First step into business...

[soapswirl]

I sent my recipes away for my safety assessment today! For those of you outside the EU, completion of this (alongside a whole host of other paperwork!) means that I will be able to begin to be able to sell my soaps!

My plan for summer holidays now is to work on my branding, packaging, website etc so that I am ready to sell in the autumn and run up to Christmas.

Any advice or words of wisdom for starting out would be most welcome! I'm excited but aware I have a lot of hard work ahead of me...

 

[Dorymae]

Write a business plan, it is a pain but it helps.

 

[not_ally]

Write a business plan, it is a pain but it helps.

It is and it does.

Soapswirl, your soaps are looking really good! I have been kind of watching you go along, it has been fun to see the journey.

 

[biarine]

Congrats and keep up the good works x

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Congratulations! Which assessor did you go with in the end?

 

[soapswirl]

Thank you
I'm going with scott grainger at cosmetic safety assessment uk. 8 variations on one base recipe. I'll try to keep you all up to date with the process in case its useful for any other EU soapers!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I'll be going with Scott when I am that far down the line. Out of interest, do you know how variable those variations can be? For example, would a mixed lye shaving soap and a pure KOH shaving soap be a variation or a different recipe?

 

[soapswirl]

I think those would be different recipes, variations i think means things you add to your basic recipe e.g. scents or colours. But the best thing to do would be to email them to ask - they were pretty helpful when i was enquiring!

 

[Lindy]

I think (& remember I'm not in the UK but I am on a forum that is) that you can list all the essential oils you are going to use all the additives including milks that you plan to use but the recipe itself insofar as the oils and lyes must remain constant. Scott is a really, really generous man.

 

[soapswirl]

My safety assessment came back today!!
So I now have a range of 8 soaps which (subject to some further form filling) I will be legally able to sell in the EU!
To be honest going through the safety assessment was easier than I thought it would be. It's been something I was nervous about for a while, but really I just had to give a very detailed description of my recipes, and of course pay the fees. One step closer to starting my soaping empire

 

[cmzaha]

Congratulations :clap:

 

[BWsoaps]

Regarding the safety assessment.

I've just looked in to getting one done in the UK, Prices start at £179 for one simple, anhydrous base recipe and upto 6 variations to that recipe (colours, fragrance and other additions). Each variation is a max of 5 ingredients.

But I'm confused
(1) does this mean I get 6 variations on only scent and my base soap (olive/coconut) stays the same?
(2) is that a good price?

Regards Liam

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You need to check with the assessor about how varied the variations can be. As for price, it seems okay, not massively over or under what I have seen.

Do you currently sell in the eu at all?

 

[BWsoaps]

No. I don't sell it at all yet.

Hence the reason I need a test done.

Then I'll need to get liability insurance and register my products to the EU.

And finally join the guild of soap and toiletries.

I know the script

Soap swirl if you don't mind me asking how much did it cost you for an 8 bar safety test?

 

[soapswirl]

It was £179 for 8 variations - from cosmetic safety assessment UK. This is the best value that I could find in the UK! They were also very helpful with questions.
Regards to the variations - yes your base recipe stays the same and your variations can be additives only - scents, colours, exfoliants etc.

 

[not_ally]

Wow, that is quite a bit. So if you wanted a small-ish line of different soaps (eg, basic, salt, facial, added butter) it costs @720E just to get started. I would hate spending the money, but I bet it ensures that there are fewer crazies running around insisting there is no lye in their soaps

 

[soapswirl]

Yes it does make it a big commitment to begin selling here. Hence why I am starting so very small! But you're right it does mean people have to know what they're doing before being set loose on the general public!

 

[BWsoaps]

Thank you, Fantastic news, I will have to contact them as I was going to pay the same price for only 6 recipes.

You know I've always wondered what's the score in the USA. They seem to make CP soap a lot more than in the UK.

Anyone know if they have to have a safety test also?

 

[not_ally]

There is one, BW, soap is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). But it pretty much wholly deals w/ labeling (ie; no testing is required on anything if it does not fall into the drug category) and practitioners are not carefully monitored/enforced.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye, we are lucky in that we can make cosmetic claims as our soaps are classed as cosmetics. Drugs claims, such as a bar curing eczema and so on, is still very dodgy ground though.