At the moment, there is stiff competition in the cosmetic industry. Designing an innovative cosmetic is one of the best ways for companies to create a strong brand and product identity in this industry. Companies that design custom body scrubbers will benefit greatly from having product differentiation.

Nevertheless, many cosmetic companies, distributors, and retailers find themselves in a situation where:

“How can I ensure that the design of my body scrubber does not get stolen by other firms?”

As the silicone beauty products market expands globally, this question has been becoming increasingly important. Body scrubber design, bristles structure, handle, or innovation could mean that the firm has invested a lot of money on the design and marketing of its cosmetic.

Without adequate protection, you will see the competition imitating your design very quickly and losing the advantage for your business and its return on investment.

For brand collaborations with OEM manufacturers, the protection of innovations in products means:

Selection of the appropriate manufacturer
Control over mold possession
Use of appropriate contracts
Intellectual property protection knowledge
Formation of unique brand value

Being a professional silicone beauty products manufacturer and an OEM/ODM company with more than 15 years of experience, Beaut-lohas knows the necessity to protect customers’ product innovations and help in brand development.

This article is about how brand can protect its custom body scrubber design from copying and form a protected OEM manufacturing collaboration.

1. The Importance of Design Protection of Custom Body Scrubbers

A custom product design is much more than a tangible product.

It stands for:

• Creative effort
• Market research
• Development costs
• Insights from customers
• Competitive advantage

For instance, a brand may create:

• Ergonomic handle
• Dual texture silicone
• Special massaging pattern
• Built-in soap dispenser
• Unique hanging/storage option

Such innovations may positively influence the sales results.

At the same time, if competitors duplicate the design right after its release, they may benefit from your creative efforts without investing any development costs.

Thus, you will experience such disadvantages as:

Price competition

Copycat products usually compete based on lower pricing.

Loss of differentiation

Consumers will not distinguish your product among others anymore.

Market loss

Competitors may enter the market ahead of you in terms of brand awareness building.

Hence, protection of your design should be considered while developing your product.

2. Cooperation with a Professional OEM Manufacturer

In order to ensure design protection from the very beginning, one should choose the right manufacturing company.

Design protection problems appear due to the cooperation of brands with untrustworthy suppliers.

The list of points which a professional OEM factory should consider includes:

• Confidentiality
• Intellectual property rights
• Exclusive designs for our customers
• Protection of molds
• Security of production process

Prior to cooperation, the following questions should be addressed to the manufacturer:

Will the design be produced only for me?
To whom the ownership of the mold will go after development?
Can you guarantee that the design won’t be sold to another customer?

Beaut-lohas values the ownership of products by our customers and helps in creating exclusive silicone beauty products.

3. Secure Your Design Using Exclusive Mold Ownership

For silicone body scrubbers, molds are some of the most crucial assets.

A unique design requires:

• Product engineering
• 3D modeling
• Mold creation
• Testing and refinement

Mold creation is your investment.

Why Mold Ownership Is Important

If the factory holds the mold, then they will have more control over:

• Future manufacturing
• Design use
• Product availability

To ensure better protection, the brands should specify:

• Whose responsibility is to pay for mold creation?
• Whose property is the mold?
• Where is the mold located?
• Is the mold allowed to be used for other clients?

One of the typical practices is:

The brand finances mold creation and holds an exclusive mold.

The manufacturer utilizes the mold only for licensed manufacturing.

4. Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) are among the most popular means to secure confidential information about products.

Before disclosing:

• Product blueprints
• CAD data
• Product design ideas
• Marketing plans
• Specifications of products

Brands may consider signing an NDA.

The purpose of an NDA is to define:

• Confidential information
• Allowed uses
• Forbidden disclosures
• Obligations of parties involved

For international collaboration, professional buyers commonly sign confidentiality agreements before developing products.

5. Look at the Non-Use and Non-Circumvention Agreement (NNN)

For organizations that have suppliers abroad, specifically China, a non-use and non-circumvention agreement will add extra protection.

As compared to the regular NDA, the non-use and non-circumvention agreement pays more attention to:

Non-Disclosure

Your supplier cannot disclose your information.

Non-Use

Your supplier cannot use your design to manufacture their products.

Non-Circumvention

Your supplier cannot circumvent you and deal directly with your customers.

This will be particularly helpful for:

• Private-label brands
• Amazon sellers
• Retail firms
• Beauty distributors

6. Apply for Intellectual Property Protection

Based on the market and the uniqueness of the product, brands may consider formal intellectual property protection.

They include:

Design Patent / Registered Design

It is meant to protect the visual appearance of a product.

Examples of these include:

• Unique shape
• Pattern of the surface
• Structural appearance

Trademark Protection

This protects:

• Brand names
• Logos
• Identity of products

Copyright Protection

This can be considered for:

• Artwork of the product
• Packaging design
• Advertising materials

The most appropriate form of protection will depend on:

• Market
• Uniqueness of the product
• Goals of the business

For businesses operating internationally, options for protection should be considered based on the primary markets.

7. Don’t Give Away Complete Design Information Too Early

In the process of supplier evaluation, buyers give out too much information prematurely.

For instance:

A company gives out:

• Complete CAD drawings
• Full engineering data
• Complete product specification

before ascertaining the supplier’s reliability.

What you should do instead:

Phase 1: Supplier Evaluation

Give out:

• Basic product requirements
• Overall concept

Phase 2: Confidential Cooperation

Enter into agreement before giving out:

• Drawings
• Engineering data
• Technical specifications

Phase 3: Product Development

Start working on:

• Prototype
• Mold
• Product manufacturing

This reduces unnecessary exposure.

8. Product Differentiation beyond Physical Design

Protection techniques aside, a good brand must create more differentiation.

It will be difficult to copy a product if it relies on many aspects for value.

For instance:

Product Design

Different:

Design
Function
User experience

Branding

Such that it includes:

• Story
• Packaging
• Positioning

Marketing

Such that it includes:

• Lifestyle
• Education
• Community

Customer experience

Such that it includes:

• Instructions
• Accessories
• Support

The product can be copied but not the entire brand experience.

9. Select OEM Manufacturers That Are Strong in R&D

An OEM partner needs to not only manufacture products but should also work towards protecting and enhancing your concepts.

Top-notch manufacturers can:

Offer engineering support

To optimize the:

• Structure
• Functionality
• Feasibility of production

Prototype design

Enabling brands to:

• Test out user experience
• Observe market reaction

Innovate constantly

Assist in developing:

• Various versions of the product
• Upgrades to existing products
• Expand the category

Beaut-lohas offers OEM/ODM services from idea generation to large-scale manufacturing.

10. Common Mistakes that Lead to Risk of Design Copying

Mistake #1: Choosing Suppliers Based Only on Cost
Very cheap suppliers might not care about confidentiality.

Mistake #2: Not Defining Ownership of the Mold

The ownership issue can lead to future disputes.

Mistake #3: Disclosing Designs without Agreements

Confidential information can become known to competitors.

Mistake #4: Manufacturing Generic Products

Simpler products are easier to copy.

Mistake #5: Not Paying Attention to Branding

A mere product cannot be enough.

Branding protects:

• Product
• Design
• Trademarks
• Customer Relationship

11. How Beaut-lohas Assists in Protecting Customer Product Development

As a seasoned silicone body scrubber manufacturer, Beaut-lohas assists our customers through every phase of product development.

The services provided include:

Conceptual Development of Products

Assisting in developing brand ideas into marketable products.

CAD Engineering

Professional design and structure of products.

Prototype Development

Testing and improvement of designs before commercialization.

Custom Mold Development

Assistance in producing exclusive products.

OEM Manufacturing

Production of products according to customer specifications.

The aim is to be a long-term manufacturing partner and assist in developing unique products for our clients.

12. Achieving Competitive Advantage Through the Development of Custom Body Scrubbers

For a custom body scrubber product to be successful, there is more to it than just having an innovative design.

Competitive advantage is achieved through:

✔ Product innovation
✔ Manufacturing process
✔ Intellectual property rights
✔ Branding
✔ Continuous improvement

The brands that make proper investments in the protection process are more likely to benefit.

Conclusion: Protect Your Innovation Prior to Market Entry

Your unique body scrubber design has significant business value. Without protecting your invention, other businesses can take advantage of your innovation and undermine your competitive edge in the marketplace.

The most effective method of protection involves:

• Partnering with a trustworthy OEM manufacturer
• Gaining mold ownership
• Implementing confidentiality agreements
• IP protection
• Brand differentiation

For cosmetics companies, wholesalers, and retailers looking to manufacture custom silicone body scrubbers, partnering with the right manufacturer is the key to securing their product.

At Beaut-lohas, we leverage our experience as an OEM manufacturer, product developers, and manufacturers to help international brands develop their silicone beauty innovations.

Protect your innovation. Secure your investment. Develop your brand.