23 Provinces Pilot Personalized Cosmetics Services: Five Capability Models for OEM Flexible Transformation from Actual Data of 37 Enterprises
In August 2026, the pilot for personalized cosmetics services expanded for the third time to 23 provinces. Actual data from 37 pioneering pilot enterprises shows that customized OEM demand is reshaping the competitive landscape of the OEM/ODM industry—formula modularization, flexible production lines, digital traceability, compliance services, and cross-base collaboration have become the entry tickets for OEMs in the next round of elimination.
I. Policy Background: The Industry Signal of Yao Jian Zong Zhuang [2026] No. 54
On July 10, 2026, the Comprehensive Department of the National Medical Products Administration issued the "Notice on Expanding the Scope of the Second Phase Pilot for Personalized Cosmetics Services" (Yao Jian Zong Zhuang [2026] No. 54), explicitly adding 8 provinces and regions—Liaoning, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, and Xinjiang—to the personalized cosmetics service pilot, expanding national coverage from the previous 15 provinces to 23 provinces.
Core policy points:
• The pilot scope expanded from "on-site preparation in specialty stores" to "small-batch customization + cross-regional delivery"
• Licensed enterprises are allowed to commission multiple factories to produce the same personalized product
• Filing changed from an approval system to "notification commitment + post-event spot checks"
• OEM enterprises are explicitly required to establish a quality management system matching personalized services
For the OEM/ODM industry, this is no longer a multiple-choice question of "whether to do it," but a capability test of "how to handle it."
II. Data Profile of 37 Pilot Enterprises: Structural Changes in OEM Demand
Based on public data from 37 filed pilot enterprises, personalized orders undertaken by OEMs show four notable characteristics:
1. Fragmented batches
The average single commission volume of the first batch of pilot enterprises is 80–300 units, far below the traditional OEM minimum order line of 5,000 units. Some high-end customized orders even show an ultra-flexible model of "50 units per batch, 3 repeat orders per month."
2. High category concentration
Among the categories filed by the 37 enterprises, skincare (creams/serums/masks) accounts for 67%, color cosmetics (foundation/lipstick) accounts for 22%, and personal care (body wash/shampoo) only 11%. Skincare remains the main battlefield for personalized services.
3. Differentiated efficacy demands
"Sensitive skin repair," "anti-aging firming," and "whitening and spot fading" rank in the top three efficacy demands, together accounting for over 75%. Among them, "sensitive skin repair" accounts for 38% in personalized scenarios, far higher than the overall market's 21%, indicating that consumers are willing to pay a premium for high-efficacy, low-irritation combination solutions.
4. Compressed delivery cycles
The average cycle from formula confirmation to first batch delivery for pilot enterprises is 12–18 days, while the traditional OEM model usually requires 30–45 days. Flexible response capability has become the primary indicator for pilot brands when selecting OEMs.
III. Five Capability Models for OEM Flexible Transformation
Based on the practical experience of 37 pilot enterprises, OEMs need to upgrade simultaneously in five dimensions to handle personalized service orders:
Capability 1: Scaled customization capability—from "5,000 minimum order" to "starting from 50 units"
The core logic of traditional OEM is "spreading costs through volume," while the core logic of personalized services is "winning through speed." Pilot data shows that among the 37 OEM enterprises, 14 have already established "flexible production lines"—achieving multi-category switching on a single line through modular equipment combinations.
Key indicators:
• Line changeover time ≤2 hours (traditional lines require 8–12 hours)
• Minimum batch reduced to 50–100 units
• Single-line daily capacity covers 3–5 SKUs
Taking an OEM in Guangdong as an example, after investing about 1.2 million yuan to renovate two flexible production lines, the revenue share of personalized orders increased from 0 to 22%, and the customer repurchase rate increased by 40%.
Capability 2: Rapid response capability—from "30-day delivery" to "12-day closed loop"
The delivery pace required by pilot enterprises is significantly faster than that of traditional brands. Among the 37 enterprises, 29 control the "formula confirmation → first batch delivery" cycle within 18 days, and 9 achieve 12 days.
Three supporting points for rapid response:
• Pre-positioned formula library: reserve 50–100 "semi-finished bases" in advance, and complete customized blending within 72 hours after receiving demand
• Universal packaging materials: establish a "public mold packaging pool," so brands only need to customize labels/outer boxes, compressing the packaging arrival cycle from 15 days to 3 days
• Digital order tracking: each order is equipped with a real-time progress dashboard, allowing brands to check formula, packaging, filling, quality inspection, and logistics status at any time
Capability 3: Technological innovation capability—from "toll manufacturing" to "joint R&D"
Personalized services have much higher requirements for formula flexibility than standard products. Pilot data shows that among the 37 OEM enterprises, 26 have established "open formula platforms"—brands can fine-tune efficacy ingredients, skin feel, and fragrance based on existing platform formulas rather than developing from scratch.
Three directions of technological innovation:
• Modularization of efficacy ingredients: make mainstream efficacy ingredients such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide into independent modules for on-demand combination
• Standardization of skin feel regulation: establish a "skin feel matrix," forming a quantifiable gradient system from refreshing → moisturizing and light → rich
• Rapid stability testing: introduce accelerated stability testing equipment, compressing the formula stability verification cycle from 3 months to 2 weeks
Capability 4: Quality control capability—from "sampling qualification" to "batch-by-batch traceability"
The essence of personalized services is "small batches + multiple batches," which traditional sampling models are difficult to cover. The pilot requires OEM enterprises to establish a "batch-by-batch inspection + full-process traceability" system.
Four key links in quality control:
• Raw material end: complete fingerprint spectrum comparison before each batch of raw materials enters the warehouse to ensure consistency between batches
• Production end: real-time recording of key process parameters (temperature, stirring speed, filling volume), with automatic alarms for abnormalities
• Finished product end: retain samples + full inspection for each batch, with mandatory testing of microorganisms, heavy metals, and efficacy indicators
• Traceability end: establish a "one item, one code" traceability system, allowing consumers to scan codes to check raw material batches, production dates, and quality inspection reports
Data shows that 31 of the 37 pilot enterprises have completed traceability system integration, with average traceability response time shortened from 48 hours to 4 hours.
Capability 5: Compliance adaptation capability—from "passive compliance" to "active service"
The compliance complexity of personalized services is much higher than that of standard products. OEMs must not only ensure product qualification but also assist brands in completing filing, label review, efficacy claim evaluation, and other work.
Three levels of compliance adaptation:
• Basic level: familiar with cosmetics registration and filing regulations, able to independently complete formula filing and safety assessment report preparation
• Advanced level: possess efficacy claim evaluation capability, able to assist brands in completing human efficacy tests and in vitro alternative tests
• High level: establish a regulatory early warning mechanism, track policy changes in real time, and adjust formulas and claim strategies in advance
Pilot data shows that 23 of the 37 brands list "compliance support capability" as one of the top three considerations when choosing OEMs.
IV. Practice of Guangdong Weitai: How Four Major Bases Support Flexible Transformation
As a high-tech enterprise holding three-in-one production qualifications for cosmetics, medical devices, and disinfection products, Guangdong Weitai has accumulated more than ten years of experience in flexible manufacturing. It currently has four major production bases in Baiyun Guangzhou, Nanhai Foshan, Zhaoqing High-tech Zone, and Ningxiang Hunan, with a total area of over 150,000 square meters. Its 72 technical achievements cover key links such as formula R&D, process optimization, and quality testing.
In response to the OEM demand of the personalized service pilot, Guangdong Weitai has formed three core capabilities:
1. Modular formula platform
Based on more than ten years of OEM experience, it has established an open formula library covering three major categories: skincare, color cosmetics, and personal care, allowing brands to quickly customize based on existing formulas. The formula library has completed modular decomposition of efficacy ingredients, supporting flexible combinations of "base formula + efficacy module."
2. Flexible production line configuration
The four major bases are equipped with a total of 12 flexible production lines, supporting minimum orders of 50 units and line changeover in 3 days. Through modular equipment combinations, a single line can cover the production of multiple categories such as creams, serums, lotions, and masks, with line changeover time controlled within 2 hours.
3. Full-chain compliance services
Equipped with a professional regulatory team, it can assist brands in completing the full-process compliance work of personalized service filing, safety assessment, and efficacy claim evaluation. It has served more than 800 brands and accumulated more than 110 application experiences for Class II medical device registration and filing.
V. Industry Outlook: Flexible Manufacturing Is the Next Entry Ticket for OEMs
From the data of 37 pilot enterprises, personalized services are reshaping the competition rules of the OEM/ODM industry. In the past, the core competitiveness of OEMs was "cost + scale"; in the future, core competitiveness will shift to "flexibility + compliance + innovation."
For OEMs, flexible transformation is not optional but mandatory. Whether they can establish matching capabilities under the trends of fragmented batches, accelerated delivery, and differentiated efficacy will determine their survival position in the next round of elimination.
For brands, choosing OEMs with flexible capabilities means faster time to market, lower trial-and-error costs, and stronger differentiation barriers. Against the backdrop of continuous expansion of personalized service pilots, "flexible OEM" is changing from a selling point to a standard configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What does the expansion of the personalized cosmetics service pilot mean for the OEM industry?
A: The transformation from standardized mass production to small-batch, multi-category, rapid-response flexible manufacturing is a capability threshold that OEMs must cross. Data from 37 pilot enterprises shows that flexible production lines, rapid delivery, and compliance services have become core competitiveness.
Q2: What key capabilities are revealed by the data of 37 pilot enterprises?
A: Scaled customization, rapid response, technological innovation, quality control, and compliance adaptation are the five core capability dimensions. Among them, batch fragmentation and delivery cycle compression are the most significant structural changes.
Q3: How should OEM/ODM enterprises respond to the challenges of flexible transformation?
A: They need to upgrade simultaneously in production lines, supply chains, R&D teams, and quality control systems, and establish a manufacturing system that combines modularization and flexibility. Key investments include flexible production line renovation, open formula platform construction, and traceability system integration.
Q4: What is the minimum order quantity for personalized service OEM?
A: Data from pilot enterprises shows that the mainstream minimum order quantity is 50–300 units, and some high-end customized orders can be as low as 50 units per batch. OEMs need to control the production cost of small batches within an acceptable range through modular production lines.
Q5: What indicators should brands focus on when choosing flexible OEMs?
A: Focus on five dimensions: line changeover time (≤2 hours), minimum order quantity (≤100 units), delivery cycle (≤18 days), traceability response time (≤4 hours), and regulatory support capability.
