Shopify for beauty and skincare

Shopify for Australian beauty and skincare brands

Skincare buyers read ingredient lists, reorder on a schedule and care about trust. We build Shopify stores with ingredient detail, subscriptions and routines, and with product copy that stays on the right side of the rules.

Wattle & AshBeauty and skincare, Adelaide Hills

Example store

Wattle & Ash

A calm skincare store that helps people pick a routine.

Shop the concept store Read the case study

What makes beauty and skincare hard to sell online

What you are allowed to claim

The line between a cosmetic claim and a therapeutic one is easy to cross by accident. 'Treats acne' or 'reduces eczema' reads very differently to 'cleanses' or 'moisturises', and the rules differ for each.

Repeat purchase

Skincare is a replenishment business. Without subscriptions, reminders and refill flows, you pay to acquire the same customer again and again.

Choice overload

Shoppers do not know which cleanser, serum or SPF suits their skin. Quizzes, routines and bundles help them choose with confidence.

Shipping liquids and glass

Heavy, fragile or temperature-sensitive products need proper packaging and clear delivery expectations.

What we build into the store

Ingredient and how-to-use blocks

Structured product fields for full ingredient lists, key actives, usage and size, so every product page answers the same questions.

Subscribe and save

Subscriptions through an app such as Recharge, Skio or Shopify's own subscriptions, with easy skip and pause.

Routine bundles

Morning and night routines sold as a bundle with a clear saving, built with Shopify's bundles tooling or an app.

Skin quiz

A short quiz that recommends products and captures an email address for Klaviyo flows.

Reviews with photos

A reviews app such as Judge.me, with photo uploads and product-specific questions. We do not invent or seed reviews.

Replenishment flows

Klaviyo reminders timed to how long a bottle lasts, so reorders arrive before the customer runs out.

The Australian rules we design around

In Australia, whether a skincare product is a cosmetic or a therapeutic good depends largely on its claims and ingredients. Sunscreens are a well-known example: some are regulated as therapeutic goods and others as cosmetics, depending on how they are presented, and any SPF claim has to meet the Australian sunscreen standard. Claims about treating a condition, such as acne or eczema, can pull a product into the TGA's remit and its advertising code. Cosmetics still face general consumer law on misleading claims. Ingredient and labelling rules apply as well. We do not give regulatory advice, so have your claims reviewed by a specialist, then we build the pages around the approved wording.

General information, not legal advice. Check with the regulator for your situation.

A store that makes the claim review easy

We structure product pages so claims live in one place. Instead of copy scattered across descriptions, banners and Instagram feeds, each product has defined fields for benefits, ingredients and usage. That makes it simple for your regulatory adviser to review once and for your team to stay consistent.

Be careful with reviews as well. Customer testimonials that describe treating a medical condition can be treated as your advertising. Choose a reviews setup that lets you moderate, and decide your rules before launch.

Subscriptions and refills

A cleanser or moisturiser has a predictable life. A subscription at a modest saving, with an obvious way to skip or cancel, increases lifetime value and cuts acquisition spend. Our concept store Wattle & Ash shows a subscription and routine bundle layout. It is a concept we designed, not a client.

Offer subscriptions on products with a known usage cycle, not on everything.
Let customers change frequency and skip a delivery without contacting you.
Send a reminder before each shipment through Klaviyo.
Keep cancellation easy. It is better for trust and for compliance with consumer law.

Shipping, GST and testing before launch

Glass bottles and pumps need proper protective packaging, and we set shipping profiles by weight so rates match real cost. Our shipping guide covers the carriers.

Skincare brands often start on Launch and add a bespoke build later. See pricing or contact us for a fixed quote.

What a good skincare product page needs

Beauty shoppers read labels. A product page that matches the pack, and says clearly what the product is for, builds the trust that gets a first order.

The full ingredient list, copied exactly from the pack, in a consistent block on every product.
How to use it, how often and in what order within a routine.
Size in millilitres or grams, and the price for each size if you sell more than one.
Skin type or concern suitability, worded carefully and approved by your regulatory adviser if there is any therapeutic angle.
Shade or tone images for makeup, shown on a range of skin tones.
Reviews with photos, moderated so they do not make claims you could not make yourself.

We store ingredients, directions and warnings in metafields, so the layout stays the same across the catalogue and your team only fills in fields. A routine builder or short quiz can sit above the product grid for shoppers who do not know where to start. Keep the claim check in mind throughout: anything on the page that suggests a product treats a condition may change how it is regulated.

Apps we use for beauty stores

Repeat purchase is where beauty brands make their margin, so the app list leans towards retention.

Shopify Subscriptions, Recharge or Skio for subscribe and save. We compare them against your product mix and volume before choosing.
Klaviyo for replenishment flows timed to how long a bottle lasts, plus welcome and winback emails.
Judge.me, Okendo or Stamped for reviews with photo and video uploads.
Octane AI or a similar quiz app for a skin or routine quiz that ends in a product recommendation.
Rebuy or Shopify Bundles for routine bundles and cart upsells.
Shopify Flow to tag subscribers and first-time buyers so each group gets the right email.

Quiz and review apps both load scripts, so we check their effect on mobile speed before launch. See Klaviyo flows for Shopify for the email side.

Common questions

Can I say my product treats acne or eczema?

Claims about treating a condition can bring a product under the TGA and its advertising code, with stricter requirements than cosmetic claims. Get specialist advice before publishing. We build the pages around the wording you approve.

Is sunscreen regulated differently?

Yes. Depending on its claims, a sunscreen may be a cosmetic or a therapeutic good, and an SPF claim has to meet the Australian sunscreen standard. Check the TGA's guidance or speak to an adviser.

Which subscription app should I use?

It depends on your volume and needs. We compare Shopify's own subscriptions, Recharge and Skio against your product mix before choosing.

Can I show before and after photos?

These can be risky for therapeutic claims. Have them reviewed first, and avoid implying a medical outcome.

Do you write the product copy?

We can structure and edit copy, but your adviser should approve any claims. We do not give regulatory advice.

How do I offer free samples?

The simplest route is an automatic discount that adds a sample product to the cart above a spend threshold. Alternatively, sell samples as a low-priced product. Either way, set the sample's weight so shipping rates stay correct.

How should I show shades or variants?

Use swatches that switch the main image, and photograph each shade on more than one skin tone. Keep shade names consistent between the store, your packaging and your marketing.

Tell us what you sell

A few lines about your store and where it's at. We reply within one business day with questions or a fixed quote.

Get a fixed quote See pricing