Experienced Cosmetic R&D Formulation Chemist

Experienced Cosmetic R&D Formulation Chemist

SDS, Inc.

Job Posting
Sep. 19, 2026

Spa de Soleil, Inc., a cosmetics, skincare, personal-care, and OTC product manufacturer, is seeking an experienced R&D Formulation Chemist to develop, improve, scale, and troubleshoot commercial formulations.

This is a hands-on laboratory and manufacturing position. The ideal candidate must be able to create successful bench formulations and confidently transfer them through pilot batches and full-scale production. This position works closely with Production, Compounding, Quality, Regulatory, Purchasing, and customers throughout the product-development process.

• Develop innovative and commercially viable skincare, personal-care, hair-care, and topical OTC formulations.
• Formulate products such as creams, lotions, emulsions, serums, cleansers, oils, scrubs, body-care products, hair-care products, deodorants, and related products.
• Reformulate or improve existing products for performance, stability, cost, ingredient availability, or regulatory requirements.
• Conduct laboratory batches, pilot batches, and full-scale manufacturing trials.
• Lead formula scale-up from bench quantities to commercial production batches.
• Provide hands-on support during first production runs and resolve manufacturing issues involving mixing, heating, cooling, order of addition, viscosity, pH, aeration, homogenization, and processing time.
• Troubleshoot product instability, separation, discoloration, odor changes, viscosity drift, precipitation, microbial concerns, and other formulation challenges.
• Select appropriate raw materials, emulsifiers, surfactants, thickeners, preservatives, active ingredients, fragrances, and functional additives.
• Design and evaluate preservative systems appropriate for each product and packaging format.
• Establish product specifications and appropriate testing requirements.
• Initiate, monitor, and evaluate accelerated and real-time stability testing, freeze-thaw testing, packaging compatibility, and other product-development studies.
• Review stability data and determine whether formulas are ready for customer approval and commercial production.
• Evaluate alternative raw materials and perform substitutions when materials are discontinued, unavailable, cost-prohibitive, or no longer compliant.
• Optimize formulations and manufacturing processes for cost, efficiency, repeatability, and product performance.
• Prepare and maintain formulas, procedures, batch instructions, specifications, development reports, stability records, raw-material documentation, and related technical records.
• Ensure formulas and laboratory records are accurate, controlled, traceable, and properly documented.
• Work with Regulatory and Quality personnel to support ingredient compliance, product claims, labeling, technical documentation, and GMP requirements.
• Support OTC topical product development and manufacturing when applicable.
• Communicate with customers regarding product objectives, samples, revisions, technical limitations, and development timelines.
• Evaluate customer benchmarks and create formulas that meet agreed-upon performance, sensory, cost, and marketing requirements.
• Review and approve production batch procedures and provide technical training to compounders when needed.
• Investigate and help resolve out-of-specification batches, production deviations, customer complaints, and product-performance concerns.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and safe laboratory in accordance with company procedures and GMP requirements.
• Manage multiple development projects, priorities, and customer deadlines simultaneously.
• Perform other R&D and technical duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, Pharmaceutical Science, Biochemistry, or a related scientific field.
• At least 3-7 years of hands-on formulation experience in cosmetics, skincare, personal care, hair care, topical OTC products, or a closely related manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing emulsions and other cosmetic or personal-care product forms.
• Proven experience scaling formulas from laboratory batches to pilot and full commercial production.
• Strong understanding of cosmetic raw materials, formulation principles, preservation systems, product stability, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience troubleshooting formulas and production batches.
• Experience preparing formulas, manufacturing procedures, specifications, stability…