Helping soap and cosmetic handcrafters navigate the rules and regs.
Find out more about all aspects of soap and cosmetic labeling, regulations, legislation, and news!
Update April 2016: See our blog, Roaming the Back Roads, for further stories of our travel adventures. Yes, I realize that it is already May 2016, but I promised that I would post updates on our trip and so I shall. October started out with us leaving Pahrump, NV on October 2nd and heading off…
Are you required to put the net contents in metric on your soap or cosmetic label? As with most regulatory questions, the answer is … it depends. The long answer (with references) is explained below. But if you want the short answer … skip to the bottom. Over-Riding Law The law that applies here is…
Louisiana is another state that has some regulations for cosmetic manufacturers including facility and product registration.
In February this year, the International Standards Organization issued ISO 16128-1, Guidelines of technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products (available to purchase here). The description of the guidelines says: ISO 16128-1:2016 provides guidelines on definitions for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients. In addition to natural and organic ingredients, other ingredient…
I’ve talked in the past about the dangers and pitfalls of making medical claims for soap and cosmetic products. Over and over, handcrafters have asked me: “What’s the worst that could happen?”
When you make cosmetics, you are required to declare on the label all of the ingredients in descending order of predominance. In addition, unlike food, you must list all of the components of a blended ingredient individually in correct order in the ingredient declaration. If you purchase, for example, a preservative that has several component…
Whether a melt & Pour soap is a cosmetic or not depends on the ingredients and how it is marketed.
The FDA has published a new webpage that is directed to cosmetic handcrafters. It’s the Small Businesses & Homemade Cosmetics: Fact Sheet, which can currently be found in the Cosmetics section of the FDA website, under “Resources for You” > “Industry“. Just to clarify, nothing has changed; there are no new regulations. This is just…
Update April 2016: See our blog, Roaming the Back Roads, for further stories of our travel adventures. From Bend we worked our way (slowly) down to Pahrump, Nevada, where we had reservations in an RV park for 3 weeks. Once we got a ways east, we were in what seemed like endless desert. Flat, hot,…
Is there a difference between the “label” and the “labeling” when it comes to soap and cosmetic labels? YES. (Well, mostly.) The FDA defines “label” and “labeling” for food, drugs, and cosmetic products. The FTC defines “label” for consumer commodities other than food, drugs, and cosmetics. Most states have regulations that define “label” and “labeling” for…
Update April 2016: See our blog, Roaming the Back Roads, for further stories of our travel adventures. After 3 1/2 months on the road, I figure it’s time I post an update on what we’ve been doing and where we’ve been. (I’ll try to post more frequently … my goal is once a week, if…
You can use the term “fragrance” in your ingredient list, but if you use essential oils, you have options.
