Soap and body products are, at least in the EU, considered cosmetics. To sell these products legally you have to a Safety Assessment, but sadly, not everyone selling these products has had them assessed. A Safety Assessor looks at your recipes to make sure they are safe, and the ingredients are used within legal limits. Companies selling products without Assessments may well be putting people at risk.

Why may people be at risk? Well, there legal limits on the amount of, for instance, essential oils you can use in your product. This limit will depend on the product, whether it is leave on or rinse off for example. The use of some of these essential oils is very limited indeed. In fact the levels of some are extremely low because they are thought to have carcinogenic properties. If a company is selling unassessed products they may not know this and it is possible that they are using oils at levels that are far too high.

The other thing to bear in mind, is labelling, something a competent Safety Assessor can advise and assist with. EU research estimates that up to 3% of people could be affected by contact with any one of the allergens present in our soap and cosmetic products. Reactions include photosensitivity, rashes and contact dermatitis. Under EU legislation, each product must display a complete list of ingredients. The most important part of a cosmetic label is the list of ingredients, specifically those at the end of the list. Here you will find all the allergens that are in the product. There are currently 36 allergens which must be considered when you are labelling cosmetics. Correct labelling should enable you to steer clear of ingredients you know cause you issues.

If you want to know the products you are buying are safe, do not be afraid to ask the company selling them. Many are members of the Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers and you can look them up on the database on the website: http://www.gcstm.co.uk/members

We are in the depths of winter, and as I write, we have hit what I think is the coldest spell of the season so far.

Skincare is important all year round, but in the winter the challenges facing our skin are more pronounced. The cold and the winds wreak havoc and if you are not careful, you can end up with dry cracked skin. To combat the effects of the weather, we have formulated our lovely hand and lip balms.

Our Hand Treat is a lovely absorbant balm which is good for any dry patches in need of some help. It contains Rice Bran Oil, which is quite a "dry" oil packed with anti-oxidents, and is perfect for sensitive or dry skin. We have also used Avocado Butter, which is one of our favourites. It has a high percentage of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F & H and has fantastic moisturising proterties. It comes in three beautiful fragrances, Frankincense, Geranium and Lavender and Clary Sage.

To keep your lips soft and kissable, our Chocolate Lip Balm is perfect. The olive wax provides a barrier to the elements, while the Organic, Unrefined Cocoa butter not only has a gorgeous chocolate scent, but contains antioxidents and has been known to heal and moisturise the skin. We have also used Organic, Virgin Coconut Oil which is a natural emolient, which also have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and if that is not enough it smells beautiful of coconut.