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.

Come to 4160Tuesdays to find out about:

• Regulations - how IFRA helps us deal with IFRA EU, UK, US and Asian varieties
• Shipping
• Reality

Wednesday 9th October & Friday 1st November

Sessions 10 - 1, 2.30 - 5 + discussion 

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. It's 95% admin and 5% perfumery and it's best to know the realities before you commit to it.

We shall be making some of the more difficult to obtain professional materials - essential oils and synthetics - available to buy in small quantities.

Led by Sarah McCartney, the perfumer and public face of 4160Tuesdays and her long time collaborator, regulations manager and training expert, Triona Tierney. Before 4160Tuesdays, Sarah and Triona both taught post-graduate business courses at London universities and will share this knowledge,  as well as perfume technicalities. 

Morning: Being legal.

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, 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.

Thursday afternoon: Your formulas.

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 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. We show you some real formulas and what to change in order to make them compliant. 

Extra Bonus: 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.

Cancellation: As with all our workshops, if you cancel outside 30 days, we will refund you; if you cancel 14-30 days beforehand we will transfer you to another session. If you cancel within 14 days, we will aim to sell your place for you, or you can send someone else.