Written by the Oppenheimer Lab team — Reviewed by Mohamed Arbi Jallali, Partner, Head of Production and Formulator
Published on
9 min read
To choose a cosmetic laboratory in Tunisia, check five points: good manufacturing practice (ISO 22716), traceability, minimum quantity and lead times, regulatory support for EU export (Responsible Person, PIF, CPNP) and quote transparency. The sector has many informal players, so the visit and the documents matter more than the showcase. This article is for information only and refers to the official texts, notably Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
You will find a selection grid, the steps to plan ahead for export, questions to ask during a factory visit and a budget benchmark. To go further, see our articles on cosmetic contract manufacturing.
Why is choosing a laboratory trickier in Tunisia?
The Tunisian sector is large and heterogeneous: sources give from 600 to over 1,000 companies depending on the scope, with a large informal share. The choice must therefore rest on documentary evidence (GMP, traceability, regulatory file) and not on proximity or price alone.
A cosmetic manufacturer is a company that produces cosmetics on behalf of a brand, from making the product to filling and packaging it. Sector figures vary depending on the sources and the scopes used:
- According to L’Économiste Maghrébin (December 2025), the sector brings together more than 600 companies, from large groups to SMEs and sole proprietorships.
- According to Chroniques (June 2025), Tunisia has about 774 companies in the cosmetics sector, of which 60 are structured companies.
- According to Chroniques (June 2025), 75% of these companies operate informally or employ undeclared workers.
- According to La Presse de Tunisie (January 2025), the sector represents more than 1,000 factories, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises.
The sector’s supervision is also debated. An article in La Presse de Tunisie (January 2025) reports the decision to transfer management of the sector to the Ministry of Health, via the national medicines agency created in 2023, and considers that it could have deep and multiple repercussions. This is press analysis, not an official text: check the applicable framework with the competent authorities at the time of your project.
Given this diversity, compare laboratories on documented evidence.
Which criteria should you check before selecting a cosmetic manufacturer?
Five criteria matter: ISO 22716 (good manufacturing practice), batch traceability, the minimum quantity per reference, the stated lead times and the content of the quote. Ask for each item in writing and compare the answers of several laboratories on an identical scope: same formula, same container, same controls.
Certifications and good manufacturing practice
ISO 22716 is the standard that describes good manufacturing practice for cosmetics (GMP). It covers the organisation, hygiene, manufacturing, controls and documentation of the site.
Distinguish the legal requirement from the standard: GMP is required by the regulation, while ISO 22716 is not itself a legal obligation. Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 deals with good manufacturing practice, whereas ISO 22716 is a standard that helps structure it. Ask your laboratory how it applies GMP and which documents prove it. Consult the official text for the detail of the requirements; this article is for information only.
If your project aims at an organic, vegan or halal positioning, say so from the start. At Oppenheimer Lab, COSMOS, Ecocert, Vegan and Halal certifications are available on request.
Traceability, minimum quantity and lead times
Traceability is the ability to retrieve the history of a batch, from raw materials to dispatch. It allows you to react quickly in case of a complaint. Ask the laboratory how long it needs to produce this file.
The minimum quantity and lead times vary depending on the model chosen. Always compare on an identical scope, with the same container, the same formula and the same controls.
| Criterion | What to ask for | Oppenheimer Lab benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Good practice | Proof of application of ISO 22716 and GMP (Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009) | Manufacturing according to cosmetic GMP (ISO 22716) |
| Product certifications | Valid documents for the targeted label | COSMOS, Ecocert, Vegan and Halal on request |
| Traceability | Time to obtain the history of a batch | Full batch history within 24 hours |
| Minimum quantity | Minimum per reference, in writing | Small batches negotiable, from 100 to 200 units |
| Lead times | Schedule by project type | 45 to 90 days for private label, 3 to 6 months for custom private label, 6 to 12 months for custom formulation |
To look further into the manufacturing stage, see the page on cosmetic production and manufacturing.
How do you prepare for export to the European Union with a Tunisian laboratory?
Manufacturing in Tunisia does not exempt you from the requirements of the destination market. To sell in the European Union, you need a Responsible Person established in the EU, a Product Information File with a safety assessment, compliant labelling and a notification on the CPNP portal before marketing. Your laboratory should be able to help you prepare these documents.
The Tunisian sector already exports. According to Chroniques (June 2025) as well as L’Économiste Maghrébin (March 2025), Tunisian products are exported notably to France, Germany and Spain. This success nevertheless requires a complete regulatory file for each product.
Here are the documents to plan for, with their basis in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009:
- Responsible Person (Article 4): the entity designated in the EU that answers for the compliance of the product placed on the market.
- Safety assessment (Article 10): it establishes that the product is safe under normal conditions of use.
- Product Information File, or PIF (Article 11): the file kept available to the authorities, which gathers the information on the product.
- CPNP notification (Article 13): it is made on the European cosmetic products notification portal.
- Labelling (Article 19): the mentions must comply with the rules of the targeted market.
CPNP notification is neither an authorisation nor a quality certification. It declares the product to the authorities before marketing, nothing more. Oppenheimer Lab prepares Product Information Files (PIF) and CPNP notifications.
Our advice: define your countries of sale from the brief. We recommend doing so to prepare the supporting documents and packaging corresponding to these markets. For the detail of the requirements, consult the official text of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.
What questions should you ask during a factory visit or a first discussion?
Ask verifiable questions: documents on good manufacturing practice, batch recall procedure, sample management, drafting of the PIF, compatibility of the container with the formula and the contract manufacturing agreement. A serious laboratory answers with documents, not with general promises.
A factory visit is an appointment at the production site, where you observe the premises, the flows and the documents rather than the sales presentation. Prepare your list beforehand and ask to see the documents mentioned, not just hear them described.
- Which documents prove the application of GMP on the site, and when were they last updated?
- How does the laboratory handle a batch recall, and how quickly does it retrieve a batch’s history?
- How are samples made, validated and kept before production?
- Who drafts the Product Information File (PIF), and who designates the Responsible Person for the EU?
- Has the container been tested with the formula, including for dispensing the texture and for transport?
- What does the contract manufacturing agreement provide for: ownership of the formula, responsibilities, lead times, quantities and conditions for changes?
Also observe how the premises are organised: separation of zones, storage, labelling of raw materials. Note the answers in writing for each laboratory so you can then compare them on the same basis.
The subject of the container deserves particular attention. To learn more about this stage, see our page on filling and packaging.
Never order your bottles before validating their compatibility with the formula. A container must protect the product, dispense its texture properly and withstand transport. We recommend testing the formula-container pairing before launching the whole order. (Advice from the Oppenheimer Lab team)
Whichever laboratory you visit, apply the same set of questions to each. It lets you judge on facts, whatever the size of the company.
How much does starting in private label cost, and how do you frame your brief?
At Oppenheimer Lab, the price depends on the product, the actives and the packaging: free quote, reply within 48 hours, specifying what is included. A clear brief avoids budget and schedule drift.
An indicative starting price
Private label is a model in which the laboratory supplies an already developed formula, which you market under your own name. This model limits the starting cost, as the formulation already exists.
This starting price remains indicative: it is a “from” price, to be confirmed in a quote. It varies mainly according to the actives used. Ask that the quote specify what it includes:
- the container, the label and the filling and packaging;
- any costs of specific development and additional tests;
- the carton, transport and export formalities.
To obtain a priced proposal suited to your project, you can request a cosmetic quote. Quote requests are answered within 48 working hours.
Brief mistakes that make a project fail
A brief is the document that describes your project to the laboratory: targeted product, customers, quantities and budget. What most often makes a project fail is the gap between ambition, budget and schedule. A brief that keeps changing makes the problem worse.
Our advice: set five elements before developing.
- the target;
- the benefit sought;
- the selling price;
- the quantity;
- the overall budget, including marketing.
We also see a frequent mistake among project owners: wanting to launch a range of ten products without having defined their customers, selling price and distribution channel. We recommend starting with one or two well-positioned products, keeping budget to market them, then widening the range based on customer feedback.
Finally, think about seasonality. Demand follows the seasons: sun care products in summer, moisturising care and solutions for oily skin in winter. Anticipate these peaks by several months in your development and manufacturing schedule.
What does a young brand’s decision look like? A typical example
Take a typical example: a young French brand launching a short range of facial care chooses on concrete criteria. It compares communication in French, proximity, an offer suited to small volumes, sample quality, documentation, delivered cost and schedule reliability.
This scenario is illustrative: it does not describe a real client. It shows how a decision is built on verifiable elements rather than on a sales impression.
- The delivered cost is the price of the product delivered to destination, transport and formalities included.
- Samples let you judge the texture, fragrance and stability of the formula before any production run.
- Documentation gathers the documents that prove the laboratory’s practices and prepare the regulatory file.
- The schedule must remain achievable, from sample validation to delivery.
Take a second typical example, also illustrative: a Tunisian entrepreneur launching her first skincare brand sold online. She starts with a single reference, a 50 ml moisturising face cream, based on an existing, already validated formula. For 1,000 units, a schedule of about twelve weeks is realistic, provided the packaging is available, validations are quick and controls are satisfactory. A fully custom formulation would require a different schedule.
In both cases, the method remains the same: compare laboratories on an identical grid and ask for written evidence. Before choosing, write a precise brief for your project. You can then send it via the quote page or contact us to discuss it.
Sources
- Le ministère de l’Industrie renforce son soutien à l’industrie cosmétique (in French), L’Économiste Maghrébin, 7 March 2025
- La Tunisie mise sur ses cosmétiques pour conquérir l’Afrique (in French), Chroniques, June 2025
- Made in Tunisia : révéler le potentiel cosmétique (in French), L’Économiste Maghrébin, 4 December 2025
- Petites et moyennes industries cosmétiques : Un secteur à sauver (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 14 January 2025
Frequently asked questions
How do you choose a cosmetic laboratory in Tunisia?
Compare laboratories on the same grid and ask for written evidence. Check the application of good manufacturing practice (ISO 22716), batch traceability, minimum quantity, lead times and the detail of the quote. Visit the site, ask verifiable questions and request regulatory support if you aim to export to the EU.
Is ISO 22716 mandatory for manufacturing cosmetics?
Good manufacturing practice is required for products placed on the EU market (Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009); ISO 22716 is the standard that helps structure it, but it is not itself a legal text. Ask your laboratory how it applies GMP and which documents prove it.
Can cosmetics made in Tunisia be exported to Europe?
Yes, provided the requirements of the destination market are met. For the European Union, you need a Responsible Person established in the EU, a PIF with a safety assessment, compliant labelling and a notification on the CPNP portal before marketing. Consult the official texts for details.
Who is the Responsible Person when manufacturing in Tunisia to sell in Europe?
It is a designated entity established in the EU, which answers for the compliance of the product placed on the market (Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009). The Tunisian manufacturer does not fill this role alone. Clarify from the brief who takes it on, as well as who keeps the PIF.
What is the minimum order with a cosmetic manufacturer?
At Oppenheimer Lab, small batches are negotiable, from 100 to 200 units. This minimum varies from one laboratory and one model to another. Always ask for the minimum in writing and compare offers on an identical scope: same formula, same container, same controls.
How many cosmetic laboratories are there in Tunisia?
There is no single figure: depending on the source, from over 600 to about 774 companies, and over 1,000 factories on another scope. According to Chroniques (June 2025), 75% of these companies operate informally or employ undeclared workers, hence the value of checking documents.