what happen when someone steal your formula?

[hippo]

I'm just really curious. What do you usually do when someone steal your formula and make exactly the same products? Do you usually receive a lot of emails just asking for ingredient lists? They are not even your potential clients.

[Michelle]

Nobody can steal my formula because I won't give it to anyone. A list of ingredients is just that, without knowing exact % or what you did, where, they can't do exactly the same as you.
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www.zalibeauty.com
Fundamentalists are never FUN, only MENTAL

[soapbuddy]

How did they steal your formula?
I have an ingredient list on all my products, but it would be difficult to replicate.
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Irena
My ArtFire Shop - Ginger's Garden Shop

[Swifty]

do you mean someone reverse-engineered your product? as in bought it , looked at the ingredient list and figured out how to make it?

or did someone get their hands ono your formula?
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you may be right, I may be crazy...

[hippo]

I'm just worried. I worked and worked many experiments to come up with the formula

[soapbuddy]

[Michelle]

To be honest, if you check most products on the market, they are all fairly similar. They all come from the same group of base ingredients, so you are bound to find cross overs somewhere. What you are selling people isn't the product. There's hundreds - if not thousands - out there all trying to sell skincare/soap/candles etc. What sets you apart? What makes your business or product different to all the others? People will choose to buy your product because of what you promise them, not in terms of "this product will remove all signs of ageing, help you grow wings and fly to the moon" but in terms of the image or lifestyle using your product is all about. Who is your niche market? What interests them? Sell to their desires and as long as the product is decent, you will develop a following in your target market.

If you are worried about protecting your formula you can always apply for a trade secret patent (or whatever its called), which means you don't have to list the ingredients on the item at all, but I'd be wary of going this way. People are wanting more transparency in their products now. They want to know exactly what is in the item so they can make up their own mind.

With regard to checking out other people, yes I look at their list of ingredients, not to steal the formula or copy them, but to see where the trends might be headed. Currently, trends in the organic market are trending toward clear, glass packaging - transparency taken literally. There is also a move toward certified organic products, wildcrafting and cold pressed oils. And checking on what is going on out there helps me to position my product. Am I offering something more or less than they are? What price point have they set their product at? How might they have achieved those numbers.

Also, what scents will be the big hits this coming season? We are approaching summer here and the big clothing trend (again!) is the flowerly, romantic look of the 80s, yeah those lovely fluffy puffy shirts! So, you can guess people will be looking for romantic or retro scents again, rose, lavender, gardenia, along with island spice.
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www.zalibeauty.com
Fundamentalists are never FUN, only MENTAL

[hippo]

like acne and skin lightening treatment

One person has personally called me asking for the whole ingredients list but never bought anything. I sent her all information through email

One company has bought 3 bottles of my skin lightening serums through etsy. He bought 1 bottle 3 month ago, 2nd bottle 2 months ago and 3rd bottle just now. I found out he owes a skin care company which produces skin whitening cream.

I'm just curious that happens to all you guys very often? Like your competitors are buying bunch of your products? I don't have the money to patent anything yet.

[soapbuddy]

My ingredient list is listed on my web site. If someone buys on Etsy, I seriously doubt they have the means to copy your formula. Many items have very similar ingredients, but unless the person has the actual formula, it's difficult to replicate an exact copy.
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Irena
My ArtFire Shop - Ginger's Garden Shop

[Michelle]

Leave ingredients on the website, as SB said and you can simply direct them back to there. Or if you do send the list, don't write the ingredients in the order you use them, but in alphabetical order or something. There is no law that says you must tell people in what amounts ingredients are used, except on the packet.

The guy who has bought the stuff from you is probably rebottling it with his own label. That isn't stealing your formula, but I wouldn't say it was ethical either. Of course, there is no law that says you have to sell it to him, so if you are suspicious, either ask him for a testimonial or just refuse to sell to him in future.
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www.zalibeauty.com
Fundamentalists are never FUN, only MENTAL

[samsmom19]

If they are trying to replicate it or rebottling it I would take that as a compliment! That means you got a good product! You could always offer to wholesale to that person meaning more product sold most likely. I was shocked when people wanted to relabel my lip balm recipe... I was very flattered. So I make the base and they turn it into theirs.
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Full of useless links... or maybe not so useless?
I am in creative mode... bear with me people... I've either lost it, or am getting it back... not sure ROFL...
Randi

[debwya]

My impression was to be flattered. I wouldn't give out exact amounts and directions to make it if it's something you want to keep to yourself. I would still list the ingredients on the site, if I were selling online. It's only fair that I see exactly what ingredients go into a product before I purchase it. Maybe he really likes your stuff and uses a bottle a month.
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Debra