# very small



## gymstud (Feb 7, 2014)

Do i need to worry about getting my soap tested 
If im just selling a few bars of soap on ebay


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## shunt2011 (Feb 7, 2014)

It depends on where you live as to needing to have them tested.  I'm assuming you've made soap long enough to know how it performs/lasts if your are sellng them.  If testing is required where you live then I would suggest doing so to be in compliance all regulations.  You also need to make sure you have your sales tax requirements and insurance.


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## gymstud (Feb 7, 2014)

Thanks for repling shunt
Im just starting out so no not long enought 
Im in the uk
What do you mean by sales tax requirements 
And what kind of insurance do i need


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 7, 2014)

Okay, if you're actually selling soap to customers in the UK or Europe *STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW!*

Selling soap in the EU is subject to a lot of regulations.  I suggest as the barest minimum you check out this thread - http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=41483

In the mean time, I strongly suggest that you close up shop until you're compliant or you could be hit hard if you're found out.


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## gymstud (Feb 7, 2014)

Not sold anything yet ive only made two batches
Thats why im asking i read your opening post in the e.u regulations thread it looks scary
Ill not sell any till ive done what i need 
I just thought sell a small number if bars like 10 a month would do no harm but its not worth getting fined


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 8, 2014)

gymstud said:


> ...........I just thought sell a small number if bars like 10 a month would do no harm but its not worth getting fined



It's not about how many you sell, it's about whether or not the soap itself actually does do harm.  It's like saying "I don't have a driving license, but I'm only driving down to the shops and back.............."

I didn't want to be insulting, but it is a very important subject and I'd hate to see someone get injured or a fellow soaper get in to trouble.

One of the good things with the whole process is that it does ensure a certain level in the EU homemade soap as the recipes are all checked to make sure they're okay.


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## gymstud (Feb 8, 2014)

Any idea how much it will cost to get a recipie safty checked?


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## Saponista (Feb 8, 2014)

I just got a quote for one anhydrous base recipe with six variations for £179.


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## gymstud (Feb 8, 2014)

And is that all you need to sell the soap 
Please


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## Saponista (Feb 8, 2014)

No, you need correct labelling, trading standards approved scales, product liability insurance in case someone has an allergic reaction and sues you. Correct weigh labelling and best before dates on the products and a whole load of other things that I haven't worked out yet.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 9, 2014)

Stud, seriously, read the other thread.  Plus, a simple Google produces 

http://www.cosmeticsafetyassessment.com/ - a very popular company that can consult on these things as well as 

http://www.bakewellsoap.co.uk/sudslawlegalities.html which gives a really good overview of what is required.

If you are really serious about selling, do some serious googling and some serious reading up


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## Lindy (Feb 9, 2014)

Totally agree with the Gentleman.  In the EU you have some very serious legislation to follow unlike the US where as long as it's called soap they don't even have to disclose the ingredients.


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## gymstud (Feb 9, 2014)

Traiding standards aproved scales sounds expensive
Labeling doesnt dound that scary
Insurance sounds expencive
All in you cant do this small scale
I could maybe spend 180 pn my safty cirt as a birthday present to my self
Maybe even the scales insurance might be a staw to mutch
Any idea on cost of insurance


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## Lindy (Feb 9, 2014)

If you want to sell soap or any other cosmetic in the EU you have to be really serious about it because it's not cheap, but it is necessary.

 I can't help with insurance costs as I am not there...


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 9, 2014)

Depends on what you mean by small scale!

I still suggest contacting the first company that I listed above and see what they say, especially around the costs of it and also it makes sure that it is information based on your situation, not the situation from someone else


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## gymstud (Feb 9, 2014)

I sent them a email after reading your thread
They have not replyied yet 
When i worked out i could probably make £ 1-2 a bar with next to no start up cost i was so happy
Looks like not being set up any cheaper than £500


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## Lin (Feb 9, 2014)

No such thing as next to no start up cost.... Regardless of the product. I'm looking into starting to sell my body care products outside of friends/family/word of mouth, and its going to cost a lot of money just to get started. If I do so, quite a lot of time will be making back the startup costs and pulling even on supplies before any sort of profit is made. And thats much LESS complicated and expensive than if I was in the EU selling. I'd like to add soap to it once I'm ready, but doing the research it seems like I'll never be ready.


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## gymstud (Feb 9, 2014)

Im roughtly upto 600 to be meet legal requiremnts
Making bars or soap my price per bar is really cheap 
And i already had everything
All im thinking now is how do i even know if soap will sell befire i invest?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 10, 2014)

You make a load of soap and give it to people for a while before you sell!

As I said in the other thread, I am looking in to this so that I can tell if it is even possible for me to meet the legal requirements at the moment.  I am not thinking of selling a bar to someone for a very long time indeed.

But I know that this EU process will take time to understand and get the things aligned properly, so I'm getting that sorted while working on recipes and so on.  A good long time of making soap, giving it to people and getting feedback, going back to the drawing board and redoing it, finding out what people want.

Then I'll take these recipes and get them signed off for selling!  I think I would never get a new soap signed off with out having first tested the market a little to see if people love or hate it.  For example, I made a lovely soap and used Rosemary & Thyme EOs.  In the combination, I don't actually like how it works together to be honest!  So if I had got that recipe signed off thinking it would sell, I could then be out of pocket when it turns out a little bit different to how I imagined it.


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## gymstud (Feb 10, 2014)

This is a no half messures situation really


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 10, 2014)

Not really - although once the recipe is signed off you can use it (unchanged, of course) no worries.  So if you get 1 recipe signed off and sell it for the next 10 years, even if it sells very badly it can still make the costs back.

But of course you need to be selling enough to cover costs of insurance and so on, too.


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## Saponista (Feb 10, 2014)

I had a similar situation with a blend if tea tree and some other essential oils, it smelled ok at first bit after it had cured I hated it, it smelt awful.


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