application; fast-absorbing or leaving a hydrating layer.
With or without alcohol
A traditional astringent positioning or a gentle one; decide early, since changing direction means changing the whole formula.
Fragrance and color
Fragranced or fragrance-free; color from extracts or left uncolored.
Ingredient positioning
Alcohol-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, vegan — please state this from the outset so suitable raw materials can be selected.
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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