How to Start a Perfume Business in the USA

A practical guide for anyone starting a perfume or attar brand in the US, written by Abdul Aziz, founder of Oud Al Aziz. We supply perfume oils to new brands and see the same questions every week.

1. Pick what you will sell

• Attar and roll-on oils are the cheapest way to start: buy oil, fill 3ml to 12ml bottles, label and sell.
• Spray perfume needs perfume oil, perfumer’s alcohol and a few weeks of maturing.
• Gift sets sell well around Eid, Ramadan and weddings.

2. Test before you buy in bulk

Order 100ml of 8 to 10 oils, make samples, and let customers choose. Then buy 1kg only of the 2 or 3 scents that sell. Most new brands lose money by buying 1kg of everything at the start.

3. Bottles, labels and pricing

Work out your cost per bottle: oil, bottle, label and box. A 1kg bottle of oil fills roughly 160 bottles of 6ml or 80 bottles of 12ml.

4. Rules to check in the US

• Perfume is a cosmetic in the US and falls under the FDA’s MoCRA rules. Small businesses under $1 million in yearly sales are exempt from facility registration and product listing, with some exceptions, but still must keep products safe and labelled correctly.
• Labels need the product name, net quantity, ingredients and your business name and address.
• Register your business with your state and collect sales tax where required.

5. Where to sell

• Your own website and Instagram or TikTok
• Marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy, Noon or TikTok Shop where available
• Mosque shops, Eid markets and gift shops

Get our wholesale price list

Message us on WhatsApp at +92 308 8322423 for our current price list for the US.

Frequently asked questions

How much perfume oil do I need to start?

Start with 100ml each of 8 to 10 oils. That is enough for samples and your first sales.

How many bottles does 1kg of perfume oil fill?

Roughly 160 bottles of 6ml or 80 bottles of 12ml, depending on the oil.