Cosmetics and fragrance
Vanilla for formulation, bought on what it contains
A formulator does not buy a pod, they buy a molecule and a story. The molecule has to be consistent from batch to batch. The story has to hold up on a label that a regulator may read.
What decides in your trade
Appearance is worth nothing here
Gourmet grade is priced for looks: long, supple, unblemished pods that a pastry chef will show. None of that survives an extraction. Cuts and shorts carry the same aromatic material at a lower cost per kilo, which is why formulators who know the market rarely buy gourmet.
Batch to batch consistency drives reformulation cost
Changing supplier or grade means re-testing a formula, and sometimes re-registering it. The cost of a variable input is not the price difference, it is the laboratory time it forces. Ask for the range a grade is committed to, and a certificate of analysis per lot.
Solvent and method change what you get
Ethanol, glycerine and supercritical CO2 do not pull the same profile from the same bean. A vanillin figure measured by one method is not comparable with another. Ask how a number was obtained before you compare two offers on it.
The paperwork a formulator is asked for
Certificate of analysis, statement on origin, allergen and GMO statements, and traceability back to a lot. Some buyers will also ask about the harvest itself. Decide early what you need, because collecting it after a shipment has left is painful.
What we supply for this use
Volumes
Cosmetics and fragrance volumes vary widely, from a few kilos for a niche house to several hundred for a contract manufacturer. Tell us the formulation and the annual forecast rather than a single order, and we will quote on the tranche that fits.
Questions we get asked
Should I buy gourmet grade for a cosmetic formulation?
Usually not. Gourmet grade is priced on appearance, which is lost the moment the pod is extracted or ground. Cuts, shorts and extraction grades carry comparable aromatic material at a lower cost per kilo.
Can you supply vanilla extract rather than beans?
Yes. Extract removes the extraction step and the variability that comes with it, at the cost of less control over the profile. Which one suits you depends on whether your process is built around beans or around a finished ingredient.
What documentation do you provide for regulatory files?
Certificate of analysis per lot, statement on origin, and traceability back to the shipment. Tell us what your file requires before ordering: some documents have to be requested at origin, and cannot be produced afterwards.