Build and verify your raw material library

What you will accomplish

You will create one user-owned raw material at /ingredients/new or import a material list at /ingredients/import. You will also know what separates Formula-ready, Batch-ready, source-ready, and GMP-ready records, and where supplier, cost, lot, TDS, SDS, and COA evidence belongs.

Before you start

Open /ingredients. For a single material, have its display name, INCI name, and default stock unit ready. For an import, prepare a supplier document, price list, photo, CSV, tab-separated file, or pasted list. CSV columns can include name, INCI, CAS, price, quantity, and supplier.

The Formuley reference catalog and your raw material library are different. A shared reference helps you identify a material; the record you save in My Raw Materials is user-owned and carries your operational details.

Add one raw material manually

1. Open the create form. Go to /ingredients/new from Raw Materials or choose Add Raw Material.
2. Enter the identity basics. Add a Trade Name or Common / Plain Name, an INCI Name, and a Default Unit.
3. Choose the category. Select the category that best describes how you use the material.
4. Add optional source context. Select or type a supplier and add the Supplier SKU when you already know them.
5. Save the record. Use the saved material in formulas while you complete stricter verification later.

A display name, INCI name, and default stock unit make the record Formula-ready. Category and verified identity are additionally required before it is Batch-ready.

Import and review a material list

1. Open material import. Go to /ingredients/import and choose the source that matches your files or list.
2. Provide the source data. Upload the supported file or paste the material rows.
3. Review the extraction. Confirm names, quantities, prices, and suppliers. Review every mapped material before anything is saved.
4. Review INCI and CAS. On Verify & Confirm, correct low-confidence matches and edit any INCI or CAS value that looks wrong.
5. Save the selected records. Imported materials begin Formula-ready so they can be used in formulas.
6. Open Identity Hub. Go to /ingredients/identity to review the saved records and make each verified identity Batch-ready.

Import does not make an identity trustworthy by itself. It stages records for work, then leaves the identity decision visible for review.

Move through the readiness stages

1. Reach Formula-ready. Supply a display name, INCI name, and default stock unit.
2. Reach Batch-ready. Choose a category, confirm the identity, and use a reference match or CAS plus a manual verification note when appropriate.
3. Reach source-ready. Attach at least one approved or preferred source to the material.
4. Reach GMP-ready. Receive at least one approved lot and link supporting evidence.

A Formula-ready record is suitable for formulation and bench work. Pilot and production selection use the stricter Batch-ready identity gate. Readiness is staged so missing purchasing or quality records do not block early formulation.

Add supplier, cost, lot, and document context

1. Define the source. On the material detail page, keep the supplier-facing material name and Supplier SKU with the preferred or approved supplier source.
2. Record the receipt. Choose Record Purchase, enter quantity and total price, and confirm the weighted cost preview.
3. Create the lot when traceability matters. Keep the supplier lot reference, approval status, dates, and source attached to the stock received.
4. Place documents deliberately. Keep the supplier TDS or specification and SDS with the material or confirmed source; keep the receipt-specific COA linked to its lot.
5. Approve production evidence. Only approved active lots are eligible for stricter production selection, and only lot-linked COA or SDS files satisfy release evidence for that lot.

Check your work

• The material appears in /ingredients and can be selected in a formula.
• The readiness label matches the information you have actually reviewed.
• Imported INCI and CAS values have been checked in /ingredients/identity.
• Supplier, SKU, price, quantity, and cost data match the source record or receipt.
• A production lot has the correct source, approval status, dates, and lot-linked evidence.

If something does not look right

• If an import match is uncertain, edit the INCI or CAS value before saving, or save it for later Identity Hub review.
• If a material is Formula-ready but not Batch-ready, complete its category and identity verification; it remains usable in formulas meanwhile.
• If two supplier grades differ in assay, carrier, grade, or bench behavior, create separate raw material records instead of treating them as interchangeable sources.
• If a lot cannot be selected in production, confirm it is active and approved and that required lot evidence is linked.
• Structured sourcing, document storage, and some inventory controls depend on plan access; the page explains the available upgrade when a control is unavailable.

Next steps

• Watch video 3: Add a raw material
• Search the Formuley reference database
• Set up cost tracking
• Source, buy, and reconcile materials