Handmade Soaps

Exports (latest):

• India exported $142M of soap in 2023; top buyers include UAE, US and Nepal.

Quality & compliance anchors:

• Indian standard (BIS IS 2888:2004 – Toilet Soap): prescribes routine tests such as total fatty matter (TFM), free caustic alkali, lather volume, chlorides, etc., with Grade 1–3 classification and BIS licensing scheme. (BIS product manual shows scope, tests, and grading.)
  
• Transparent/cosmetic soap testing (e.g., lather & free alkali methods) is further detailed in BIS methods used across soap standards.
  
• India market/manufacture & export rules: Cosmetics Rules, 2020 under CDSCO govern licensing, labelling and standards (with BIS references such as IS 4707 ingredient lists). Imports/exports must meet these rules; CDSCO’s guidance details forms and documentation.
  
• Destination-market compliance:
  
  • EU: Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (GMP/ISO 22716, CPSR, PIF, CPNP notification).
    
  • US: FDA cosmetic labelling rules (FD&C Act + FPLA).

India/region-specific strengths:

• Natural fragrance inputs from Kannauj (GI-tagged “Kannauj Perfume”) and the MSME Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) help premiumize handmade soaps.
  
• Vegetable oils supply base (coconut, etc.) concentrated in the southern states supports cold-process/“clean” soap positioning.
  

Candles

Exports (latest):

• India exported $91.9M of candles in 2023, led by the US, UK, and Australia.

Quality & compliance anchors:

• Indian standard: BIS IS 11359:1985 (Wax Candles)—specifies burn time, mean horizontal luminous intensity, no-drip/no-smoke, mechanical strength, and marking/pack rules. (E.g., min burn time 1.5–5 h depending on size; “drip: Nil; smoking: Absent”.)
  
• Wax quality for premium lines: BIS IS 1504:2017 (Beeswax)—defines acid value, saponification value, melting range, etc., to assure consistent burn and aroma fixative behaviour.
  
• Destination-market safety standards:
  
  • EU/UK: EN 15493 (fire safety), EN 15494 (product safety labels), EN 15426 (sooting behaviour) are the reference set.
    
  • US: ASTM F2417 (fire safety) plus related guidance cited by CPSC.
    

India/region-specific strengths:

• Naturals story: ready access to beeswax (IS 1504) and essential oils/attars enables clean-burn, scented SKUs with “traditional Indian botanicals” positioning.
  

Bath Products

Exports (latest):

• India exported $3.8M of “perfumed bath salts & other bath preparations” in 2023 (HS 3307.30).
  

Quality & compliance anchors:

• In India, bath products are cosmetics under Cosmetics Rules, 2020 (labelling/standards; BIS lists such as IS 4707 for permitted/restricted ingredients).
  
• EU exports: comply with Reg. 1223/2009 (CPSR, PIF, CPNP, GMP).
  
• US exports: follow FDA cosmetic labelling requirements.
  

India/region-specific strengths:

• Ayurveda/natural actives narrative (herbal powders, botanical oils) plus Kannauj attars provide clear origin differentiation for aromatherapeutic bath SKUs.
  

What this means for your product sheets

• Handmade soaps: aim for BIS IS 2888 Grade 1 specs with documented TFM/free-alkali/lather tests; keep full ingredient list & batch traceability to meet EU/US labels.
  
• Candles: state compliance to IS 11359 internally and EN 15493/15494 (EU/UK) or ASTM F2417 (US) on tech sheets; use beeswax/essential oil blends as an India-specific value story.
  
• Bath products: classify correctly under HS 3307.30 where relevant, and prep CPSR/PIF (EU) or FDA label files (US) before shipments.