Made in the USA?

I got a very interesting question this weekend in the product email box and it is a topic that I have seen again and again when reviewing the WAHM (working at home moms) chatroom…by the way ladies, many of your questions can be answered really quickly if you emailed me or checked the blog <wink>.  Anyway, the question was surrounding the discontinuation of the Time to Go Time Capsules and a similar product made by a competitive company.  As the discussion continued, it was brought up that this product was not made by BeautiControl, so was probably very similar to this competitive brand.  Then, the question arose about where our products are manufactured and why they aren’t all manufactured by the BeautiControl Research Institute (BCRI).  So, I thought it might be a good topic to discuss in today’s blog.

First, it is important to understand our philosophy on product development.  Our product development philosophy in a nutshell is to create and control the development of our own products to ensure their safety, quality and efficacy.  Also, we strive to keep the cost of our products affordable to our consumers by keeping our overhead at a minimum where possible.  Since much of the cost of a product is centered in the cost of the ingredients and the technology, it is crucial that we find ways to reduce unnecessary costs that do nothing but increase the price to our consumer (YOU) in order never to compromise the integrity of the product formulation.

So, what does this mean?   Well, it is simple.  We manufacture 90% of our own formulas here at my office, the BCRI, in Carrollton, Texas.  This is also the home of our manufacturing , operations and distribution for BeautiControl.  My team, the Product Development and Research and Development Teams work tirelessly to concept and create the formulas for all of our products in the line.  The majority of those products are then transferred out onto the manufacturing floor where they will be mixed, filled and then moved into distribution where they will be shipped directly to your door.

There are some products, however, that require specialized manufacturing.  Even though we use our own formulas, developed by the members of my team, we choose to fill them in alternate manufacturing plants for safety or equipment reasons.  Here are some clear examples:

• Products that contain over 10% alcohol (colognes) are compounded and filled out of house due to the fact that they are flammable and need to be filled with specialized equipment and in an explosion proof room
• Powders (eyeshadows, blushes, etc.) need to be manufactured at a facility that is made for powder manufacturing.  These facilities require powder rooms, with sophisticated exhaust systems and very complicated pressing and filling machines.  All cosmetic companies farm out the manufacturing of their powders
• Capsules, such as Time to Go Time Capsules and the Cell Block C Multivitamin Serum, require very unique machinery.  All cosmetic companies farm out the manufacturing of their capsules of this nature.
• Aggressivfe Exfoliants, such as Microdermabrasion, are filled out of house due to the fact that the exfoliating crystals can damage the inside of our machinery and requires much maintenance and frequent replacements.
• Pencils, for reasons that you can imagine, are sourced out to be manufactured by the same companies that manufacture pencils that you write with.  Oddly enough, there are only a few pencil manufacturers in the world and EVERY cosmetic company outsources their pencils.

Could we manufacture these kinds of products in our facility at BeautiControl?  Well, with some modifications to our plant, anything is possible.  The problem is that equipment of this nature would require millions and millions of dollars of new equipment and plant modifications.  Each individual machine that is specialized to produce these types of products cost millions of dollars, not thousands of dollars.  While we COULD invest in this type of machinery, the cost of doing so would greatly increase our overhead, resulting in a very significant price increase to each one of our products.  I think you would agree, this is not something that would be a value to you.

When we do come across a formula that requires outside manufacturing, we choose them based on who can deliver the product of the highest quality.  We have sources in and out the US that we use based on their quality control standards.  These countries primarily include France, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and the Czech Republic.  As always, we choose the best options for each of our products, not the cheapest.

I hope this helps to clarify any questions that you may have regarding this topic.  As always, be sure to email me at product@beauticontrol.com if you have any questions that arise about any of our products.

I hope you have a great week.

Comments

[Crystal]

Thank you for that information Gary. My son likes to watch "How It's Made" and I try to watch it with him. I can sure understand why we farm out some of the manufacturing and you've done a wonderful job explaining it too. There are just some things you leave to other "experts". It's good to know that while keeping our costs down you are also careful to look for quality manufacturing.

Hey Chantelle, you can find out if a product in the "while supplies last" section is being discontinued by checking the "service updates" tab found on the BeautiNet home page. They let us know there if something is going to be reformulated/repackaged.

Happy Spa...lidays everyone!

[Chantelle Falk]

Gary, thank you so much for the concise and understandable explanation. I, too, depend on your blog for key information on products and the business as I love to be informed. Is there any way you could explain each month why the items in the "While Supplies Last" appear there so there is no assumption that they are being discontinued? I feel this information should be available to all consultants without each of them having to ask you individually. Once again, thank you so much for being so informative!

[Bethany Harrison]

Gary, you are amazing! Thank you for always addressing our concerns and questions when they arise! We are so lucky to have you supporting us and leading the team that brings us these wonderful products. Thanks again!

[Jules Sanderson]

Thank you Gary and team!
I really appreciate the education you give us....for those of us that DO read your blog faithfully, you make us much better informed consultants. Because I am selling THE BEST skincare line in North America I feel I need to be a true ambassador for BeautiControl, and know as much as I can learn.
Keep up your great work....we would be 'no where' with out you!!!

[Missi McConkey]

I had never considered the manufacturing process much, assuming it was all made at the BCRI. I think these facts are important for Consultants to know so we can be better prepared for those "smart" clients who want to call our bluff! Thanks, Gary! Once again, you are on your game!