A private label body serum is a leave-on body product built around a face-grade active, such as niacinamide, lactic or glycolic acid, urea or retinol, and sold under your brand. Moe’s Group LLC formulates, fills and labels custom body serums and active body lotions and creams at its FDA-registered facility in Chatsworth, California: custom private label from 1,000 units; white label from 200 units where a ready formula exists. Our ISO 22716, ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certificates are on the certifications page.
Last updated: October 2026
| Body serum and active body care manufacturing at a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Moe’s Group LLC |
| Facility | 9743 Independence Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311 (Los Angeles) |
| Common actives | Retinol, lactic acid, glycolic acid, urea, niacinamide, ceramides, peptides, hyaluronic acid |
| Formats | Body serum, body lotion, body cream; ask about gel, jelly or milk textures in your brief |
| Service models | Custom private label; white label where a ready formula exists |
| Minimum order | custom private label from 1,000 units; white label from 200 units where a ready formula exists |
| Raw material documents | Supplier documents for your active, agreed with your quote |
| Formulation | In house, by our own chemists |
| Filling and labelling | In house, in Chatsworth |
| Quality | FDA-registered facility; ISO 22716 cosmetics GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 |
| Contact | +1 (866) 777-6751 or the Request for Quote form |
What is a body serum, and how is it different from a body lotion?
A body serum is usually lighter than a lotion and built around one active at a level the brand wants to name on the front label; a body lotion is mainly a moisturizer, with actives as support. In practice the line is blurry: the same active can sit in a milk, a lotion or a gel serum, and the difference is texture, pack and positioning. For everyday moisturizing lotions, see our body lotion page.
Which actives go into active body care?
The actives brands brief for the body are the same ones they already know from face care: niacinamide, lactic and glycolic acid, urea, retinol, ceramides, peptides and hyaluronic acid. We can source the active you want for a custom formula; its level and the supplier’s documents are agreed with your quote.
Do AHA body lotions need a sunburn alert?
FDA recommends it. Its January 2005 guidance on cosmetics containing alpha hydroxy acids asks for a sunburn alert: the product may increase sun sensitivity, so use sunscreen, cover up and limit sun exposure while using it and for a week afterwards. Guidance is not binding, but it covers AHA cosmetics applied to sun-exposed skin, rinse-off washes included, so plan the alert for every AHA body product.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel found glycolic and lactic acid safe in consumer products at 10% or less, with a final pH of 3.5 or higher, when the product is formulated to protect skin from increased sun sensitivity or its directions tell users to use daily sun protection. Plan a retail AHA body product inside those limits.
White label or private label: which fits an active body line?
White label suits testing demand where a ready formula exists for the active you want; custom private label is how you build a line around one active or one texture. Ask whether a ready formula exists for your active when you request a quote.
With white label, the active, its level, texture and scent are as the ready formula is written, and your claims still need checking against it. With custom private label, our chemists develop the formula to your brief, and stability testing should run on your formula in its final pack before production.
How do retinol, AHAs, urea and niacinamide compare in a body formula?
They differ most in what goes wrong. Most failures show up weeks after filling, not on the bench, so stability and packaging checks belong in the plan before production. A body product also covers far more skin than a face serum, so the active costs more per bottle.
| Active | What brands ask for | Usual formats | What goes wrong, and how it is handled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niacinamide | Even-looking, smoother skin | Serum, lotion, body milk | Stable on its own; best kept out of very acidic formulas |
| Lactic acid (AHA) | Smoother, softer-feeling skin | Lotion, serum, cream | Acidic by design; pH set inside the CIR limits; sunburn alert on the label |
| Glycolic acid (AHA) | Brighter-looking, refined texture | Lotion, serum, wash | Can sting and attack some packaging at low pH; same limits and alert |
| Urea | Softer feel on rough, dry skin | Cream, lotion, serum | Breaks down in water and the pH drifts up; buffered, with pH checked over time |
| Retinol | Smoother, firmer-looking skin | Lotion, serum, cream | Breaks down in light and air; opaque or airless pack, antioxidant system; EU body lotion cap 0.05% retinol equivalent |
| Ceramides, peptides, HA | Hydration and a smoother feel | Any leave-on format | Fewer stability problems; cost per unit is the main question |
Why are brands asking for active body care now?
Because shoppers now search for face actives on body products. Amazon US searches for body serum were estimated at 16,281 in September 2025 and 59,497 in September 2026 (VOC.ai, pulled October 28, 2026), much of it for brand names. On Google US, retinol body lotion rose from about 9,900 searches a month in October 2025 to a peak of 49,500 in July 2026, then fell to 27,100 in September; urea body lotion rose from 1,000 to 2,400 (Google Keyword Planner via Keywords Everywhere, pulled October 28, 2026).
The counter-signals matter too. Google searches for body serum itself run at about 3,600 a month on a 12-month median, and body serums sell weakly on TikTok Shop next to active body washes. Dove launched a Cream Serum body line in December 2024 anyway. Read it as a category forming, not a sure thing.
What can an active body care product claim?
Claims about how skin looks and feels keep it a cosmetic; claims that it changes skin structure or treats a condition make it a drug. That line comes from FDA’s guidance Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?), and every claim needs substantiation on the finished product, not on the active’s reputation.
| Can say (with substantiation on the finished product) | Cannot say (drug claim or unsupported) |
|---|---|
| Smooths rough, bumpy-looking skin | Claims about keratosis pilaris, eczema or psoriasis as conditions |
| Softens and moisturizes dry skin | Claims about acne or breakouts (an OTC acne drug under FDA monograph M006) |
| Skin looks firmer and more even | Stimulates collagen or repairs skin |
| Visibly brighter, more even-looking skin | Fades or removes dark spots |
| Exfoliates dull surface skin | Gets rid of cellulite or stretch marks |
| Made with retinol, urea or niacinamide (if it is in the formula) | Approved by the FDA; works like a prescription retinoid |
Under MoCRA, the brand on the label is responsible for safety substantiation and product listing. If you sell in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/996 caps retinol at 0.05% retinol equivalent in body lotion and 0.3% in other products, so check the level before you export. For the full line between cosmetic and drug in body care, see when a private label body product becomes a drug.
Which body serum and active body care formats can Moe’s Group make?
We formulate, fill and label leave-on active body products in house in Chatsworth, as serums, lotions and creams built to your brief. If you want a gel, jelly or milk texture, name it in your brief, because it changes the thickener and the pack. Rinse-off products are on our body wash page.
Texture is where much of the newness is. NIQ Omnishopper figures for facial skin care and body lotions, for the 52 weeks to May 16, 2026, put jelly formats up 150%, milks up 94% and serum sticks up 71%.
How does an active body care project work at Moe’s Group?
It runs in five steps, from brief to filled and labelled product, at our facility in Chatsworth, California.
- Send your brief. Tell us the active, the texture, the claims you hope to make and the volume, through the Request for Quote form.
- Agree the active and the pack. We can source the active you choose; its level, the supplier documents and the pack (retinol needs opaque or airless packaging) are agreed with your quote.
- Formulation. Our in-house chemists develop the formula to your specification, and you approve the sample before production.
- Stability and claims. Plan stability and preservative testing on the formula in its final pack before production, and settle label claims that stay cosmetic, including the sunburn alert on any AHA product.
- Production. Filling and labelling run in house in Chatsworth. The minimum order is custom private label from 1,000 units; white label from 200 units where a ready formula exists.
Can Moe’s Group make private label body serums, and what is the MOQ?
Yes: Moe’s Group formulates, fills and labels private label body serums and active body lotions and creams in Chatsworth, California: custom private label from 1,000 units; white label from 200 units where a ready formula exists. Lead time depends on the formula and its stability work and is set out in your quote. The facility is FDA-registered and certified to ISO 22716 for cosmetics GMP, with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001, and has capacity for up to 1,000,000 units a month across skin, hair and body care, which is capacity, not a delivery date. For the rest of our body range, see private label body care manufacturing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a body serum?
A leave-on body product, usually lighter than a lotion, built around an active such as niacinamide, lactic acid, urea or retinol. It is a cosmetic as long as its claims stay on how skin looks and feels.
Can Moe’s Group make a retinol body lotion?
Yes, as a custom formula from 1,000 units. Retinol breaks down in light and air, so plan on opaque or airless packaging and an antioxidant system; the EU caps body lotion at 0.05% retinol equivalent.
Do AHA body lotions need a sunburn warning?
FDA guidance from January 2005 recommends a sunburn alert on cosmetics that contain alpha hydroxy acids and are applied to sun-exposed skin, rinse-off washes included. It is guidance rather than a binding rule, but plan the alert for every AHA body product.
How much glycolic or lactic acid can a body lotion contain?
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel found glycolic and lactic acid safe in consumer products at 10% or less with a final pH of 3.5 or higher, when the product protects against increased sun sensitivity or its directions call for daily sun protection.
Can you make a body acne wash or spray?
Not as a cosmetic. A product sold for acne is an OTC drug under FDA’s acne monograph M006, with its own active ingredients and labelling. The cosmetic route is an exfoliating body wash sold on cosmetic claims only.
Should my brand launch a body serum or a body lotion?
A serum suits a line sold on one named active and a lighter feel; a lotion suits a line sold on moisture, with the active in a supporting role.
Does an active body care product have to be approved by the FDA?
No. Cosmetics other than color additives are not approved by the FDA before sale. Under MoCRA the brand on the label is responsible for safety substantiation and product listing, and claims must stay cosmetic.
What is the minimum order for a private label body serum?
At Moe’s Group the minimum order is custom private label from 1,000 units; white label from 200 units where a ready formula exists. Lead time depends on the formula and its stability work and is set out in your quote.
Related pages
- Private label body care manufacturing
- Private label hand cream and foot care manufacturing
- Private label women’s body care manufacturing
- Private label men’s body care manufacturing
- Private label body lotion manufacturing
- Private label body wash manufacturing
- Private label body products: cosmetic or drug?
- Private label cosmetics: who files with the FDA?
- Our California skincare manufacturing facility
- Certifications and FDA facility registration
Sources
- FDA, “Guidance for Industry: Labeling for Cosmetics Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids” (January 2005)
- FDA, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (CIR Expert Panel findings)
- FDA, “Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?)”
- FDA, OTC Monograph M006, Topical Acne Drug Products (2021)
- FDA, Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA)
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 (vitamin A limits)
- NielsenIQ, From Insights to Aisles: Unpacking the Future of Skin and Body Care (2026), slide 14, Omnishopper Panel, L52 weeks to May 16, 2026
- Google Keyword Planner via Keywords Everywhere, US, pulled October 28, 2026
- VOC.ai Amazon US keyword estimates, pulled October 28, 2026
- Dove, “Dove Introduces New Cream Serum Collection,” PR Newswire release 302323507, December 5, 2024
Start a body serum product
Tell us the active, the texture, the volume and the claims you have in mind, and our chemists will come back with options and a quote. Prefer to talk it through first? Book a free consultation.