Does membership cost a lot?

The short answer is no. Joining the EU Soap Quality System (SQS) costs less than you might think. Especially when you consider the costs of not being a member. As an individual soap maker, arranging all processes in such a way that you comply with the ever-stricter regulation is a costly and time-consuming affair.

If you want to handle everything yourself, you’ll have to earn the right qualifications, put together a product dossier, perform a risk analysis, check whether your production area complies, make sure that you’re using the right production methods and ensure that your labels are accurate. All of this before confirming that the allergenic substances in the recipes you’ve compiled fall within permissible margins.

Outsourcing these tasks involves finding someone who is willing and qualified, usually a pharmacist. This person must agree to assume responsibility for your soap and normally charges € 1,000 to € 1,500 per recipe. Then, you must hope that regulations for the ingredients that you’ve used do not change. If this happens, you’ll have to modify the recipe in question and again contact your pharmacist for verification of your findings, after which you can expect to receive another bill.

If you – as a traditional soap maker – join the soap quality system, most of the work gets done for you. The SQS has developed a system whereby every member of the system can comply with all requirements at a low price. On top of that, you’ll be able to offer your customers creative products with peace of mind. Products that aren’t just top-quality, but are also safe for use by consumers and will not harm the environment.

We offer three different memberships that will ensure that everything is up-to-date:

1. extruder soap / liquid soap / bath salts / moulded soap;
2. soap production using only the ‘Cold Process’ method;
3. production of all of the abovementioned.

(For the most current membership fees, go to https://sqseurope.com/prijzen/)

SQS membership fees can be paid on a monthly or annual basis. Membership also includes a number of unique benefits:

> we assume responsibility for your soapmaking admin tasks (after all, you’re a soap maker and not an accountant);

> free access to the exclusive Labelmaker software (print your own labels, complete with all ingredients);

> free access to a million plus certified, top-quality recipes;

> priority when it comes to supply;

> free training, including official / personal certification;

> priority when it comes to support.