Glossary of (UK) Soap Business Related Abbreviations

This blog post has been inspired by one of the lovely ladies inside the Soap Suite who has asked for a quick guide to all the jargon that surrounds soap businesses.

Like most industries, soap making does have it's fair share of abbreviations and so this glossary relates to all those that tend to be used by the business side of things. For a more general glossary of soap making terms take a look at THIS blog. 

CAS - unique identification number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to individual compounds.

CI number - Colour Index number, a unique identifier for the colours used in micas and other colourants. Some can have multiple CI numbers within the same product.

CLP - Classification, Labelling & Packaging. CLP Regulations state that products with hazardous substances must be labelled accordingly in the EU including the UK. This applies to dog grooming products including soap created and marketed for dogs.

CPSR - Cosmetic Product Safety Report. Assessment created by a cosmetic chemist stating the make up of a cosmetic product and confirms that it is compliant and safe for use.

GMP - Good Manufacturing Practice. A document detailing  all aspects of your manufacturing process. ie where you will make your soap, where and how raw materials and packaging will be stored, use of suitable equipment, waste disposal, how you ensure your finished product is of the correct weight and quality (not an exhaustive list)

IFRA -  International Fragrance Association. global body representing the fragrance industry. Promotes the safe use of fragrances through regulation.

OPSS - Office for Product Safety and Standards. The team who manage the government portal where details of cosmetic products available on the market must be uploaded.

PIF - Product Information File. A collection of documents relating to cosmetic products available on the market. Will consist of a front sheet for describing your product and briefly how it is made etc and then all other documents and correspondence such as SDS, allergen declarations, batch records, CPSR,  correspondence with your assessor(not an exhaustive list)

RP - Responsible person. the person who is responsible for ensuring the regulations are adhered to and the relevant products are uploaded to the government portal. 

SDS - Safety Data Sheet  A document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. All of the raw materials for your soap making will have an SDS except food grade products purchased in supermarkets etc. 

I hope this has been helpful. Do let me know if you have any others you would like to see included.