Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters

Most people who make handcrafted soaps and cosmetics do so because they want better, safer or more natural products and have a personal passion for what they are doing. They are conscientious in there selection of suppliers and raw materials, creataive in their formulations, careful in their production and, in the end, proud of their finished products. They have control over every phase and aspect of the production cycle, from beginning to end, and are frequently hands-on during the entire process. Large companies, with many empolyees involved in manufacturing tens of hundreds of thousands of product units at a time don't have that same level of "hands-on" or personal passion. With increased levelks of automation and numerous people in the process comes increased possibility for mix0ups or contamination of products - hence the need for detailed and exact procedures that can be double-checked and documented throughout the manufacturing cycle. Out of that need comes the coincept of "good manufacturing practices." Establishing and then following good manufacturing practies in your business is live having and using a GPS navigator to get around town. No matter how familiar you are with the streets, it takes a lot less effort to just follow the directions. The trick, of course, is having all the necessary information in the navigator to start with. That's what GMP is all about - setting yp the navigation system for your production and manufacturing, so you can avoid the potholes and steer clear of the factors that could potentially wreck your product.