Cost of assessment

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Happysoap

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Hi everyone,
I have recently relocated to the Netherlands from outside EU. I would like to continue to sell my soap. I know there are EU regulations I need to meet and follow. Has anyone gone through this process recently? I ahve one recipe that I use. Frangrances and mica colors change. What are the rough costs of setting up a one recipe operation?
 
I am in the Netherlands. I have looked at the requirements but still can't put my finger on how much it would cost? I don't want to start the process and then run into budget issues.
 
I am in the Netherlands. I have looked at the requirements but still can't put my finger on how much it would cost? I don't want to start the process and then run into budget issues.
Between 150-400 EU depending on the number of ingredients in your base recipe.

Your base recipe can contain up to ten ingredients. The eight variations / end products can include up to five additional ingredients each – examples of this may be scent, colour, shimmer ingredients etc.

What this means is that you would have to be careful to pick a M&P base that does not exceed ten ingredients. I am not familiar enough with the process to know if that is just your base oils or if that includes Distilled Water and Sodium Hydroxide or if the Titanium Dioxide used to create a 'white' base is included in the base or if it is considered one of the five additional ingredients. In my quick research, I did see a couple of companies that sell pre-assessed M&P bases...I don't know if that is pre-made base or a recipe.

I do know that each Assessment would limit you to just eight soaps, or rather eight scents from watching Lisa at "I Dream in Soap". She is careful to use base colorants that can be mixed into a variety of different colors, shades and hues to come up with different designs for each scent. And she picks general fragrances because of that restriction.
 
Oh I was expecting it to be more than 150-400EUR. Still, not cheap for a small homemade business/hobby.

I have my own CP base recipe. I generally switch out the fregrances and colorants which I use at same percentages. Eight fragrances for me is more than enought. I like making colorful soaps and soap dough elements. For me the bigger issue is the use of colors than fragrances. What is the limitation on micas?

As far as MP, I don't use it as part of the base. Just things like embeds, top decorations, things like that. I guess that would also require a separate assessment.
 
Oh I was expecting it to be more than 150-400EUR. Still, not cheap for a small homemade business/hobby.

I have my own CP base recipe. I generally switch out the fregrances and colorants which I use at same percentages. Eight fragrances for me is more than enought. I like making colorful soaps and soap dough elements. For me the bigger issue is the use of colors than fragrances. What is the limitation on micas?

As far as MP, I don't use it as part of the base. Just things like embeds, top decorations, things like that. I guess that would also require a separate assessment.
Micas - First it would have to be one that is approved. I know that there are some colorants that we use here in the US that are not allowed in the UK/EU and Australia. The second would be...'five additional ingredients' so if you are using a FO, then you would be allowed up to four colorants.

It would cost prohibitive for me to be a soap maker in the UK/EU. My base recipe has six oils/butters plus my Lye Solution for a total of eight ingredients so I would be close to 400EU. I also sell around 18 different fragrances so that's around 1200EU to have them approved. Then two of my most popular soaps I would not be allowed to sell because they exceed the 'five additional ingredients'. I add Sodium Lactate and Kaolin Clay to all my soap, plus scent would leave me with only two adds. My Chocolate Expresso uses a Brown Mica, Brown Oxide, TD and Cocoa. My Barbershop 1920s use Red, Blue and White. And I'm always changing my offerings...while I stock a dozen 'go-to' scents, I mix up the other six. And then there is that in addition to my Regular Soap, I make Goat Milk Soap and a Mechanic's Soap and so I would easily be looking at 3000EU in Assessments.

I would image so. I know of three soap makers in the UK and only one uses M&P embeds and she is grandfather'd in. Lisa w/I Dream in Soap only uses CP soap.
 
....plus any other bath and body products you want to sell. PLUS any general restrictions on running a business, like Germany apparently needing a totally separate kitchen than your family one. Or how until the last few years here in Austria you would only get a license for running a cosmetics company if you had a degree in chemistry and the like, or many years working in the industry.
 

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