Selling homemade candles: labels, CLP, safety standards and insurance

TUREFF• •0

Turning a hobby into a small business is a natural next step for many candle makers. Before you sell, though, a candle stops being a gift and becomes a product, and products come with rules. These differ by country, and they change, so treat this guide as a map of what to look into, not legal advice. Check the current rules where you live and where you sell.

Start with a safe, tested product

Whatever the rules say, the first duty is a candle that does not cause harm in normal use.

Test-burn every combination of wax, wick, container, fragrance and dye you sell, from the first light to the end.
Watch for flame height, soot, container temperature, cracking and how the candle behaves near the bottom.
Keep records of your tests, ingredients, batch numbers and suppliers. If a customer reports a problem, records let you trace it.
Use containers made for candles. Not every glass or tin is designed for that heat.

Safety and warning labels

Most markets expect a candle to carry clear safety instructions, such as never leaving it unattended, keeping it away from children, pets and things that can burn, trimming the wick and burning on a heat-resistant surface. Many sellers use a recognised set of safety pictograms. Labels usually also include your business name and contact details, and many include weight and batch information.

The UK and the EU: CLP for fragrances

In Great Britain, chemical classification and labelling rules known as GB CLP (enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and Trading Standards) can apply to scented candles, because a candle is treated as a mixture and many fragrance oils contain ingredients classed as skin sensitisers. The EU and Northern Ireland follow the EU's own CLP Regulation. In general terms:

Your fragrance supplier's safety data sheet (SDS), and often a ready-made CLP calculation for a given percentage, tell you which hazardous ingredients the fragrance contains.
Depending on the concentration in the finished candle, the label may need a statement naming certain allergens, or a fuller hazard label with a pictogram, a signal word and hazard statements.
The calculation depends on the fragrance load you use, so a label made for one percentage is not valid for another.

Ask your supplier for CLP information at the exact percentage you use, and check current guidance from the HSE, your local Trading Standards service or the relevant authority for your market. Trade bodies for candle makers also publish advice aimed at small producers. General product safety law also applies to candles sold to consumers.

The United States: voluntary standards and federal rules

In the US, there is no single mandatory federal safety standard just for candles. ASTM International standards, including ASTM F2058 (fire safety labelling) and ASTM F2417 (fire safety for candles), are voluntary industry consensus standards, though retailers and stockists may expect you to follow them. Separate federal rules still apply: the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) bans lead-cored wicks above a very small limit, and products containing hazardous substances may need cautionary labelling under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. State laws may add more. Check the CPSC's business guidance and your state's requirements.

Elsewhere

Other countries have their own consumer safety, chemical labelling and trade description rules. Search your government's consumer product safety or trading standards pages, or ask a local business advice service.

Insurance

Product liability insurance covers you if a product you sold causes injury or damage. Many craft markets, shops and online platforms require it, and even where they do not, it is worth serious thought for a product that is set alight in people's homes. Public liability insurance covers stalls and events. Ask an insurer or broker who understands craft businesses what your situation needs.

Other practicalities

Business registration and tax: selling regularly usually means registering as self-employed or as a business and keeping accounts. Check your country's tax authority.
Honest claims: be careful with words like non-toxic, clean-burning or chemical-free. Make only claims you can support.
Selling online and abroad: platforms often have their own rules for candles, and selling into another country means meeting its rules too.
Shipping: pack candles to survive heat and knocks, and check courier rules.

A simple checklist

Test-burn and document every product.
Get SDS and labelling information from your suppliers.
Prepare safety and any required hazard labels.
Arrange insurance.
Register the business and keep records.
Check the specific rules for each market you sell in.

Are you selling candles already? Share what you learnt about labelling and regulations, or ask your questions, in the comments.