Reddit reviews Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters
We found 3 Reddit comments about Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Congratulations on starting a online store! I'm just getting into it and there's so many options for soap, with different oils, and fragrances. I've been reading this book as suggested by SoapQueen and it's been really helpful to get my brain to slow down and write down everything in the process.
You might want to also post on /r/Indiemakeupandmore.
I believe beard oil is considered a cosmetic, so you'll need to follow practices as such. I highly recommend two books by Marie Gale.
Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English
https://www.amazon.com/Soap-Cosmetic-Labeling-Explained-English/dp/0979594561
Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Manufacturing-Practices-Cosmetic-Handcrafters/dp/0979594545
It's also highly recommend to carry liability insurance. Indie Business Network offers $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 plans. You may also find better rates through your own searches.
You should do it! I just launched a cosmetics business this year, but I first got the idea way back in 2008, when I first learned about indie makeup. I thought I was too busy with school, but now I realize if I'd started working on it back then, even just a few hours per week, my business would be further along today.
Your first steps are writing a business plan, developing your products, and learning about FD&C cosmetic regulations, so you can sell your products legally. For the last step, I recommend these 2 books: Soap & Cosmetic Labeling and Good Manufacturing Practices by Marie Gale. Some people have mentioned liability issues, you can get liability insurance relatively inexpensively if you join a trade association for small businesses (for example HSCG) and purchase it through them.
You also mentioned buying and reselling products from other brands. I used to work as a buyer for a cosmetic retailer, and I can tell you, it's not easy. In order to get wholesale prices, brands need to approve you as a retailer. And beauty brands, especially popular brands are very selective about who they allow to retail their products. You'll also need to meet their MOQ's (minimum order quantities) which are sometimes thousands of dollars. If you take this route, you'll probably have to start by sourcing small indie brands, and then work your way up to the bigger brands as you gain credibility.