Private Label
A custom-formulated product built specifically for your brand, as opposed to a shared stock formula sold to many brands.
Private label manufacturing means the manufacturer develops or customizes a formula specifically for you, rather than selling you a formula they also sell to other brands under different labels. This gives you more control over ingredients, dosage, and positioning, but it typically requires a larger minimum order and longer development timeline than white label.
Many buyers start with a white-label product to validate demand, then move to private label once they have proven sales and want a differentiated formula.
Example
A wellness clinic works with a manufacturer to develop a proprietary blend of ingredients specific to their patient protocol, rather than using an off-the-shelf formula.
Worth Knowing
"Private label" and "custom formula" are sometimes used to describe different tiers of customization -- ask specifically whether you're modifying an existing formula or building one from scratch, since the cost and MOQ differ significantly.