Help! Please!

[Elliemo]

Hi - I have been making bath bombs for a while and was thinking of attempting a craft fair with them.
Can anyone help me with this please?
I use ingredients that are precertified - what else do I have to do? Do I need to become a business or can this just be an occassional thing?
I have read on here about insurance - HELP!
As bath bombs is a small product for a whole stall - I was thinking of getting some pre-made soap supplies too - is certification here my liability or the companies they come from?
Thanks
Ellie!

[beadsbydesign]

We have several forum members who handmake soaps etc. i am sure that they will be able to assist you on the product safety angle / certification etc.

If you are in the uk and are trading (selling for money or other (including vouchers or products) then you need to register as self employed with the inland revenue. It doesn't matter if you only do a couple of shows a year... you still have to register. You have up to three months form the date you commenced trading to notify them. You will need to be able to provide evidence of your income and outgoings so keep all receipts etc.

If you are thinking of buying in products then you may want to consider the implications. There has recently been a lot of unrest regarding craft fairs etc and readymades (bought in products) Why not look at making your own soaps etc. decorative packaging example baskets with celephane wrapping and tissue etc in different sizes as gift packages. You could also put together make your own bath bomb kits etc.
By handmaking all your products, you will have greater credibility. You may also be refused entry from some craft fairs. My local farmers market has a really strict policy about every single item being handmade. It might sound petty, but as long as you want to be respected as a crafter then going down the completely my work path makes a lot of sense!!!

Good luck with your venture!!!

[just_mai]

Every product that you sell, needs to be certified, if you make pre certified bath bombs you need all the mds data, of all the products that you use, and the safety certificate and you can’t make variations of the bath bombs and sell them, i.e. you can only use the colours, fragrances, and botanicals that the bath bombs are certified for.

You also need a Product information file, this is a file that contains all the details on the product, including the mds information, you need to batch number them and log them as well. This file also has to contain any customer complaints.

If you decided to make your own bath bombs etc then getting certified is quite straight forward if you know where to go and get it done, it can be costly depending on how many products you want and how the safety advisor words the certificate for you. Luckily there are some good labs out there that will give you a range or products under one certificate covering all colours, fragrances and botanicals that you may use in your products, as long as they all have same ingredients and percentages listed on the certificate.

As for insurance, you need product liability insurance and you can only really get this with a safety certificate.

[DivaP]

Hi Ellie,

If you have purchased a Pre certified package then you can sell your products, the ingredients themselves are not certified, only the final made product. You will also need to write a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice document), a PIF (Product Information File) for each product and record Batch No.s Your labelling will have to adhere to EU regulations too. Search the Governments DTI web page for more information.

If you are buying readymade soap then, it is the manufacturers responsibility to provide you with the correct labelling.

I would recommend Public and Product liability insurance. I have mine through Ian Wallace.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you want any help to find any information about certification. Honestly, it's not as scary or as expensive as it sounds

[astleysoapco]

Ok,... we have a problem. everyone thinks that just buying a Pre certified package means that you can sell you products. However this is not the case. To sell all cosmetic products in the EU you need to have insurance. Insurance dosen't cost that much and starts from about £130. You dont really need insurance, but the way the EU and expecially the UK is today you will 99% need it.

Just imagine someone used a bar of handmade soap that you made or a lip balm. They could come out in spots with the soap and the lip balm could stain there lips. The product that you selling might not do waht it says. Or if the product contains a silky base or texture then someone might slip if there using it in the shower. These all need to be taken into consideration.

Insurance is needed. Just imagine someone taking the company to court and then you have to pay all the court fees. That wouldnt be nice.


James