Short answer: An acne product that claims to treat acne is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug, not a cosmetic. To sell one in the U.S. without an FDA approval, it has to follow FDA's acne monograph (M006). That means using benzoyl peroxide at 2.5–10%, salicylic acid at 0.5–2%, or sulfur at 3–10%, carrying a Drug Facts label, being made in an FDA-registered drug facility, and being listed with an NDC. At PMG, stock OTC formulas typically start at 5,000 units with a 90–150 day launch window.
When is an acne product a drug instead of a cosmetic?
FDA decides based on what the product is intended to do. That intent comes from the claims on your label, your website, your ads and your social posts [4]. A salicylic acid face wash that "cleanses and refreshes" can be a cosmetic. The same wash that "treats acne" or "clears breakouts" is a drug. A product that is both, like an acne-fighting cleanser, has to meet the rules for both [4].
This decision comes before formulation, packaging or pricing. It sets your ingredient options, your label, your facility and your minimums. If you want acne claims on the front of the box, you're building an OTC drug.
Which active ingredients are allowed?
FDA's OTC Monograph M006, Topical Acne Drug Products for OTC Human Use, is the rulebook for this category [1]. A product that stays inside it can be marketed without a new drug application. It permits only these single actives and concentrations:
| Active ingredient | Permitted concentration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | 2.5–10% | Carries extra warnings (sensitivity, bleaching of hair and fabric) |
| Salicylic acid | 0.5–2% | Common in cleansers, toners, pads and spot treatments |
| Sulfur | 3–10% | Can be used alone |
| Sulfur + resorcinol | Sulfur 3–8% with resorcinol 2% | Only as this combination |
| Sulfur + resorcinol monoacetate | Sulfur 3–8% with resorcinol monoacetate 3% | Only as this combination |
Two practical points follow from the table [1]:
- You can't mix actives freely. Benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid is not a permitted monograph combination. The only permitted combinations are sulfur with resorcinol or resorcinol monoacetate.
- Supporting ingredients still matter. Soothing botanicals, niacinamide or ceramides can go in as inactive ingredients. They can't carry their own acne-treatment claims, and they can't push the product outside the monograph.
What has to be on the label?
OTC drugs use the standardized Drug Facts panel defined in 21 CFR 201.66 [5]. The panel lists the active ingredient and its purpose, uses, warnings, directions and inactive ingredients, in a fixed order and format. M006 fills in the category-specific wording [1]:
- Statement of identity: the product must identify itself as an acne treatment or acne medication.
- Uses: approved phrasing such as "for the treatment of acne," with optional wording like "clears up," "helps clear" or "reduces the number of" acne blemishes, pimples, blackheads or whiteheads.
- Warnings for every acne product: skin irritation and dryness are more likely if you use another topical acne medication at the same time.
- Extra warnings for benzoyl peroxide: don't use if you have very sensitive skin or are sensitive to benzoyl peroxide, and avoid contact with hair and dyed fabrics, which may be bleached.
- A U.S. phone number or address for reporting side effects (adverse events), usually shown as "Questions or comments?" with a phone number.
Monograph wording is fixed, so most claims work happens up front. Your marketing copy on Amazon, your site and your social posts also has to stay within what the monograph allows. Remember that FDA reads intent from all of those places [4].
Have a product in mind? Ask us directly.
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Do you need an NDC, and who registers what?
Yes. Every OTC drug in U.S. commercial distribution must be listed with FDA and carry a National Drug Code [2]. Under 21 CFR Part 207:
- Facilities register. Manufacturers, repackers and relabelers must register each drug establishment with FDA. Domestic facilities register no later than 5 calendar days after beginning operations and update their registration every year between October 1 and December 31 [2].
- Products get listed. Each registrant lists the drugs it makes for commercial distribution [2].
- Private label brands can have their own labeler code. If your brand doesn't manufacture, you generally don't register a facility. Your manufacturer lists your product under your labeler code as well as its own [2]. The NDC itself has three segments: labeler, product and package [2].
In practice, a brand launching a private label acne line needs three things: a labeler code in its own name, a manufacturer whose drug establishment registration is current, and a listing filed for each product and package size. A new size or a changed formula can mean a new listing.
What changes on the manufacturing floor?
A cosmetic cleanser and an OTC acne cleanser can look identical on the shelf. Behind them, the requirements are very different. OTC drugs are made under drug current good manufacturing practice (21 CFR Parts 210 and 211), not just the cosmetic rules. That typically adds:
- Identity and strength testing of the active ingredient in raw materials and in finished batches, so a "2% salicylic acid" product actually contains 2%.
- Validated methods and documented batch records for each run.
- Stability data to support an expiration date, which cosmetics don't legally require.
- Contaminant testing where the chemistry calls for it. Benzoyl peroxide is the example to know. In March 2025, FDA reported testing 95 acne products for benzene. It found elevated levels in 6, which led to voluntary retail-level recalls. FDA reminded manufacturers that they are responsible for evaluating and testing for possible contaminants [3]. FDA also said the cancer risk to consumers was very low [3]. Even so, any benzoyl peroxide program today should plan for benzene testing and a solid stability program.
These are the reasons OTC minimums and timelines are higher than cosmetic ones. See our product testing and certifications and compliance pages for how that work is scoped.
How long does an OTC acne launch take, and what are the minimums?
The biggest variable is whether you start from a proven stock formula or develop a custom one. Here is what PMG publishes for OTC projects on our OTC and specialty page:
| Path | Typical starting MOQ | Typical launch window |
|---|---|---|
| Stock OTC formula | 5,000 units | 90–150 days |
| Custom OTC formulation | 5,000–10,000+ units | 4–6 months, plus regulatory and registration time |
For comparison, cosmetic private label at PMG starts at 1,000 units with 60–90 days from contract to first run. The gap reflects the drug-level testing, stability and documentation described above. If your first product doesn't need acne claims, launching it as a cosmetic in our skincare and beauty line and adding an OTC acne SKU later is a common way to stage the investment.
OTC acne launch checklist
Download the fillable checklist (PDF)
Use this list before you request quotes:
Classification and formula
- Claims decided: Will the label, listing or ads say “treats acne,” “clears breakouts” or similar? If yes, this is an OTC drug.
- Active chosen: benzoyl peroxide (2.5–10%), salicylic acid (0.5–2%) or sulfur (3–10%), or a permitted sulfur/resorcinol combination
- Format chosen: cleanser, toner, pad, gel, spot treatment or leave-on lotion
Label and registration
- Drug Facts panel drafted using M006 wording, and packaging sized to fit it
- Labeler code obtained in your brand’s name
- Manufacturer’s drug establishment registration confirmed as current
Quality, marketing and budget
- Stability and expiration dating plan agreed, including benzene testing for benzoyl peroxide
- Marketing copy reviewed so website, Amazon and social claims match the monograph
- Volume and cash planned around OTC minimums, not cosmetic ones
For the wider evaluation, see How to Choose a Private Label Manufacturing Partner: 10 Questions Every Brand Should Ask.
Frequently asked questions
Is a salicylic acid cleanser always an OTC drug?
No. Classification depends on intended use. A salicylic acid cleanser marketed only to cleanse can be a cosmetic. Once you claim it treats or prevents acne, it's an OTC drug and has to follow the acne monograph. [1][4]
Can I combine benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid in one OTC product?
Not under the monograph. M006 permits benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and sulfur as single actives. The only permitted combinations are sulfur with resorcinol or resorcinol monoacetate. [1] Anything else needs a different regulatory path.
Does my brand need its own FDA registration to sell a private label acne product?
Usually not a facility registration, if you don't manufacture. Your manufacturer lists the product under your brand's labeler code, and the product carries an NDC. [2]
What is the minimum order for a private label OTC acne product at PMG?
Stock OTC formulas typically start at 5,000 units with a 90–150 day launch window. Custom OTC formulations typically start at 5,000–10,000+ units and take 4–6 months, plus regulatory and registration time.
Are benzoyl peroxide products still safe to sell after the benzene findings?
FDA found elevated benzene in 6 of 95 products tested and said the consumer cancer risk was very low. It also stated that manufacturers are responsible for testing for possible contaminants. [3] Build benzene testing and stability work into any benzoyl peroxide program.
Have a product in mind? Ask us directly.
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Read the article →Sources and references
- 1.U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "OTC Monograph M006: Topical Acne Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use." https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/omuf/monographs/OTC%20Monograph_M006-Topical%20Acne%20drug%20products%20for%20OTC%20Human%20Use%2011.23.2021.pdf
- 2.21 CFR Part 207, "Requirements for Foreign and Domestic Establishment Registration and Listing for Human Drugs, Including Drugs That Are Regulated Under a Biologics License Application, and Animal Drugs, and the National Drug Code." https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-207
- 3.U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Limited number of voluntary recalls initiated after FDA testing of acne products for benzene; findings show a small number of products with elevated levels of benzene contamination" (March 11, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/limited-number-voluntary-recalls-initiated-after-fda-testing-acne-products-benzene-findings-show
- 4.U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?)." https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/it-cosmetic-drug-or-both-or-it-soap
- 5.21 CFR 201.66, "Format and content requirements for over-the-counter (OTC) drug product labeling." https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-201/subpart-C/section-201.66
OTC Acne Launch Checklist
A fillable 2-page checklist to complete before you request quotes.
PDF · 2 pages
About Product Management Group
PMG is a full-service private label manufacturing partner for skincare, nutraceuticals, supplements, personal care, and wellness brands. We handle everything from R&D and formulation through manufacturing, packaging, regulatory compliance, and fulfillment, working with FDA-registered, GMP-compliant partner facilities in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Minnesota, and Arizona. We work with everyone from first-time founders to established retail brands, with minimums starting at 1,000 units.
Planning an acne line? Start a project and tell us your claims, format and target volume.