Brick Walls & Flaming Hoops: how to comply with current regulations

We're asked all the time about how to launch a fragrance into an industry dominated by a handful of multinationals, so we decided to answer everyone's questions at once.

We will tell you how difficult it is, so you know this before you spend your life's savings jumping in, then find out your products will all be confiscated.

Zoom in to 4160Tuesdays to find out about:

• Regulations - how IFRA helps us deal with IFRA EU, UK, US and Asian varieties
• Shipping
• Costing
• IP for perfumers
• Reality and Retail 
• PR & Social media 

You're faced with brick walls in every direction, and the regulatory equivalent of jumping through flaming hoops.

So we decided to share what we know. We're also aware that we make it look a bit too like all good fun and no hard work. Running a perfume brand  is 95% admin and 5% perfumery with a lot of maths, so it's best to know the realities before you commit to it.

Led by Sarah McCartney, 4160Tuesdays' artisan perfumer and founder.

There is a big jump to take when you go from blends-for-friends to selling legally. Perfume isn't like other creative arts. You can't just make it and take it to the local community market.

We cover what you need to do to sell fragrance legally: labelling, good manufacturing practice, the EU portal (and the new UK one, batch records, stability testing, your Product Information File, how to get a Cosmetics Safety Report and more: what can you do yourself and what you need a qualified chemist to do for you.

The 2013 EU cosmetics regulations team was led by a British dermatologist who believes all perfume (especially naturals) should be banned. Now we're having to deal with the results, and the EU regulations stand, and have been copied and pasted straight into UK law where we can expect some extra ones to be added, now that we'll probably be under the control of the man who gave us the EU ones.

Whether you're making your own or working with a perfumer, you need to know that your own formula complies with safety regulations. We look at 21st century formulating and complying with IFRA: what's legal and what's banned. You'll probably be surprised.

Shipping regulations.

It is illegal to put perfume in the ordinary post without the right labelling, and there are restrictions. It's also illegal and hazardous to ship it overseas without being properly qualified and knowing how to pack it to comply with shipping regulations. We can tell you how to go about getting qualified (like us) and how to ship once you've got your certificates.

We also cover:

Intellectual property in perfumery. 

Can you really make a living from this?

Calculations you need to make, the costs of getting started, and prices that retailers expect to pay.

How to set the right price for your perfumes.

How will customers know you're there?

PR, social media and online retail.

You meet others who are in the same boat, in a friendly "room" where we can share what we've learned, the mistakes you've made and the successes you've had. Indies and artisans are all facing the same issues, and united we stand.

Plus you get to stay at home.