The Difference Between Private Label and White Label Chemicals
Understand the pros and cons of private label vs white label chemicals — and how to choose the right route for your brand.
If you’re looking to launch or expand your own cleaning brand, you’ll quickly come across two popular options: private label and white label chemicals. While the terms sound similar, they offer different advantages depending on your goals, timelines, and budget.
At Innovation Chem, we help companies across car care, home and outdoor, and industrial cleaning decide which route is best — and provide the manufacturing, packaging, and compliance support to make it happen.
What Is White Label?
White label chemicals are ready-made formulations that a manufacturer produces and offers to multiple businesses. You apply your brand assets — logo, label, and packaging — and go to market quickly.
- Shared product: the same formulation can be sold to multiple brands.
- Fastest to market: no R&D or long development cycle.
- Lower upfront cost: ideal for startups and range extensions.
- Limited flexibility: formulation is fixed; branding and packaging can change.
Example: Select a pre-developed glass cleaner from our catalogue, add your branding, and start selling under your label.
What Is Private Label?
Private label chemicals are developed exclusively for your brand. We can adapt an existing base or build a bespoke formulation to match your performance, fragrance, colour, viscosity, and packaging requirements.
- Exclusive product: your formulation is not sold to other brands.
- Stronger differentiation: compete on performance and brand experience, not price alone.
- High customisation: fragrance, colour, surfactant system, solvents, and packaging.
- More investment & lead time: R&D, stability checks, and scaled production planning.
Example: Create a signature patio cleaner with your chosen scent profile and packaging, unique to your brand.
Private Label vs White Label: Side‑by‑Side
| Feature | White Label | Private Label |
|---|---|---|
| Product Ownership | Shared with multiple brands | Exclusive to your business |
| Speed to Market | Fast — ready-made catalogue | Longer — requires development & validation |
| Customisation | Branding & packaging only | High — formula, fragrance, colour, viscosity |
| Upfront Cost | Lower | Higher (R&D and scaling) |
| Market Positioning | Price-competitive, generic | Premium, differentiated |
| Typical Use Case | Startup validation, quick range extension | Long-term brand building, exclusivity |
Which Route Should You Choose?
Consider your objectives:
- Choose white label if you want a fast, affordable route to market or to test demand with minimal risk.
- Choose private label if you want exclusive formulations, stronger margins, and a defensible brand.
Many brands start white label to validate demand, then transition to private label once sales and feedback justify the investment.
How Innovation Chem Helps
- Ready-to-go white label catalogue across car care, home & outdoor, and commercial cleaning.
- Private label development with scalable batch sizes and tailored performance profiles.
- Contract filling for brands supplying their own formulations.
- Compliance support — SDS, COSHH, and CLP labelling included.
- Packaging supply — bottles, caps, triggers, jerrycans, drums, and IBCs.
- Pack sizes from 500 ml and 1 L up to 5 L, 25 L, 200 L, and 1000 L IBCs.
FAQs
Can I start with white label and switch to private label later?
Are both options compliant with UK chemical regulations?
What pack sizes can you fill?
Can you also supply packaging?
Prefer email? info@innovationchem.co.uk
