Registering each new recipe with a chemist?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

asoapenthusiast

New Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2017
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Hi there,

I am just at the very beginning of starting my soap making business. I am going to rejoin a Craft Cooperative and I would like to make natural soaps. I am based in the UK and I have just been told by someone that I would have to register each new recipe with a chemist and get it approved before I am allowed to sell it. Please can you tell me whether that is true? I would love to follow the "Pure Soapmaking" Book by Anne-Marie Faiola, as I love the look of her soaps. If I would have to register each new soap I am planning to make I am worried that would kill any creativity. Help!!!

All the best, asopenthusiast
 
Yes, that is essentially correct -- but I'm in the US and don't know all the particulars.

If you have not made soap at all, I strongly recommend you don't start your business too soon -- you need to gain experience before you sell. Give your soap away to friends and family, become experienced at the process of making and curing soap, and refine your techniques as you learn what works and what doesn't.

Check the "General Business Forum" here and read up on the reality of running a bath and body business. In particular, here's a good thread: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=16002
 
DeeAnna is right. And if you're posting in the beginner section then a business is the last thing you should be looking at.

In the UK you have the cosmetic rules to follow, plus the UK specific from trading standards. While the cosmetic rules are eu laws, I don't see the UK changing them post brexit.
 
Indeed. A rush to bring a sub-standard product to market will hurt the industry as a whole. In a nutshell, do you really believe the best recipes and techniques can be found in a book or online? I spent a lot of time, energy and money to perfect my own recipe, so why would I post it online for free? If you are serious about starting a soap business start by learning the fundamentals of soap making and formulation.
 
"...If I would have to register each new soap I am planning to make I am worried that would kill any creativity...."

I think, from what I see from Canadian, UK, and EU soap makers, that the requirement for safety assessment can be a bit limiting if you're selling, because you need to define the recipe, go through the assessment process, and then stick to that recipe for the product you sell. My understanding is you can make any kind of soap you want for personal use or gifts, however -- just you can't legally sell it without an assessment. So there's no limit to creativity as long as you don't sell.

I think that the assessment process forces soapers to develop a high quality product for sale, rather than do what many soapers do here in the US -- rush into producing and selling soap without a decent understanding of how to make GOOD soap.

In the US, we don't have nearly as many regulations to deal with as y'all do, but now that I've been making soap for about 4 years, my interest in trying all sorts of recipes is not as keen as it used to be. I know what blends of fats make the kinds of soap I like best, and I tend to stick with them fairly closely. What has blossomed for me is the use of color and fragrance in the soaps. A soap maker can create a wide variety of decorative effects with a given set of colorants. I think there's a lot of room for creativity there, even if a person is limited to using a fixed recipe.
 
Just tried to post a reply and it disappeared- not sure where to... As I said, I'm new at this... So I'll try again: just to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to answer my question. It was very helpful and a real eye opener. I can see now that I have been very naive and it will be a much longer process of discovery and trial and error before I can even think of selling. Looking forward to this exciting journey.
 
Back
Top