So what do you need?
What do you need to know?
Do you want it to be a Business or a Hobby?
These are the 3 most important questions that you need to ask yourself before starting a soap or skincare making business. Actually these are the 3 most important questions you need to ask yourself before starting any business. But especially before venturing into a soap or skincare business, Now for me the Most important question is:
What Do You NEED to Know?....
What i hear the most from people is, oooo its only a hobby i don't need to know all of that legal stuff.... WRONG!!! yes you do, even if your just giving it to friends & family, all products need to be safety tested.... Ask yourself, how would you feel if you made a soap for your best friend and it scarred them because it was too caustic, that friend can, they may not, but they are totally within their rights if they wanted to sue you for damages, And you could loose everything, because you have no insurance, because, your products weren't assessed by a fully qualified chemist... granted I really don't want to scare people off doing something that's totally amazing.... but these are the facts, Any way enough of the lecture, Here is all the information
LEGAL STUFF:
This general guidance covers all cosmetic products that are available to a member of the public in Great Britain (GB). This includes products that are sold or given away (for example, free samples) and products used on the public by professionals. This guidance is to support understanding of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on Cosmetic Products, as amended by the Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
This guide does not cover making cosmetic products available in Northern Ireland (NI), for which the Responsible Person must be established in NI or the EU. There is separate technical guidance available for both NI and GB. The Government is seeking to find a new balance in the Northern Ireland Protocol to place it on a more sustainable footing that would impact on how products are regulated in NI.
All cosmetic products available to consumers must have a ‘Responsible Person’ who makes sure safety measures are followed and legal obligations are met.
A Responsible Person can be a business or an individual (including sole traders). A Responsible Person must have a UK established address to make cosmetic products available in GB. A UK established address does not include mail forwarding or PO box addresses.
A Responsible Person can be either:
- the manufacturer
- the importer
- the distributor, if they label the product as their own (for example, using their brand name)
- an appointed company or person (who is named by the manufacturer or the importer).
Making cosmetic products safe for users
Cosmetic products available to consumers in GB must be safe for human health. The Product Information File (PIF) contains information on how safe a cosmetic product is for human health. This is why it must be kept up to date. The PIF supports cosmetic product safety by providing:
- a safety assessment, which confirms a cosmetic product is safe and gives the scientific evidence to support this
- details on good manufacturing practice, which includes what has been done when manufacturing a cosmetic product to make sure it is safe
Making cosmetic products safe for users also covers how a cosmetic product is presented. It must:
- not be mistaken for food
- have clear labelling
- have instructions on use and disposal
Please copy & paste the link for the full information on the UK Cosmetics Law:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-cosmetic-products-available-to-consumers-in-great-britain
Now for the Second most important Question:
Is this a Hobby or a Business?...
Now you'd think this was an easy question to answer, as most people who dabble in Soap making especially, go oh no its just a hobby..... ha ha ha yeah right! soap making is not just a hobby its life itself, Believe me, i started as a hobby, but then it gets its claws into you and before you know it, you have to have a note book by the bed, because night time is when the best ideas come, and you will need to write them down, otherwise you'll be awake all night, then! you have make those ideas and bam! the airing cupboard is full, the chest of drawers are full, the kitchen table is full and your husband or wife will be saying enough is enough you need to sell some of these... and that's how the business comes about.
So heed the warning, once you start, you will never look back... Soap making is not a cheap hobby, especially these days, with the ingredients prices going up pretty much every 3 months, so you will need money in the bank to get you up and running even if it is just a hobby. Be prepared for no sleep, as the ideas start to happen, and then your up most of the night, either making just one more, because you need to see if it works or stock for a craft fair the following day, then you have to get up at the crack of dawn to label said stock.
Now the Third Most Important question, needs a section all to itself What Do I Need?.....