I'm new to soap making. Where should I start?

Start with melt and pour soap. The base is already made, so there is no lye to handle: you melt it, add color and fragrance, and pour. Our How to Make Melt & Pour Soap guide and Basic Melt and Pour Soap Recipe for Beginners walk you through your first batch. When you are ready for cold process soap, use our Lye Calculator to work out your lye and water.

Are the guides and recipes free?

Yes. Every guide, recipe, business article and label design in the Resource Hub is free to read and use, with no account needed. Each recipe lists the ingredients and supplies you need, so you can make it at home or scale it up for your shop.

What do I need on a soap or cosmetic label?

It depends on whether your product is true soap or a cosmetic. True soap, made mainly from oils and lye and sold only for cleaning, needs the product name, net weight, and your business name and location. Cosmetics, which include most melt and pour soaps, lotions and scrubs, also need an ingredient list in descending order of predominance and any required warnings. Our Melt & Pour Soap Labeling Requirements guide covers each element.

Do I need FDA approval to sell handmade cosmetics?

No. Cosmetics and their ingredients do not need FDA approval before they are sold, except for color additives, which must be approved for their intended use. You are still responsible for making safe products and labeling them correctly. Many small businesses are exempt from FDA facility registration and product listing, but some products, such as those used around the eyes, are not. Check your state and local rules as well.

Where can I find the soap and cosmetic calculators?

All of our free calculators and charts live on the Calculators Hub, including the Lye, Batch, Fragrance, Percentage and HLB calculators and our INCI and oil property charts. You will also find quick links to each calculator near the bottom of this page.

Soap & Cosmetic Making Resource Hub

Whether you are pouring your first bar of melt and pour soap or getting ready to sell at your next craft show, the Resource Hub puts our best guides in one place. Start with step-by-step beginner tutorials, browse recipes for soap, lotion and scrubs, learn what belongs on a soap or cosmetic label, and pick up pricing and selling tips for your handmade business. Every guide and recipe here is free.

Whether you are pouring your first bar of melt and pour soap or getting ready to sell at your nex...

Whether you are pouring your first bar of melt and pour soap or getting ready to sell at your next craft show, the Resource Hub puts our best guides in one place. Start with step-by-step beginner tutorials, browse recipes for soap, lotion and scrubs, learn what belongs on a soap or cosmetic label, and pick up pricing and selling tips for your handmade business. Every guide and recipe here is free.