Brick Walls & Flaming Hoops: how to launch your fragrance

Next course dates: Tuesday 2 April & 4 June 2024

This course will be held online. 

Timing 11a.m. to 5p.m.

As an independent artisan perfumery, 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 and to share what we know.

We're also aware that we make running a perfumery look a bit too like all good fun and no hard work if  all your see is Instagram. 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.

We cover IFRA and cosmetics regulations, how they overlaps and where they are different. Mostly we concentrate on the pitfalls and obstacles (brick walls to climb over and flaming hoops to jump through) whether you intend to start making your own perfume, or to commission someone else to do this for you.

We will tell you how difficult it is, so you know this before you spend your time and savings on launching a brand and go into this well informed, and with your eyes wide open,

Part 1

• Regulations - how IFRA helps us deal with regulations: EU, UK, US and Asian varieties
• Using Perfumer's Little Helper for IFRA
• Shipping dangerous goods (this will not qualify you, but it will explain how to go about getting qualified)
• IP for perfumers
• Sourcing materials and their SDSs
• Legal labelling
• Pricing: what to consider
• Retail - large & small
• Manufacturing & distribution

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 and US ones, 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 to pay a qualified chemist to do for you.

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 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 and how to ship once you've got your certificates. (This course will not qualify you to ship dangerous goods.)

You meet others who are in the same boat, in a friendly atmosphere where we can share what we've learned, the mistakes we've made and the successes you've had. Indies and artisans are all facing the same issues, In the room we expect a good discussion and exchange of experiences.