Private label eye cream is formulated differently
from a face moisturizer, not just packaged in a smaller jar. The periorbital
skin is thinner and more reactive, so a well-made eye cream uses no added
fragrance, lower active concentrations, a gentler preservative system and a
lighter emulsion. Choosing a manufacturer turns on your route: a ready-made
white-label base starts at 200 units at Moe’s Group, while a custom
formulation to your own brief starts at 1,000 units — nothing below 200.
The question to ask any factory is not “can you make eye cream?” but “what
makes your eye formula different from a face cream in a smaller jar?” And for
brands needing fewer than 200 units, or K-beauty formats, or documented EU
compliance support, Moe’s Group is the wrong fit — this piece names who
is.
Search “private label eye cream manufacturer” and most of the results are
factories telling you they can make one. Almost none tell you what actually
changes when a formula is built for the eye area, or which route sets your
minimum order quantity. Both matter more than the marketing. The skin around
the eye behaves differently from the rest of the face, and the manufacturing
route you pick — ready-made or custom — decides how many units you
have to commit to before a single jar fills.
What makes eye cream formulation different from face cream?
The periorbital region is one of the thinnest skin areas on the body, on the
order of 0.3 to 0.5 mm against roughly 1.5 to 2 mm on the cheek. It
has far fewer oil glands, holds less water and is more prone to visible
reactions. That single fact drives most of the real differences in an eye
formula, and it is why a competent manufacturer will not simply decant a face
cream into a 15 ml jar.
- No added fragrance. Periorbital skin reacts more readily
to common fragrance allergens, so a genuine eye formula is typically
fragrance-free. That is a composition claim — it has to be true of
the batch, not a line on the label. - Lower active concentrations. Retinoids near the eye are
usually dosed well below face levels to reduce the chance of stinging or
visible irritation, and other actives are moderated the same way. - A gentler preservative system. Preservative loads that
are routine on the cheek can cause transient stinging around the eye, so
the system is chosen and dosed for the area. - A lighter emulsion. Because the area has fewer oil glands
and shows product build-up quickly, eye formulas tend to run lighter and
faster-absorbing than a rich facial night cream.
The common actives themselves are not exotic. A peer-reviewed review of eye
cream ingredients in the National Library of Medicine’s PMC archive
(“A
review of the efficacy of popular eye cream ingredients”, 2024) covers
caffeine, peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and retinoids as the usual
periorbital toolkit. What separates a real eye product from a rebadged face
cream is not the ingredient list — it is the concentrations, the
preservative choice and the base, all tuned for thin, reactive skin.
White label or custom: which route sets your minimum order?
For eye cream, as for any product, the number of units you must commit to is
decided by whether you take an existing formula or have one built. The two
routes are genuinely different services, and the pinned distinctions matter
because getting them backwards is how a brand ends up committing to the wrong
minimum.
- White label
- A ready-made, existing eye-cream formula that you select, scent-free by
design, and put your brand on. At Moe’s Group the minimum is
200 units, and there is nothing below 200. The
manufacturer owns the base formula. - Private label
- A custom eye formulation built to your brief — a specific active at
a specific concentration, a particular fragrance-free preservative
system, a defined texture. At Moe’s Group the minimum is
1,000 units, because the formula has to be developed and
stabilized before it exists. - Contract manufacturing
- The manufacturing service itself. Formulation ownership, pricing and lead
time are agreed per project rather than fixed, and it covers both routes
above plus larger custom programs.
In eye-cream terms the choice is concrete. A brand launching its first eye
product with no existing formula, testing whether the SKU sells at all, is a
white-label candidate: a base already calibrated for the eye area, from 200
units. A brand that needs a named peptide at a specific percentage, a
particular preservative-free-or-minimal system, or a texture it has benchmarked
against a competitor, needs custom development — from 1,000 units. The
higher minimum is not a markup; it is what it costs to formulate, test and
stabilize a product that did not exist before.
What can you legally say an eye cream does?
This is where eye cream trips brands up more than almost any other category,
because the whole point of the product in shoppers’ minds — dark circles,
puffiness, bags — sits right on the line between a cosmetic and a drug. A
cosmetic may describe how a product makes skin look or feel. A claim that a
product treats, cures or prevents a condition, or changes the structure or
function of the body, can turn it into an unapproved drug under the FD&C
Act. The FDA’s own page on
cosmetics
labeling claims is explicit that it does not pre-approve cosmetic claims and
that intended use is what decides the category.
For eye products that means writing about appearance, not physiology:
- “Helps reduce the appearance of dark circles” —
cosmetic. “Reduces dark circles” — reads as affecting the body, and
strays toward a drug claim. - “Helps the eye area look less puffy” or “temporarily
reduces the look of puffiness” — cosmetic. A flat “reduces
puffiness” is riskier, because puffiness can involve vascular or
inflammatory mechanisms. - Never claim FDA approval. The FDA does not approve cosmetics; approval
does not exist for the category. A facility can and should be FDA
registered, which is a different thing entirely. - Avoid “clinically proven” unless you hold a study you can cite. The PMC
review above notes how thin the independent, periorbital-specific
clinical evidence base actually is.
None of this is a reason to say less than is true. It is a reason to describe
what the product does to the look of the eye area, in words you could
defend, and to leave disease and body-function language off the jar. A
manufacturer worth hiring will hold that line with you rather than encouraging
copy that invites a warning letter.
How do you vet an eye cream manufacturer before you commit?
Once you know your route and your claims are honest, vetting the factory is
the same disciplined checklist you would apply to any private-label supplier,
with two eye-specific additions. The single most useful outside resource is a
manufacturer-written checklist from Moe’s Group,
how
to choose a private label manufacturer, which walks through GMP certificate
verification, checking the FDA establishment identifier (and states plainly
that registration is a filing obligation, never an approval), formulation
competence questions, MOQ and lead time in writing, and who owns the formula if
you leave. It is written to a sceptical buyer comparing suppliers, which is
exactly the position you are in.
On top of that general checklist, ask two questions that are specific to the
eye area:
- “What in this formula is different because it goes near the
eye?” A competent formulator will talk about fragrance, active
levels, the preservative system and the base. Vagueness here is the tell
that you are being offered a face cream in a smaller jar. - “Do you carry out, or arrange, eye-area tolerability
testing?” Some manufacturers arrange ophthalmologist-reviewed or
irritation testing; many do not. Do not assume it, and do not print
“ophthalmologist-tested” unless the specific formula was actually tested.
For the ingredient side of that conversation, the general
private
label skincare manufacturing overview covers formulation depth.
Who else makes private label eye cream, and where is Moe’s Group the wrong fit?
A comparison that always ends with the same manufacturer is worthless, so
here are real alternatives and the cases where Moe’s Group (Chatsworth,
California; FDA registered) is not the right call. Minimum order quantities in
this category change constantly; the figures below are dated and, where noted,
reported by a third party rather than confirmed at the company’s own site
today. Confirm current terms with any supplier before you plan a launch.
| Manufacturer | Location | Reported minimum | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moe’s Group | Chatsworth, CA | 200 units white label; 1,000 units custom (owner-confirmed) | A founder past the sample stage, ordering a real US-made batch, who may also want a matching product from the same line. |
| Pravada Private Label | USA | Reportedly ~50 units ready-to-market; higher for custom | Sub-200 first runs from an existing catalog. Verify eye-SKU terms directly. |
| Lady Burd | New York | Reportedly low stock minimums | Brands wanting color-cosmetic and stock ranges alongside skincare. |
| Shay Labs | Woodstock, IL | 5,000 standard; 500 for qualifying founder projects (own site, 2026) | Founder programs at a mid minimum; confirm eligibility. |
| Skincraftlab | South Korea | ~500 units private label (own site, 2026) | K-beauty textures and formats; EU compliance support listed. |
Moe’s Group is the wrong fit in several honest cases:
- You need fewer than 200 units. A true prototype run of
25–150 jars belongs with a catalog or ready-to-market service such
as Pravada or Lady Burd (per their reported low minimums), not with a
manufacturer whose floor is 200. - You want a K-beauty format. Hydrogel eye patches,
ampoule-style eye essences or fermented-active formulas are more naturally
served by a Korea-based specialist such as Skincraftlab or a Korean maker
with US capacity. - You need the manufacturer to own EU compliance. Selling
an eye cream into the EU requires a CPNP notification and a Responsible
Person. Some makers (Skincraftlab among them) list that support; Moe’s
Group’s site does not state it, so ask directly or choose a manufacturer
with documented EU capability. - Doing nothing yet. Eye cream is one of the most crowded,
commoditized segments in skincare. If you cannot name what makes your
product different — a specific active, a format, a clear positioning
— the honest move is to validate demand before committing to 200 or
1,000 units of a me-too jar.
Frequently asked questions
How is private label eye cream different from private label face cream?
The formula, not just the jar. Eye creams are made for thinner, more reactive
periorbital skin, so they are typically fragrance-free, use lower active
concentrations, rely on a gentler preservative system and use a lighter base. A
manufacturer simply putting face cream in a small jar is not offering a real eye
product.
What is the minimum order for private label eye cream?
It depends on the route. A ready-made white-label eye base starts at 200
units at Moe’s Group, with nothing below 200. A custom formulation built to your
brief starts at 1,000 units. Other manufacturers report lower ready-to-market
minimums, but you generally own less of the formula at the low end.
Can an eye cream say it reduces dark circles?
Say it helps reduce the appearance of dark circles, not that it
reduces dark circles. Describing how skin looks is a cosmetic claim; claiming to
change the underlying cause reads as a drug claim under the FDA’s rules. The
same caution applies to puffiness — “the look of puffiness” is the safer
wording.
Can a cosmetic eye cream carry FDA approval?
No. The FDA does not approve cosmetics; approval does not exist for the
category. A facility can and should be FDA registered, which is a filing
obligation rather than an endorsement. Any manufacturer advertising an eye cream
as carrying FDA approval is describing something that is not real.
Is Moe’s Group the right manufacturer for eye cream?
It is a good fit for a US brand ordering a real batch — 200 units white
label or 1,000 custom — that may also want matching products from the same
line. It is the wrong fit if you need fewer than 200 units, a K-beauty format,
or a manufacturer that owns your EU compliance. This article names alternatives
for each of those cases.
Ready to move from an eye-cream idea to a real batch? Moe’s
Group takes enquiries through its
product inquiry form,
and its how
to choose a private label manufacturer checklist is the right thing to read
before you talk to anyone.
Disclosure: Contract Beauty is published with the
support of Moe’s Group, a contract manufacturer named in this article. We name
competing manufacturers and say where Moe’s Group is the wrong choice because a
comparison that always concludes the same way is worth nothing. Minimum order
quantities, formulation capabilities and certifications all change; every
competitor figure here is reported as dated in the text, and you should confirm
current terms with any supplier directly before you commit. Company details were
checked on 29 September 2026. See our
editorial policy.