hi, im completely new to soap making and wondering about recommendations for suppliers with best prices and where i can get everything i need in 1 shop. cheers!
You're in the UK so first things first, you'll want to read up on the requirements for soap making and selling in the UK/EU; I added the EU since the laws still apply. You'll need to be licensed, your recipes will need to be 'assessed' which includes your base recipe, colorants and scents.
Go to YouTube and look up "I Dream In Soap", "Future Primitive Soap" and "Edens Secrets 1"...these UK ladies often list where they purchase their supplies and equipment in their videos and in the descriptions of their videos.
I'm in the US...I purchase my Olive, Avocado and Coconut Oils from Costco; Cocoa, Shea, Mango and Kokum Butters from Shay and Company, plus Sodium Lactate, Castor Oil and Sodium Hydroxide. Colorants (micas, pigments, clays, etc) and Scents (fragrance and essential oils) I purchase from multiply supplies like BrambleBerry, Elements Bath & Body, Rustic Escentuals, BeScented, and Nurture Soap.
While most reliable/reputable (very important) can be a one-stop-shop as far as being able to purchase everything you need (I started with BrambleBerry), they don't carry everything as there is a huge range of Oils, Butters, Colorants and Scents available to choose from. Along with price points, shipping is also another consideration...which means finding a balance between the two of them. As an example, Shay and Company's Cocoa Butter is a bit on the high side in comparison with RE and BB, but it's offset by the cost of their Shea Butter...plus I'm not paying for shipping.