Add your first raw materials

Overview

Your raw material library, which some beginners may think of as an ingredient library, is the foundation for formulas, batching, costing, purchasing, and inventory.

Do not try to build the full library on day one. Add the materials you actually need for your first real formula.

Before you start

Start with the raw materials that are most likely to appear in your first working formula:

• your main water or oil phase materials
• emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, and fragrances you use regularly
• any materials you need for your first batch immediately

Small and accurate beats large and incomplete.

Open the raw material form

1. Open /ingredients
2. If you want to search the master catalog first, open /ingredients/reference
3. Click Add to My Raw Materials to prefill the normal create flow, or continue directly to /ingredients/new

Use the normal raw material form when you already know what you want to add. Use the Formuley Database first when you want a cleaner prefill from a shared reference record.

Step 1: Add identity basics

Fill in the fields that make the raw material recognizable and usable:

• Trade Name -- the supplier or bench name your team uses.
• Common / Plain Name -- a simpler name for people who do not think in INCI first.
• INCI Name -- the compliance-ready ingredient name used later for labels and declarations.

For the first save, the identity basics matter more than a complete technical profile.

Step 2: Choose unit and category

Set the practical fields that keep formulas and inventory connected:

• Default Unit -- the unit you usually measure this raw material in, such as g, kg, oz, lb, ml, or L.
• Category -- the broad role, such as oil, emulsifier, preservative, surfactant, active, or other.
• Supplier -- optional at first, but useful if you already know where the material comes from.

If you know your opening stock or first purchase already, enter it during this setup step so inventory starts connected to the record.

Step 3: Save for formulation

Click Save once the first-pass information is in place.

The key idea is to save the raw material for formulation first, then verify it for batching later when that stricter workflow matters.

You do not need SDS, CoA, approved lots, preferred-source controls, HLB values, SAP values, or every supplier detail just to create the first usable record.

Step 4: Verify for batching later

When you are ready to use the raw material in controlled batching, return to the saved record and complete the batch-ready identity checklist:

• confirm the category
• link a reference match or enter a CAS number
• add a manual verification note when no reference match is linked

Source-ready and GMP-ready steps come after that. Add preferred sources, approved lots, and supporting documents only when those later workflows matter.

When to use the Formuley Database

Use /ingredients/reference when you want to:

• search the shared reference catalog before creating a new record
• compare common name, INCI, CAS, and category data
• start from a prefilled ingredient instead of a blank form

This keeps your own working library clean while still letting you benefit from the larger shared database behind Formuley.

Expected result

When this step is complete, you should have:

• at least one usable raw material in the library
• enough identity data to select it in formulas
• enough stock and cost data to support your first workflow
• a clear next step for later batch verification if you need it

Next docs

• Create your first formula
• First workflow in Formuley