SAFE TEAM TO HOST ETSY’S FIRST VIRTUAL SOAP SYMPOSIUM

“Everything you wanted to know about bath and body, but didn’t know you were supposed to ask!”

Etsy Virtual Labs - Starting March 16th, 5 pm Eastern

Is there really a root beer essential oil? Are preservatives really evil? Can a soap really eliminate cellulite, prevent acne and make my ex-boyfriend beg to have me back? Can I add real strawberries to my Strawberry Shortcake soap? What information needs to go on bath & body product labels? Why should I care?

Bath and body is currently one of the most popular categories on etsy – and for good reason! In a stress-filled world, nothing is nicer than treating yourself to a bar of handmade soap, lotion, balm, scrub or candle. It is one of the most economical and instantly gratifying ways of pampering one’s self! However, with hundreds of thousands of listings on etsy, and new sellers opening up every day, how can a person be sure that what they’re buying is safe, and that their product will actually do what it says it will do? How can a seller stand out in the crowd without making amazing claims?

The Soap Artisan Friends of Etsy (SAFE) Team is a group of soapers and bath & body makers committed to the very best manufacturing practices. While some are fairly new to the craft, many team members have been making soap, lotions, balms and other products for many years – some even for decades! And yet, even the “old pros” sometimes have a hard time wading through FDA labeling regulations and sorting through the often conflicting information regarding essential oils and other ingredients.

So this spring, the SAFE Team has invited the experts to weigh in on many of our biggest questions. Etsy’s first-ever Virtual Soap Symposium will take place on Monday evenings in the Virtual Labs and will feature many of the bath and body industry’s biggest names. Everyone is invited to attend, and there will be a question-and-answer session at the end of each presentation. Don’t miss out!

March Events:

Monday, March 16 - Labeling Your Products Properly. Marie Gale, President of the Handcrafter Soapmakers Guild and author of the book “Soap & Cosmetic Labeling,” will discuss how to label your soaps and bath & body products correctly – including when your soap is a cosmetic, and when your cosmetic becomes a drug according to FDA standards. Learn the rules and regulations that apply to your business, without wading through pages of technical information and legalese!

Monday, March 23 - Preservatives: When and How to Use Them. Kelly Bloom, owner of Southern Soapers supplies for soapmakers (voted Supplier of the year in 2007), will discuss when preservatives are necessary, what can happen if they aren’t used properly, and how to determine the best preservative for your bath or body product.

Monday, March 30 – Knowing Your Essential Oils: Kayla Fioravanti, Registered Aromatherapist and Chief Formulator for http://www.essentialwholesale.com/, will discuss the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils, which essential oils can be used safely on the skin and the different properties EOs can bring to a product, as well as how to know when an essential oil is NOT an essential oil!

For more information, contact Christina Seine, http://www.swanmountainsoaps.etsy.com/.