Creating a Private Label CBD Product
Some of Kria’s CBD brand customers pursue the private label option. Through this process, we partner to create a customized product that you, the customer, own. The first step in that process is product development. Product development is a time to get creative and explore your vision and ideas for the type of custom CBD product you want to design. Kria’s job is to help you create that vision and then turn it into a delicious reality.
Most customers come to us with a general idea of what they’d like to create, whether it’s for human or pet consumption, or a skin care product. After identifying the who and what, we can start to select ingredients. It begins with deciding on a base carrier oil. The most common is medium-chain triglyceride, or MCT, oil. MCT is a highly stable coconut-based oil with its own set of promising therapeutic attributes, making it an ideal carrier for cannabinoids. We also use hemp seed oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, and other carriers.
Creating a Certified Organic CBD Product
At this point you will also decide whether your formula will be certified organic. This will inform our sourcing of ingredients to ensure that the final product meets the guidelines for USDA organic certification. Certifying your CBD product as organic does limit ingredients and potentially raises the price. It also ensures that your product will be the highest quality possible and effectively communicates this value to your customers. It is an important decision to make early on, because it will inform ingredient selection and pricing throughout the process.
Selecting your Carrier Oil
When selecting carrier oils, it is important to discuss the type of CBD you want to add. Do you want the product to contain CBD, CBG, or both? There are two extraction methods Kria uses to extract hemp into crude: CO2 and ethanol extraction. Our lab also produces distillate, which is a process of further refining the extract. We also provide the option to add in CO2-extracted terpenes, which can contribute light floral or woodsy notes to the recipe. Terpenes make a great contribution for those looking to maximize the full spectrum entourage effects of CBD.
CBD Dosing
Your next big decision is dosing. Usually a dosage is expressed in milligrams of CBD (or CBG) per milliliter of formula. One milliliter is a standard volume dose for most tinctures, being about one dropperful or 30 drops. The amount of CBD that is delivered in the dose can vary depending on the application. Dosing varies widely in the retail CBD space, ranging from less than 10 mgs per dose to exceeding 100 mgs per dose. With a standard unit size of 30 mL (or one ounce), that translates to a range of 300 mg to 3000 mg per one ounce bottle (one unit). Wherever you land on the dosing decision will have an impact on price and taste: the higher the cannabinoid content, the more expensive the product, and the stronger the flavor of the final product.
Other Ingredients in your CBD products
Speaking of flavor, we have a wide range of options for your custom formulation. Emma Merritt, our head formulator, has a background as a clinical herbalist with expertise not only in the therapeutic properties of botanicals, but also their flavor profiles. Emma can select a group of botanicals that target specific results on the body and taste delicious.
At this point, you can imagine how the list of potential ingredients to incorporate into a potential product can be quite long and include multiple types of ingredients. At Kria, we take the time to source all the ingredients for you and verify the quality of each source. If you are looking to certify your product organic, then we even go one step further and verify with the USDA that the ingredient manufacturer is credible.
Ingredient Sourcing and Sample Development
Once ingredients are sourced, Emma creates samples based on the agreed-upon specifications. A few samples are made using different proportions of ingredients, from hemp potency to flavor ratios. The slightest change to either of these can have a major impact on the overall taste or smell of a product. Once the samples are complete, they are then sent to you for your review. Based on your feedback, the recipe is either finalized or tweaked. Once you decide on the recipe and it is finalized, you then own it as your brand’s recipe! After finalizing your recipe, you will receive the breakdown of what is in the formula, which can be used to fill out the ingredient list on your product label.
Final CBD Product – Bottle Selection
The last two steps are to nail down the label design and bottle type. Typically our customers choose “Boston Round” bottles, which refer to a standard 1-ounce size. Some prefer custom bottles, or suppliers with their own unique sizes. One of our favorites is Miron Glass, which is also sold as Infinity Jars.
CBD Finished Product – Label Design
The label design is really up to you, but we work with you to ensure that your labels work with our equipment, and fit your bottles. If the product is going to be certified organic, there are guidelines from the USDA around how the ingredients and Product Display Panel information needs to be structured. We provide those guidelines and and take care of submitting your recipe and labels to our certifying agency.
Once the labels are designed and approved, all that is left to do is put your product into production! We’ll coordinate with you on ordering ingredients and packaging, and get to work on formulation. After your product is formulated, tested for potency, and approved by you, we’ll get it into the bottling queue, where our team will fill, label, package, and ship your complete product to you or your distributor!
If you would like to hear more about product development or begin the process fill out the ‘contact us’ form on our website and a staff member will be in touch.
