How to start a cosmetic brand in Tunisia: a step-by-step guide

To start a cosmetic brand in Tunisia, you need to define a precise concept and a short range, then protect your name by filing with INNORPI. You then have to comply with the Tunisian health framework and have your products made by a laboratory working to ISO 22716, the standard for good manufacturing practice in cosmetics. Finally comes distribution, through parapharmacies, online or abroad.

This guide follows these steps in order, with a summary table, a laboratory selection checklist and links to the detailed articles in the Launching your brand category. It is for information only: for the applicable rules, refer to the official texts and the competent authorities.

What are the steps to start a cosmetic brand in Tunisia?

Starting a cosmetic brand in Tunisia takes eight steps: define the concept and the target, choose a legal status, file the brand with INNORPI, check the health framework, choose the manufacturing model, select the laboratory and validate the formula-packaging pairing, set the schedule and the budget, then distribute locally or abroad. Each step conditions the next.

A structured sector that already exports

According to La Presse de Tunisie (6 March 2025), the cosmetics and perfume sector in Tunisia comprises about 774 companies and nearly 7,600 jobs, crafts included. The same article reports an integration rate above 40%. The integration rate is an indicator of the share of production carried out locally.

For a project owner, this industrial fabric offers local contacts at every step. It also means you must stand out from the concept stage: a brand without a clear positioning quickly gets lost among existing offers.

The table of steps, from concept to launch

The table below summarises the journey and shows, for each step, the main contact and the blog section that covers it in detail. Browse all of our guides to launching a cosmetic brand to explore each point further.

Legal status: who carries the brand and who signs?

The legal status is the legal framework under which you carry out the business, in your own name or through a company. This choice determines who owns the brand, who signs the contracts and who is answerable for the products placed on the market. Settle it before filing, because the holder registered with INNORPI becomes the owner of the name.

According to INNORPI, ownership of a trademark is acquired by registration. Three questions therefore need settling from the outset:

• Individual or company: operate alone or create a structure, depending on your partners, your investors and your growth ambitions.
• Trademark holder: file in the name of the person or entity that will actually operate the brand, especially if several partners are involved.
• Signatory of the manufacturing contract: have the laboratory, the orders and the invoices signed by that same entity, to keep a consistent chain of responsibility.

For incorporation formalities, contact the APII and refer to the official texts in force. Legal or accounting advice will help you choose the form suited to your project.

How do you define the concept, the target and the starting range?

The concept of a cosmetic brand is defined by five elements set before any development: the target, the benefit sought, the selling price, the quantity and the overall budget, marketing included. A short range, limited to one or two well-positioned products, reduces financial risk and leaves budget to make the brand known.

The five elements to set before developing

The concept of a brand is the promise it makes to a specific clientele, at a given price. The brief is the document that formalises this concept for the laboratory. What most often makes a project fail is the gap between ambition, budget and timetable: an exclusive formula, custom packaging and several references, with a limited starting budget and a launch date that is too close. A brief that keeps changing makes the problem worse.

Before developing, we therefore set five elements:

• the target: who the product is for;
• the benefit sought: what the product concretely delivers;
• the selling price: the positioning on the shelf or online;
• the quantity: the volume of the first batch;
• the overall budget, marketing included.

A local positioning can draw on ingredients such as argan oil, prickly pear or orange blossom water. The benefit claimed must nevertheless remain justifiable. Also think about the calendar: the requests we receive follow the seasons, with mostly sun care products in summer, and moisturising care and solutions for oily skin in winter. We advise anticipating these peaks by several months in the development and production schedule.

Why start with one or two products

The most common mistake among project owners is to want to launch a range of ten products without having precisely defined their clientele, their selling price and their distribution channel. Every reference added multiplies the developments, stocks and packaging to be financed.

Our advice: start with one or two well-positioned products, keep budget to market them, then widen the range based on customer feedback. To choose the textures and actives of these first references, see our articles on cosmetic formulation.

How do you protect your brand name with INNORPI?

The name of a cosmetic brand is protected by filing with INNORPI, preferably after a prior-rights search. Registration confers an exclusive right for ten years, renewable indefinitely. Cosmetics fall under class 3 of the international classification, and an opposition remains possible for two months after publication of the application.

Checking that the name is available

According to INNORPI, a trademark is a visible sign that distinguishes the products offered for sale by an individual or a legal entity. The institute specifies that ownership of a trademark is acquired by registration. First decide who will hold the brand: yourself or the structure that will carry the project. To choose that structure, seek information from the APII.

The prior-rights search is a check to make sure that no similar mark already exists. INNORPI can carry it out on request before registration.

Filing in class 3 and following the opposition period

Class 3 of the international classification covers cosmetics. Opposition is the procedure by which the holder of an earlier trademark challenges an application. It can be filed within two months following publication of the application. Once registered, the brand is protected for a period of ten years, renewable.

How much does filing cost?

INNORPI states a fee of 596 TND including tax for filing a trademark. Each additional class costs 119.400 TND including tax at filing. The registration certificate is charged 96.200 TND including tax when issued. The prior-rights search costs 36.700 TND including tax.

The INNORPI page is not dated: check the current fees with the institute before including them in your budget. The name, the visual identity and the range are best thought through together: the page on support for cosmetic brand creation sets out what to prepare.

What regulatory framework applies to cosmetics in Tunisia?

In Tunisia, cosmetic products fall under the Ministry of Health, which monitors their quality and can ban substances, such as TPO in September 2025. The sector’s regulatory framework is expected to evolve to make market access easier. This guide is for information only: always check the official texts in force.

The competent health authorities

According to Entreprises Magazine (July 2023), Law No 2 of 2023 creates a national agency responsible for medicines and health products. This text was published in the JORT on 14 July 2023. The JORT is the Official Gazette of the Tunisian Republic, where laws and decrees are published. The same article specifies that this agency is to play a role in the control of cosmetics.

The Ministry of Health also has a specialised division, cited by La Presse de Tunisie in December 2025. Before placing a product on the Tunisian market, three steps are essential:

• Ask the administration: contact the competent department of the Ministry of Health to learn the formalities required before placing your product on the market, and keep its reply in writing.
• Gather the supporting documents: ask your laboratory for the full composition in INCI format and the draft labelling, so that you can present them if the administration or a distributor asks for them.
• Follow the announcements: regularly check the Ministry of Health’s official announcements, which notably publish substance bans.

Recent bans to watch

According to Kapitalis (11 September 2025), the Ministry of Health issued a ban targeting TPO. This substance was used notably in semi-permanent nail polishes. The Ministry also announced the withdrawal of the products concerned.

For a young brand, the lesson is concrete: ask your laboratory to check each ingredient of the INCI list against the latest published decisions, before launch and at every update.

A framework set to evolve

A working session at the Ministry of Industry brought together the sector’s professional organisations to discuss their concerns and ways of strengthening their competitiveness. The discussions focused on one clear priority:

“the need to adapt the sector’s regulatory framework to market requirements, in consultation with all stakeholders” (La Presse de Tunisie, 6 March 2025).

The rules may therefore change while your range is being developed. Follow the official announcements of the Ministry of Health and see our cosmetic regulation and quality files to explore each obligation further.

Private label, custom private label or custom formulation: which manufacturing model should you choose?

Private label means marketing an existing formula under your name: it is the fastest way to start. Custom private label adapts the product further, and custom formulation creates an exclusive formula. At Oppenheimer Lab, allow 45 to 90 days for private label, 3 to 6 months for custom private label and 6 to 12 months for custom formulation.

Three models, three levels of exclusivity

Private label is a manufacturing model in which the laboratory supplies an already developed formula, which you market under your own brand. Custom private label is a model in which the product is more personalised according to your specifications, starting from an existing base. Custom formulation is the development of an exclusive formula, designed specifically for your project.

The higher the level of exclusivity, the longer the development and the stronger the starting budget must be. The choice therefore depends on the five elements set in your brief, and in particular on your launch date.

Lead times and starting quantities

At Oppenheimer Lab, small batches are negotiable, from 100 to 200 units. This threshold remains compatible with a short range of one or two references. For private label, the catalogue has more than 500 formulas available, which lets you compare several textures before deciding.

The lead times in the table remain indicative: they also depend on how quickly you give your approvals and on packaging availability. For a first launch, private label limits risk, even if you later move to a more personalised formula. Browse our ready-to-launch private label formulas to find a starting base, and see our comparisons of private label and custom private label to refine your choice.

How do you choose your laboratory and validate the formula and packaging?

A laboratory is chosen on evidence: manufacturing to ISO 22716, available documentation, batch traceability, quality of samples and ability to prepare regulatory files. Before ordering any bottles, have the compatibility between the formula and the container tested; the container must protect the product, dispense it well and withstand transport.

The laboratory selection checklist

GMP, or good manufacturing practice, is the set of organisation, hygiene and control rules that govern manufacturing. ISO 22716 is the standard that applies them to cosmetics. Traceability is the ability to retrieve the full history of a batch. Before signing, ask your laboratory:

• how it applies ISO 22716 and what documentation it can provide;
• how quickly it can supply the full history of a batch;
• for samples of the intended formula, to test under real conditions of use;
• whether it prepares the PIF, or Product Information File, which gathers composition and safety data, as well as CPNP notifications if you are targeting the European Union;
• which product certifications it can offer, and under what conditions.

It is also useful to visit the production site and to ask the laboratory about its manufacturing capacity, to check that it matches your volumes. At Oppenheimer Lab, the full history of a batch is available within 24 hours, and Product Information Files (PIF) and CPNP notifications are prepared. COSMOS, Ecocert, Vegan and Halal certifications are available on request: a claim appears on the packaging only once certification has been obtained for the product concerned.

Testing the formula-container pairing before ordering

The formula-container pairing is the combination of a formula and the packaging in direct contact with it. Here is a piece of advice we often repeat: never order your bottles before you have validated their compatibility with the formula. A container must protect the product, dispense its texture properly and withstand transport.

An airless bottle may be relevant for certain formulas, but it is not automatically the best choice. We recommend testing the formula-container pairing before placing the full order. To compare ways of working with a laboratory, see our guides to cosmetic contract manufacturing.

How much time and what budget should you plan to launch your brand?

The launch time of a cosmetic brand depends mainly on the manufacturing model chosen. At Oppenheimer Lab, it ranges from 45 to 90 days for private label to 6 to 12 months for custom formulation. The budget must cover trademark filing, manufacturing, packaging, formalities and marketing, an item often underestimated.

A typical timeline example

Take a typical example: a Tunisian entrepreneur launches her first skincare brand, sold online. She starts with a single reference, a 50 ml moisturising face cream with a light texture and an accessible positioning. She starts from an existing formula that has already been validated.

For 1,000 units, a timeline of about 12 weeks is realistic under three conditions: available packaging, quick approvals and satisfactory checks. A fully custom formulation would require a different schedule. The reverse schedule is a calendar built backwards from the target launch date. It helps identify the approvals likely to delay production.

The budget items not to forget

The launch budget is the sum of the costs incurred before the first sale and those needed to sell. At a minimum, plan for:

• trademark filing and the prior-rights search with INNORPI, whose fees are detailed above;
• manufacturing of the first batch;
• the container, the label, any carton and the filling and packaging;
• additional tests and regulatory formalities, export included if you are targeting other countries;
• transport;
• marketing: website, visuals, samples and listing.

At Oppenheimer Lab, the price depends on the product, the actives and the packaging: ask for a free quote (reply within 48 working hours) that specifies what is included (container, label, filling and packaging) and any possible fees, so you can compare offers on the same basis. To structure your financing plan, the blog’s investment and online selling advice details the points to anticipate.

How do you distribute your brand in parapharmacies and online?

In Tunisia, a cosmetic brand can be distributed through parapharmacies, pharmacies, specialist shops, supermarkets and online. The Ministry of Health recommends that consumers buy beauty products through legal channels. Impeccable traceability and labelling therefore make listing with distributors easier.

Parapharmacies, a dense network

A parapharmacy is a point of sale specialising in care and hygiene products, excluding medicines. According to WMC (23 January 2026), the Ministry of Industry says it supports a parapharmaceutical sector that counts 3,500 parapharmacies.

Listing is the entry of a product into a distributor’s assortment. Conditions vary from one network to another: ask each distributor for its requirements on documentation, labelling, volumes and restocking lead times before setting your selling price.

Online sales and legal channels

According to La Presse de Tunisie (15 December 2025), an official of the Ministry of Health warned against cosmetics of unknown origin. Online, your credibility therefore rests on clear information: brand identity, full INCI list and visible batch number.

Logistics also matters to keep your delivery promises. At Oppenheimer Lab, 48-hour delivery within Tunisia. To organise your first sales channels, see the marketing steps for a young brand.

Can you export your cosmetic brand from Tunisia?

Yes, a cosmetic brand made in Tunisia can be exported, provided you comply with the rules of the destination country. For the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires, among other things, a Responsible Person established in the EU, a PIF with a safety assessment, compliant labelling and a CPNP notification before placing on the market.

To the European Union: Responsible Person, PIF and CPNP

One question comes up often: “If my product is made in Tunisia, can I sell it directly in France?” Our answer: manufacturing in Tunisia does not exempt you from the requirements of the destination market. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 sets out these requirements, and several of its articles directly concern a brand that exports:

• Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, on the Responsible Person;
• Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, on the safety assessment (CPSR);
• Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, on the Product Information File (PIF);
• Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, on notification via the CPNP portal;
• Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, on labelling.

The Responsible Person is the operator established in the EU who answers for the compliance of the product placed on the market. CPNP notification is neither an authorisation nor a quality certification. We recommend defining the countries of sale from the brief, to prepare the corresponding supporting documents and packaging.

To Africa and the Gulf

According to La Presse de Tunisie (6 March 2025), the sector’s exports reached about 225 million dinars at the end of 2024. In January 2026, speakers cited by WMC put forward a figure of 270 MD. The dates and scope of these two figures differ: do not add them together.

The outlets towards Africa, the Maghreb and the Gulf are real, but each destination country applies its own documentary and labelling requirements. Ask your importer for the list of documents expected before finalising the label.

Oppenheimer Lab has supported more than 50 brands and exports to more than 30 countries. Explore each destination through our articles on cosmetics export, then request a quote for your future range: the reply arrives within 48 working hours.

Sources

• Industrie des cosmétiques : Vers une évolution réglementaire pour un meilleur accès aux marchés (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 6 March 2025
• Parapharmaceutique : 270 MD d’exportations pour les parfums et cosmétiques tunisiens (in French), WMC – Webmanagercenter, 23 January 2026
• La protection des marques de fabrique, de commerce et de services (in French), INNORPI (Institut National de la Normalisation et de la Propriété Industrielle), April 2019
• Tunisie : Création de l’Agence nationale des médicaments pour renforcer la régulation du secteur (in French), Entreprises Magazine, July 2023
• Santé | Interdiction du TPO en Tunisie (in French), Kapitalis, 11 September 2025
• Cosmétiques : le ministère de la Santé met en garde contre les produits d’origine inconnue (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 15 December 2025