Sell hair care products online, sorted by hair type

1. 01

   Sort products by hair type and goal

   Make collections for the way people describe their own hair: curly, coily, fine, thick, color-treated. Someone who opens “Curly” should find a full routine there, not your whole catalog.

2. 02

   Say how much to use and when

   Hair products disappoint when they’re used wrong. Say how much to apply, on wet or dry hair, and roughly how long a bottle lasts. It saves you a lot of “it didn’t work for me” emails.

3. 03

   Show real results

   Before-and-after photos persuade, but only use real ones, with the person’s permission and no retouching of the hair. Add a photo of the texture and of the bottle in a hand for size.

4. 04

   Bundle routines into sets

   Put a shampoo, conditioner and styler for one hair type together as a set with its own stock. A set makes the first order easy and raises the size of each order.

5. 05

   Talk to salons and stylists

   Stylists recommend products to clients every day. Add a “For salons” page with a price-on-request wholesale form, so they can ask for trade terms and testers.

6. 06

   Make reordering simple

   Offer refill pouches or larger bottles for people who already love a product. On the Growth plan a regular refill can be a subscription that Stripe bills for you.

• Hair growth claims are drug claims

  In the US, saying a product regrows hair or stops hair loss makes it a drug in the FDA’s eyes. Talk about shine, softness, frizz and how hair looks and feels instead.

• Hair color has its own rules

  Hair dyes carry special warning and patch-test label rules in the US, the EU and the UK, and many dye ingredients are restricted. Look these up before you add any color product.

• Shampoos are cosmetics

  In the US that brings MoCRA registration and listing (some small businesses are exempt), and in the EU and UK a Responsible Person, a safety assessment and notification before sale. Check what applies to you.

• Bars ship lighter than bottles

  Solid shampoo and conditioner bars are light, can’t leak and fit a padded envelope, which keeps shipping low. Liquids need taped caps and a sealed bag inside the box.

General information to help you get started, not legal advice. Rules differ by country, state and product, so check the ones that apply to you.