How do I protect my peptide formula IP when working with a contract chemist?

Before sharing any target actives, concentration ranges, or proprietary blends, have the cosmetic chemist sign a mutual NDA and a work-for-hire or IP assignment agreement. Specify formula ownership explicitly — do not assume it transfers automatically. AJ Cosmo Labs recommends using milestone-based escrowed payments (available in the app) tied to deliverable handoffs, which creates a documented trail of ownership transitions.