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Selling handmade soap to the EU: the rules most makers miss

By Karim El Achaq, founder of EUReady · Last updated: 6 July 2026

Key facts

In the EU, soap is legally a cosmetic: the full Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 applies to a bar of cold-process soap exactly as to a luxury cream.
There is no craft, small-batch or natural-ingredients exemption.
Before its first EU sale, each recipe needs a safety assessment (CPSR), CPNP notification, an EU Responsible Person, and full INCI labelling with allergens and batch number.
Since December 2024 the GPSR adds listing requirements on top, in the buyer's language.

Here is the fact that surprises most soap makers: in the EU, soap is legally a cosmetic. The full Cosmetics Regulation applies to a bar of cold-process soap exactly as it applies to a luxury face cream. There is no craft exemption, no small-batch exemption and no natural-ingredients exemption.

Since December 2024 the GPSR adds general listing requirements on top. Together, the two texts define precisely what an EU customer must be able to see on your Shopify product page before buying your soap.

What every handmade soap listing must show under GPSR

Since 13 December 2024, the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 sets rules for products sold online to EU consumers. Article 19 is the part that hits your product pages directly: every online listing must display, before purchase, the following information.

Manufacturer identity: the name (or trade name) of the manufacturer, a postal address and an electronic address (email). If you make the products yourself under your own brand, that is you.
EU responsible person: if the manufacturer is not established in the EU, the name and contact details of the responsible economic operator located inside the EU.
Product identification: enough information to identify the product, such as a picture, the product type and any batch or serial reference.
Warnings and safety information: in a language easily understood by consumers of the country you sell to, not only in English.

The same information also has to travel with the physical product (on the item, its packaging or an accompanying document), so your labels and your Shopify pages need to match.

What does EU law require for handmade soap?

EU law treats handmade soap as a cosmetic, so it demands a safety report, a portal notification, an EU Responsible Person and full ingredient labelling before the first sale. The requirements in detail:

Safety assessment (CPSR): every recipe needs a Cosmetic Product Safety Report from a qualified assessor before its first EU sale. Assessors typically charge per recipe, not per batch.
CPNP notification: each product notified in the EU portal before sale.
EU Responsible Person: mandatory. If your soap business is outside the EU, you must appoint one inside the EU and put their name and address on the label.
INCI labelling: full ingredient list in INCI nomenclature, including fragrance allergens above threshold (for example limonene, linalool, coumarin).
Batch number and durability: batch traceability plus best-before date or period-after-opening symbol.

What must the soap product page show?

Your listing should show the brand behind the product with a postal and electronic address, the EU Responsible Person, the INCI list and any precautions for use, in a language the buyer understands. German and French buyers, and their market surveillance authorities, expect this information in their own language.

Do not forget the packaging: EPR applies too

GPSR covers the product. The box, mailer, tape and filler you ship it in fall under a different set of rules: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. If you ship handmade soap to consumers in Germany you must be registered in the LUCID packaging register before your first sale, and in France you need a unique identifier via an eco-organisation such as Citeo (see our France EPR guide). Marketplaces already verify these numbers and block sellers who do not have them.

How to make your Shopify store compliant, step by step

List what you sell to the EU. GPSR applies to new, used, repaired and handmade handmade soap alike. There is no minimum volume: one parcel to an EU customer is enough to be in scope.
Gather the manufacturer information. Your business name, postal address and email if you are the maker; your supplier's details if you resell.
Appoint an EU responsible person if you are outside the EU. Authorised representative services exist from roughly 150 to 500 euros per year. Their details go on your listings and labels. Our responsible person guide explains the options.
Write the warnings and safety information relevant to your products, and translate them for the markets you sell to.
Add all of it to every product page. On Shopify this is usually done with metafields plus a theme block, so the information displays cleanly on each listing.
Sort out packaging EPR for Germany and France if you ship there.

Doing this by hand across a full catalog is where most sellers give up: it is repetitive, error-prone and easy to leave half-finished. That is the exact problem EUReady automates: scan, see what is missing per product, fix it across the catalog in one click.

Check your store for free

EUReady scans every product in your Shopify store, shows you exactly what GPSR and EPR info is missing, and fills it in for you. Join the free beta and be first in line when we launch on the Shopify App Store.

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Frequently asked questions

Is soap really regulated like cosmetics in the EU?

Yes. Anything applied to the skin to clean it falls under the Cosmetics Regulation definition, and bar soap is the textbook example. The same applies to bath bombs, balms, scrubs and shampoo bars.

How much does a safety assessment cost?

Independent assessors typically charge per recipe. Variations of a recipe (different colorant, same base) can often be grouped, which keeps the cost manageable for makers with many scents.

Can I sell to the EU while I sort out compliance?

Selling before the CPSR, CPNP notification and Responsible Person are in place means placing a non-compliant cosmetic on the market. Marketplaces increasingly delist such products, and a single complaint to an authority can trigger a sales ban. Sort the paperwork first, then ship.

Official sources

This guide is general information for online sellers, based on publicly available EU legislation. It is not legal advice. Regulations evolve and national rules differ: for decisions that matter to your business, confirm with a qualified professional or the official sources linked above.