Detergent regulations: how to sell your own household products

Article updated on 18/09/26. This article is written in line with French and European standards, while occasionally touching on aspects specific to other countries. Local adjustments may therefore still be needed depending on the jurisdiction.

Would you like to make and sell your own household products, such as laundry detergent, washing-up liquid or surface cleaner? Selling a detergent comes with a number of regulatory obligations, covering in particular its composition, classification, labelling and placing on the market.

This guide walks you through the main steps you need to know to sell your detergent products in compliance with the regulations.

Which regulations apply to detergents and household products?

Detergent regulation is based mainly on Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 on detergents. Among other things, it sets the requirements for surfactants, the information that must appear on the label and how the ingredient list is made available.

These obligations are specific to detergent products. In particular, they differ from those that apply to scented candles and wax melts, which have their own regulatory framework.

The main regulations to know before selling a detergent

These regulations aim to ensure that products placed on the market can be used under suitable conditions and that users have access to the information they need.

Terre de Bougies supports you through the regulatory process

Terre de Bougies provides regulatory documents prepared for a 2% fragrance dosage.

These documents give you a solid starting point and make it easier to put together the file you need before placing your household product on the market:

• The safety data sheet (SDS) of the finished product: among other things, it sets out information on the classification, hazards, precautions and characteristics of the mixture.
• The consumer ingredient sheet: it serves as the basis for publishing the regulatory ingredient list online.
• The allergen table: it summarises the allergens present in the mixture and the information needed to identify them. This data can be particularly useful to medical staff in the event of an incident.

These documents make the process easier, but they do not replace the checks required for the product you actually make.

What steps should you take before selling a detergent?

Before selling a household product, you need to carry out several checks to make sure that the finished product, and the information that comes with it, match the formula you are actually selling.

1. Stick to the documented formula and dosage

The first step is to use the exact recipe and dosage covered by the regulatory documents provided.

The quantities of base, fragrance and other raw materials must therefore be followed to the letter. If you change the composition or the dosage, the existing documents cannot automatically be reused.

In particular, a change may affect:

• the classification of the product;
• the information and statements that must appear on the label;
• the pH of the finished mixture;
• whether a PCN notification or a UFI is required
  

Any change to the formula therefore requires a new regulatory check of the finished product before it goes on sale.

2. Finalise the regulatory documents for your finished product

The Terre de Bougies documents are designed as a starting point. You then need to complete them with the information specific to your business and to the household product you are selling.

In particular, you must:

• enter the contact details of the company responsible for placing the product on the market;
• check that the formula used really matches the documents;
• fill in the data specific to the finished product;
• check the information needed to identify the product.
  
  

Detergent SDS: why measure the pH of the finished product?

The pH must be entered in section 9 of the SDS, which covers physical and chemical properties.

Where Terre de Bougies has not measured the pH of the finished formula, this value has to be determined on your own product. Once your batch is made, you must therefore measure the pH of the final mixture and enter the result in the safety data sheet.

Be careful: do not simply reuse the pH of the neutral base. Adding a fragrance or other raw materials can change the pH of the finished product.

If you do not have the necessary equipment, you can have this measurement carried out by a suitable service provider.

3. Labelling a detergent: what must appear on the label?

Detergent labelling must include various pieces of regulatory information, and it is essential to distinguish the requirements of the Detergents Regulation from those of the CLP Regulation.

Information required by the Detergents Regulation

The Detergents Regulation sets out, in particular, information about the contents of the product. This is taken from the “Labelling of contents” block in section 15 of the SDS.

Depending on the composition of the household product, this section may include, in particular:

• the categories of surfactants;
• perfumes;
• certain preservatives;
• the relevant fragrance allergens.

Some categories are expressed as concentration ranges, for example:

• less than 5%;
• 5 to 15%;
• 15 to 30%;
• 30% or more.

Statements and pictograms required by the CLP Regulation

The CLP block depends on the classification of the finished product.

Depending on this classification, the label of the household product may include in particular:

• hazard pictograms;
• the signal word “Warning” or “Danger”;
• hazard statements (H);
• EUH statements where applicable;
• precautionary statements (P);
• the UFI where required.

You will find this information in section 2.2 of the SDS, among other places.

4. UFI and PCN notification: are they mandatory for a detergent?

A UFI is not automatically mandatory for every detergent. Whether one is required depends on the classification of the finished mixture.

If the product is classified for a health hazard or a physical hazard, a notification to poison centres, known as PCN (Poison Centres Notification), must be submitted before it is placed on the market in the country or countries concerned.

A UFI linked to the mixture must also be provided in line with the applicable rules.

Conversely, when a product is not classified for a health hazard or a physical hazard, or is only hazardous to the environment, PCN notification and a UFI are not mandatory under Annex VIII to CLP.

Whether a UFI is needed for a household product must therefore be determined from the classification of the finished product, not simply from the fact that it is a detergent.

5. Detergent ingredient list: what needs to be published online?

The Detergents Regulation requires a regulatory ingredient list to be published online so that consumers can access information about the product.

You must therefore make available an online page or document that corresponds exactly to the detergent you sell, and show the website address on the packaging.

This list must be:

• easy to access;
• viewable without an account, password or purchase;
• kept up to date;
• clearly identifiable for the product concerned.

A QR code can make this page easier to reach and complement the web address, but it does not replace the website address, which must appear on the packaging.

Cleaning, disinfectant and antibacterial products: watch out for biocide regulations

If you sell a cleaner or a household cleaning product, pay particular attention to the claims you use to present it.

Terms such as “disinfectant”, “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial” can bring the product under the rules applicable to biocidal products, in particular Regulation (EU) No 528/2012.

A product claiming an action intended to destroy or control harmful organisms may be subject to specific authorisation requirements.

A simple cleaner with no biocidal function does not fall within this framework for that reason alone. It is therefore important to distinguish a cleaning action from a disinfectant or biocidal claim.

Checklist: what should you check before selling your household product?

Before placing your detergent on the market, check in particular that:

• the formula and dosage used match the regulatory documents;
• the information specific to your business and your finished product has been filled in;
• the pH of the finished product has been measured, where it still needs to be entered;
• the detergent label includes the information applicable to the product;
• the need for a UFI and a PCN notification has been checked;
• the regulatory ingredient list is accessible online;
• the claims used to present the product do not bring it within the scope of the biocidal products regulations.
  
  

Frequently asked questions about detergent regulations

Which documents should you prepare before selling a household product?

Depending on the formula concerned, Terre de Bougies provides an SDS for the finished product, a consumer ingredient sheet and an allergen table.

These documents are a starting point. The information specific to your business and to the product you actually make must then be checked and completed.

Is a UFI mandatory to sell a detergent?

No, a UFI is not automatically mandatory for all detergent products.

Whether one is needed depends on the classification of the finished product. If it is classified for a health hazard or a physical hazard, the obligations relating to the UFI and PCN notification must be checked before it is placed on the market.

Can you change the fragrance dosage of a detergent?

Changing the fragrance dosage can affect the classification, the labelling and the pH, as well as the obligations relating to the UFI and PCN notification.

Documents supplied for one specific formula and dosage therefore cannot automatically be reused for a modified recipe.

What is the difference between the Detergents Regulation and the CLP Regulation?

The Detergents Regulation governs, in particular, certain information about the contents of the product and the publication of its ingredients.

The CLP Regulation covers, in particular, the classification of the finished mixture, the hazards associated with the product, pictograms, hazard statements, precautionary statements and, where required, the UFI.

Key takeaways

You now have everything you need to move forward with selling your detergents, backed by the regulatory documents Terre de Bougies provides to support you along the way.

For your other scented creations, some solutions can also simplify the regulatory process, such as the fragrances in the BOOST range, which can be used at 1% to benefit from simplified CLP labelling.

This guide does not cover liquid soaps intended for hand or body hygiene, which generally fall under the regulations for cosmetic products and are subject to their own specific obligations.

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