learn cosmetic formulation online
Professional Skin Care &
Hair Care Formulation Training
Learn Cosmetic Formulation
Develop the knowledge and practical skills to formulate professional skin care and hair care products—from understanding ingredients and building formulas to preservation, testing, scaling, and manufacturing.
At Joan Morais Cosmetics School, we have taught cosmetic formulation online since 2003. Our training combines plant-based, vegan ingredients with science-based formulation principles to help you understand not only how to make a cosmetic product, but why a formulation works.
Whether you are completely new to formulation, developing your own beauty brand, improving products you already make, or preparing to work professionally as a cosmetic formulator or compounder, you can learn step by step.
What is Cosmetic Formulation?
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Cosmetic formulation is the process of designing and developing a cosmetic product by selecting ingredients according to their function, compatibility, safety, stability, processing requirements, and intended performance.
It is much more than combining ingredients.
There is an important difference between following a recipe and developing a professional formulation.
A recipe tells you what to combine.
Professional formulation teaches you how to understand the ingredients, make informed changes, troubleshoot problems, document your process, test the finished product, and reproduce it consistently.
A formula is more than a list of ingredients.
A professional cosmetic formulator understands percentages, ingredient functions, processing methods, preservation, pH, packaging, testing, stability, and product performance.
A formulator considers questions such as:
What Does a Cosmetic Formulator Do?
A cosmetic formulator develops products for the skin, hair, scalp, body, and other cosmetic applications.
The work begins long before ingredients are placed into a beaker.
Cosmetic formulators follow many different career paths.
You may formulate products for your own skin care or hair care company, develop products for clients, work as a compounder or production assistant, freelance, consult, teach, or work with a cosmetic laboratory or contract manufacturer.
Some people study formulation specifically because they want to launch a brand.
Others simply want to finally understand why products are formulated the way they are.
a cosmetic Formulator may:
Do You Need a Chemistry Degree to Become a Cosmetic Formulator?
You may formulate products for your own skin care or hair care company, develop products for clients, work as a compounder or production assistant, freelance, consult, teach, or work with a cosmetic laboratory or contract manufacturer.
Some people study formulation specifically because they want to launch a brand.
Others simply want to finally understand why products are formulated the way they are.
No. You do not need to begin as a chemist to learn professional cosmetic formulation.
A chemistry degree can be valuable—and may be required for certain highly technical, research, laboratory, or corporate positions—but there are many paths within cosmetic formulation.
What you do need is structured education and a willingness to learn.
Professional formulation training should teach you areas such as:
- Ingredient science
- Ingredient functions
- Formulation math
- Percentages
- Emulsions
- Surfactants
- Conditioning systems
- Preservation
- pH
- Stability
- Testing
- Good Manufacturing Practices
- Product development
- Manufacturing procedures
- Scaling
You also need hands-on practice.
Formulation is both knowledge and skill. You learn the principles, make the product, observe what happens, document your results, make adjustments, test again, and continue improving.
You do not need to begin as a chemist to become a skilled formulator.
You do need to be willing to study ingredient functions, follow accurate procedures, document your work, test your products, and continue learning.
who is cosmetic formulation training for?
Cosmetic formulation is a practical skill that can be learned by people from many different backgrounds.
Beginners
If you are completely new to cosmetic formulation, structured training gives you a foundation instead of leaving you to piece together information from disconnected recipes, videos, social media posts, and ingredient descriptions.
You learn the language of formulation first so that more advanced concepts make sense later.
Beauty Brand Founders
If your goal is to create a skin care or hair care line, understanding formulation gives you greater control over product development.
Even if you eventually hire a cosmetic chemist or contract manufacturer, you will be better prepared to communicate what you want, evaluate prototypes, understand ingredient choices, and make informed business decisions.
Product Makers
Perhaps you already make soaps, creams, body butters, shampoos, hair oils, or other products.
Professional training can help you move beyond simply making products and begin understanding:
- Stability
- Preservation
- Ingredient compatibility
- Consistency
- Performance
- Product documentation
- Scaling
Aspiring Cosmetic Formulators and Compounders
Formulation training can provide foundational skills for people interested in developing products professionally or working in cosmetic production.
Learning how formulas are constructed and processed also helps you understand what happens when a formulation moves from the development laboratory into manufacturing.
Hair and Skin Care Professionals
Cosmetic formulation can be valuable for:
- Hairstylists
- Trichologists
- Estheticians
- Spa professionals
- Salon owners
- Beauty educators
- Other skin and hair professionals
Understanding formulation can give you a much deeper understanding of the products you use and recommend.
Experienced Formulators
Formulation education does not end once you know how to make a cream or shampoo.
Experienced formulators may want to expand into a new product category, explore newer ingredients, strengthen their understanding of preservation and testing, or develop greater expertise in natural, plant-based, and vegan cosmetic formulation.
What should a professional cosmetic formulation program teach?
Professional formulation training should go far beyond giving you finished formulas to copy.
You should learn the principles that allow you to eventually develop, evaluate, customize, troubleshoot, and improve formulations yourself.
Ingredient Functions
Every ingredient should have a reason for being in a formula.
As a formulator, you learn to understand ingredient categories such as:
- Emollients
- Humectants
- Emulsifiers
- Surfactants
- Conditioning agents
- Thickeners
- Gelling agents
- Solubilizers
- Antioxidants
- Chelating agents
- Preservatives
- Botanical extracts
- Active ingredients
- Fragrance materials
- Essential oils
Once you understand ingredient functions, you can begin making informed substitutions and creating formulas around a specific product goal.
Instead of asking only:
“What can I substitute for this ingredient?”
you begin asking:
“What function is this ingredient performing, and what ingredient can provide a similar function in this particular formulation?”
That is an important shift from making recipes to thinking like a formulator.
Formulation in Percentages
Professional cosmetic formulas are generally written in percentages rather than cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons.
A complete formula totals 100%.
This allows you to make the same formula at many different batch sizes while maintaining the correct ratio of ingredients.
For example, the same formula can be calculated for:
- 100 grams
- 500 grams
- 1 kilogram
- 5 kilograms
- Larger production batches
Learning percentage-based formulation is one of the most important foundational skills in cosmetic product development.
Product Development
Before choosing ingredients, first determine what you are trying to create.
A formulator considers:
Product type:
Cream, serum, gel, shampoo, conditioner, balm, mist, oil, cleanser, or another format.
Target user:
Who is the product being developed for?
Performance:
What should the product accomplish?
Texture:
Should it be light, rich, creamy, fluid, silky, gel-like, whipped, or balm-like?
Sensory profile:
How should the product feel during and after application?
Packaging:
Will it be packaged in a jar, bottle, tube, pump, airless container, dropper, or another format?
These decisions influence ingredient selection and the structure of the formula.
Processing and Manufacturing Procedure
Two formulas containing the same ingredients can produce very different results depending on how they are processed.
Formulators must understand factors such as:
- Ingredient order
- Heating
- Cooling
- Mixing speed
- Mixing time
- Shear
- Hydration time
- When heat-sensitive ingredients should be added
- When preservatives should be added
- When pH should be measured and adjusted
A professional formula should therefore include both the formula and a clear manufacturing procedure.
Preservation
Products containing water require careful consideration of microbial contamination and preservation.
Preservative selection is not simply a matter of adding a preservative to a formula.
A formulator considers:
- Product type
- Water content
- pH
- Ingredient composition
- Packaging
- Intended use
- Manufacturing conditions
- Recommended preservative usage level
- Compatibility with other ingredients
Preservation should be considered during product development—not added as an afterthought.
pH
pH is another essential part of cosmetic formulation.
Depending on the product, pH can affect:
- Skin compatibility
- Hair and scalp performance
- Preservative effectiveness
- Ingredient stability
- Viscosity
- Surfactant systems
- Certain active ingredients
Learning how and when to measure and adjust pH is an important laboratory skill.
Stability and Product Testing
Making a product that looks beautiful on the first day is only the beginning.
A formulator needs to observe how the product performs over time.
Testing may include:
- Heat stability
- Cold stability
- Freeze-thaw testing
- Emulsion stability
- Packaging compatibility
- Product observation
- pH monitoring
- Microbiological testing
- Preservative efficacy or challenge testing
Testing helps identify problems before a product reaches the customer.
It also provides valuable information when revising and improving a formula.
Good Manufacturing Practices
Good Manufacturing Practices—or GMP—help ensure products are produced in a clean, controlled, organized, and repeatable manner.
Important practices include:
- Sanitation
- Raw material handling
- Lot tracking
- Equipment cleaning
- Batch documentation
- Ingredient weighing
- Production records
- Product labeling
- Finished batch records
- Repeatability
Good formulation and good manufacturing practices work together.
A great formula cannot compensate for poor manufacturing practices.
Scaling and Manufacturing
A successful 100-gram laboratory formula is an important beginning.
The next challenge is reproducing it at a larger scale.
Scaling can affect:
- Heating time
- Cooling time
- Mixing
- Shear
- Ingredient incorporation
- Viscosity
- Emulsion formation
- Production equipment
Understanding formulation helps you communicate more effectively when transitioning from your own laboratory work to a professional contract manufacturer.
learn professional Skin Care Formulation
Skin care formulation brings together ingredient science, skin knowledge, product development, emulsions, preservation, sensory characteristics, active ingredients, and manufacturing techniques.
Skin care vary tremendously in type, sensitivity, hydration level, oil production, barrier condition, environmental exposure, and individual needs.
Students may learn to formulate product categories such as:
- Facial cleansers
- Cream cleansers
- Gel cleansers
- Micellar products
- Toners
- Facial mists
- Serums
- Gel creams
- Lotions
- Facial creams
- Water-in-oil emulsions
- Facial oils
- Balms
- Masks
- Exfoliating products
- Body moisturizers
- Body oils
- Lip products
Professional skin care formulation education should also build an understanding of:
- Skin structure and function
- Skin types
- Skin conditions
- Hydration
- Moisturization
- Skin barrier support
- Emulsion systems
- Active ingredients
- Sensitive-skin formulation
- Product texture
- Sensory feel
- Natural perfumery and aroma
Learning these principles allows you to formulate around a product goal instead of simply collecting formulas.
Explore the Professional Natural Skin Care Formulation Course
Learn Professional Hair Care Formulation
Hair care formulation requires an understanding of both the hair fiber and the scalp, along with surfactants, conditioning systems, styling ingredients, viscosity, preservation, and product performance.
Hair can vary tremendously in texture, curl pattern, porosity, density, styling practices, and individual needs.
Professional hair care formulation training may cover products such as:
- Shampoos
- Sulfate-free cleansers
- Conditioner bars
- Liquid conditioners
- Deep conditioners
- Hair masks
- Leave-in conditioners
- Detanglers
- Hair mists
- Curl creams
- Styling gels
- Hair mousse
- Edge gels
- Edge control
- Hair serums
- Scalp oils
- Hair growth support products
- Products for locs
- Products for waves
- Products for curls
- Products for coils
- Textured-hair formulations
Students should also develop knowledge in areas such as:
- Hair structure
- Hair types and textures
- Hair porosity
- Scalp care
- Surfactant systems
- Conditioning ingredients
- Slip
- Detangling
- Frizz control
- Styling and hold
- Product buildup
- Flaking
- Product customization
Understanding these concepts allows you to formulate more intentionally for different hair needs rather than assuming one product will perform the same way for everyone.
Explore the Professional Natural Hair Care Formulation Course
What does Natural and Science-Based Cosmetic Formulation Mean?
Natural formulation and cosmetic science are not opposites.
Creating a natural cosmetic does not mean ignoring preservation, testing, stability, ingredient safety, or professional manufacturing standards.
Our approach combines plant-based ingredients with sound formulation science.
We do not use animal-derived ingredients in our formulations.
Natural does not mean unscientific.
A natural cosmetic product must still be stable, appropriately preserved, properly manufactured, tested, and suitable for its intended use.
This is the foundation of responsible green cosmetic formulation.
We teach students to consider:
The Cosmetic Product Development Process
How does an idea become a finished cosmetic product?
Professional product development generally moves through a series of steps.
1. Define the Product Concept
Determine what you want to create and what problem or need the product is intended to address.
2. Identify the Target Customer
Consider who will use the product and what characteristics matter to that customer.
3. Select the Product Format
Decide whether the product will be a cream, gel, serum, shampoo, conditioner, balm, mist, oil, cleanser, or another format.
4. Research Ingredient Functions
Choose ingredients according to the functions and performance required.
5. Draft the Formula in Percentages
Build the formulation so that every ingredient has a defined percentage and purpose.
6. Create the Manufacturing Procedure
Determine ingredient order, phases, temperature requirements, mixing methods, cooling, and finishing steps.
7. Make the First Laboratory Batch
Produce a controlled prototype and document exactly what was done.
8. Evaluate the Product
Observe:
- Appearance
- Texture
- Aroma
- Viscosity
- pH
- Application
- After-feel
- Product performance
9. Revise the Formula
Determine what needs improvement and create the next version.
10. Conduct Stability and Microbiological Testing
Evaluate how the product performs and whether the preservation system is appropriate.
11. Select Packaging
Make sure the package works with both the formula and the way the customer will use the product.
12. Scale the Formula
Move from the laboratory batch toward larger production.
13. Prepare for Production and Launch
Finalize manufacturing requirements, documentation, testing, packaging, and production planning.
Idea → Formula → Make → Evaluate → Test → Refine → Scale → Manufacture
That is product development.
Should You Learn Formulation Before Working With a Contract Manufacturer?
You do not necessarily have to manufacture your own products to benefit from cosmetic formulation education.
In fact, understanding formulation can make you a much more informed client when working with a professional laboratory or contract manufacturer.
Education can help you:
- Define the product you actually want
- Identify preferred ingredients
- Identify ingredients you want excluded
- Communicate clearly with a laboratory
- Understand prototypes
- Evaluate sample formulas
- Ask better questions
- Understand product texture and performance
- Evaluate realistic cosmetic claims
- Understand testing requirements
- Review ingredient choices
- Discuss production requirements
- Understand minimum order quantities
- Evaluate costs
- Avoid unnecessary ingredient trends
- Reduce confusion during product development
Instead of approaching a manufacturer with:
“I want a really good natural face cream.”
you can communicate a much more specific product brief.
That clarity can make the development process more productive for both you and the laboratory.
Cosmetic Recipes vs. Professional Formulas
Recipes can be a wonderful introduction to making products.
Professional cosmetic formulation goes further.
| Cosmetic Recipe | Professional Formula |
|---|---|
| May use cups, teaspoons, or drops | Written in percentages |
| Often designed for one batch size | Can be accurately scaled |
| May not explain ingredient functions | Each ingredient has a defined purpose |
| Preservation may be missing | Preservation is deliberately selected |
| Limited testing information | Includes stability and safety considerations |
| Procedure may be simplified | Processing steps are documented |
| Often copied without customization | Developed for a specific product goal |
Recipes tell you what to make.
Formulation education begins teaching you how to think about the product.
For someone making a simple product for personal use, a recipe may be enough.
If your goal is to formulate professionally, customize products, troubleshoot, manufacture consistently, or eventually sell products, you need deeper knowledge.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Cosmetic Formulation?
You can begin learning and making cosmetic products relatively quickly.
Becoming a confident formulator takes longer.
There is no single timeline because students have different backgrounds, goals, schedules, and levels of experience.
Cosmetic formulation is a skill that develops through:
Study + Making + Observation + Documentation + Testing + Repetition
You may understand an emulsion in theory and then discover that making one teaches you something entirely different.
You may make a beautiful formula and later learn more by watching how it changes during stability testing.
That hands-on experience is part of becoming a formulator.
Our Pro Courses are self-paced, beginners are welcome, and students receive lifetime access so they can return to the material as their skills and businesses develop.
You do not need to learn everything at once.
Start with the fundamentals.
Make products.
Document what happens.
Then build from there.
What Do You Need to Start Formulating?
You do not need a commercial cosmetic laboratory to begin learning formulation.
A well-organized beginner laboratory can be surprisingly simple.
Basic equipment may include:
- Accurate digital scale
- Heat-safe beakers or mixing vessels
- Thermometer
- Mini mixer
- Laboratory homogenizer or appropriate mixing equipment
- Spatulas
- Pipettes
- pH meter or quality pH strips
- Sanitizing supplies
- Gloves
- Product labels
- Batch notebook or formulation records
- Appropriate ingredients for your project
As your skills progress, you may add more specialized equipment.
What matters most in the beginning is learning to weigh accurately, work cleanly, follow a procedure, document every batch, and observe your results.
What Should You Look for in a Cosmetic Formulation Course?
Not all cosmetic formulation education is the same.
Before enrolling, look closely at what the program actually teaches.
A comprehensive formulation course should include subjects such as:
- Ingredient functions
- Formulation percentages
- Complete manufacturing procedures
- Preservation
- pH
- Emulsions
- Surfactants
- Conditioning systems
- Stability
- Microbiological testing
- GMP
- Troubleshooting
- Scaling
- Supplier guidance
- Product development
- Hands-on formulation practice
Also consider the course itself.
Who created the training?
Look at the instructor's background and formulation experience.
Can you see what you are buying?
A professional school should clearly explain its curriculum so you can determine whether the training matches your goals.
Does the program go beyond formulas?
Receiving formulas is helpful. Understanding how and why those formulas work is far more valuable.
Are manufacturing procedures included?
A formula without an adequate procedure leaves out an important part of formulation.
Is preservation taught?
Preservation is a fundamental subject in water-containing cosmetic products.
Are stability and testing discussed?
Product development does not stop when the first batch is made.
Does the course cover the products you want to formulate?
A student primarily interested in hair care may need a very different educational path from someone developing facial skin care.
How long do you retain access?
Cosmetic formulation is not something most students learn once and never revisit. Being able to return to your training can become increasingly valuable as your skills develop.
Choose Your Cosmetic Formulation Learning Path
You do not have to learn cosmetic formulation in exactly the same way as someone else.
Choose the educational path that best matches your goals.
Professional Natural Skin Care Formulation Course
For students who want comprehensive education in professional skin care formulation.
Learn through:
- Self-paced online study
- Beginner-friendly foundational training
- Ingredient science
- Skin science
- Percentage-based formulation
- Skin care product development
- Emulsions
- Serums
- Cleansing systems
- Preservation
- pH
- Testing
- GMP
- Scaling
- Practical formulation exercises
Students receive lifetime course access to the Pro Course training.
Professional Natural Hair Care Formulation Course
For students who want comprehensive education in professional hair and scalp formulation.
Study areas including:
- Hair science
- Scalp care
- Hair types and textures
- Cleansing systems
- Surfactants
- Conditioning systems
- Leave-in products
- Styling products
- Textured-hair formulation
- Preservation
- pH
- Testing
- GMP
- Scaling
Students receive lifetime course access to the Pro Course training.
Explore Professional Natural Hair Care Formulation
Individual Formulation LAB Classes
Not everyone is ready for a comprehensive Pro Course.
Our individual Formulation LAB Classes allow you to focus on a particular product or formulation type.
Each focused class includes:
- A cosmetic formula
- Manufacturing procedure
- Product-specific formulation lesson
These classes are an excellent option when you want to learn a particular formulation or expand into another product category.
Students receive 3 years course access to the LAB Classes.
Explore Individual Formulation LAB Classes
Not sure where to begin?
Professional Cosmetic Formulation Education Since 2003
Joan Morais Cosmetics School was founded by cosmetic formulator and instructor Joan Morais and has been teaching cosmetic formulation online since 2003.
Our goal is to make professional formulation knowledge understandable, practical, and usable.
Students learn how to combine the creativity of product development with the technical skills required to produce professional cosmetic formulations.
Our training includes:
- Professional skin care formulation
- Professional hair care formulation
- Natural and plant-based ingredients
- Vegan formulations
- Science-based product development
- Ingredient and supplier guidance
- Formulation procedures
- Preservation
- Product testing
- GMP
- Scaling and manufacturing considerations
Our students come from around the world and include beginners, experienced product makers, beauty entrepreneurs, salon and spa professionals, brand founders, and aspiring formulators.
Pro Course students receive lifetime course access, allowing them to return to the training as their knowledge, formulations, and businesses continue to grow.
About Joan Morais
Joan Morais is a cosmetic formulator and instructor who has spent decades developing formulations and teaching others the professional skills involved in natural cosmetic product development.
Her approach brings together plant-based formulation, practical laboratory techniques, ingredient knowledge, product development, and professional manufacturing principles.
What Can You Do With Cosmetic Formulation Training?
There is no single path after learning cosmetic formulation.
Your training can support many different goals.
You may choose to:
- Start your own skin care brand
- Start your own hair care brand
- Develop a first signature product
- Improve an existing product line
- Better understand products already being manufactured for your company
- Work more effectively with a contract manufacturer
- Formulate products for clients
- Pursue opportunities as a cosmetic compounder or production assistant
- Expand an esthetics business
- Expand a salon or hair care business
- Develop products for a spa
- Create products for a professional practice
- Continue into more advanced cosmetic formulation education
Formulation education does not guarantee a particular career or business result.
What it gives you is something very valuable:
Knowledge of the product itself.
You understand what goes into it.
You understand why ingredients are selected.
You understand how the product is made.
And you become better equipped to make informed decisions as a formulator, maker, entrepreneur, or brand owner.
Start Learning Cosmetic Formulation
Every professional formula begins with learning the fundamentals.
You do not have to know chemistry before you begin.
You do not need a commercial laboratory.
And you do not need to know how to formulate every type of product.
Start with the foundation.
Learn what ingredients do.
Learn how percentages work.
Learn proper formulation procedures.
Make your first laboratory batches.
Observe them.
Test them.
Improve them.
And continue building your skills one formulation at a time.
Ready to Begin?
Explore Individual Formulation LAB Classes
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The Formulators LAB / Joan Morais Cosmetics School
Professional Training in Natural, Vegan and Science-Based Cosmetic Formulation.