Hi, my name's Sharon and I'm from Bristol.  I'm very new to all this and have just started making balms and body butters.  I'm very excited and would love to sell them  - but really don't know where to start !

What comes first ?  Packaging and labels...safety assessments..website  ?  I keep reading more and more and going round in circles as I try to decide what order to address these things and the best way to proceed !

Can anyone offer me any advice ?  I'm sorry if this has been covered elsewhere on the forums.  If you could point me in the right direction that would be great !

Thanks for all the fantastic information I've seen on the site so far..

Hello Sharon, welcom to the forum (liking your username BTW).

If you feel confident with your recipes then the first thing to do is obtain an SA.

Take a look at

http://www.cosmeticsafetyassessment.com/index.php?p=1_23

(there are other assessors - but you'll find a resounding endorsement for this particualr one from many of the forum members)

It can be upgraded with some of your own choice of ingredients at a later date.

Then packaging and labels.

Then decided how you're going to sell.

If you feel you'd like others than family and friends to test your products and give objective comments then you'll find willing testers on the forum.

Enjoy the obsession!!

I agree with EJ

and welcome

 :buttrf: Hi Sharon and welcome! I heartily endorse EJ's comments - especially regarding the safety assessments!

Remember - no question is a daft question!

Oh, and we like to see pix...............lots of pix..........

Welcome Sharon :buttrf:

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys....and EJ, great advice, thank you so much.  I feel like I at least have a plan now..

I'll try and sort out those pix, Menolly !

Sharon, you'll find us asking for them every time you make a new product 

We all looove to look at pretty soaps/bath bombs/butters/you-name-its! :buttrf:


Memo to self: Get the camera out - you've been making soap this week

Hello and welcome... :buttrf:

Hi Sharon,

A warm welcome to the forum.

Aw... you sound like you have been driving yourself nuts trying to get going.  If you have got a few products that you have been working on and are happy with the forumulations, like EJ said, the get your SA sorted, labels and, when you are ready to push the products out, some insurance.  Once all that is in place, you can then probably tuck into what routes you are going to take to sell them.

There's a lot of info around the forum and some boards you can't see just yet, but keep posting because the more you do, the more you will see 

Good luck and I look forward to hearing about your journey around the forum  :buttrf:

Hello  :buttrf:

I Sharon and welcome!  :buttrf:

Hello  :buttrf:

Hi Sharon! You definitely came to the right place - these guys sorted me out in no time!

HI sharon , The road to selling can be a long and frustrating one . But we are here to help. As a recent user of Cosmetic safety assesments I can say Scott and Rache are just fab and will help you, Other things such as labels , insurance and selling will come in time.

Welcome to to our little sanctuary. They are all fab on here.

Hello and welcome. I can't really add to what has been said, and agree with the above. You will find plenty of information on the forum, but there is usually someone about with the answer.