Category: Good Manufacturing Practices

Posts over the years covering good manufacturing practices for soap and cosmetic handcrafters.

  • FDA Starts Process for Cosmetic GMP

    Today the FDA announced their first steps in creating cosmetic GMP regulations starting with a Request for Comments and a Listening Session in June.

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  • GMP Requirements for Manufacturing Facilities

    When it comes to GMP guidelines or regulations for facilities and equipment, there are some basic common sense specifications to follow.

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  • GMP – How Bad Can It Get?

    Dollar Tree, Inc. and its subsidiary Family Dollar Distribution, Inc. recently received a letter from the FDA about violations in their distribution facility. How bad can GMP get? Pretty amazingly disgusting!

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  • 10 Ways to Improve Your Quality Control

    “Quality control” is all about finding each little thing you can do to maintain control over the quality of your products. Here are 10 things you can do to improve your quality control.

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  • What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

    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?”

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  • Quest for the Perfect Pickle and GMP

    This last week has been shaped by the bounty from our garden. I realized that keeping track of all the canning recipes is just one piece of good manufacturing practices

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  • FDA Issues New Draft of Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practices Guidelines

    The FDA recently announced that they have issued a new draft guidance on good manufacturing practices for cosmetic products. This new draft is an update to the existing “Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Guidelines/Inspection Checklist“. According to the Introduction: “This document provides guidance to industry and other stakeholders on the FDA’s current thinking concerning what constitutes Good…

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  • Good Manufacturing Practices – Where to Start?

    If you already make a good product, then you already have the beginnings of your good manufacturing practices in place. But if you are ready to take it to the next level, where do you start?

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  • Labeling of In-Process Materials

    Running all through Good Manufacturing Practices guidelines is a theme of label, label, label. Label incoming materials. Label containers of raw materials.  Label containers of measured ingredients when making a batch.  Label bulk materials ready to be packaged.  In other words, label everything as you go! Why?  Because if you rely on “remembering” what’s what,…

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  • Master Formulas – Not Just Ingredients

    Master Formulas are a key part of Good Manufacturing Practices.  They’re more than just a list of ingredients; they document what makes your products uniquely yours. Your Master Formulas should contain every step, trick and technique you use to make your product – and it should be written in sufficient detail that someone with reasonable…

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  • How & Why to Keep Lot Numbers

    Last week The Nova Studio posted a great post, Why You Should Care About Lot Numbers, detailing their experiences on finding out that  San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Company in Fremont, CA had  a bad rodent infestation & was recalling over a dozen of their products that may have been infested with droppings. The news report on…

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  • 8 GMP Documentation Tips

    Good manufacturing practices rest solidly on documentation, documentation, documentation. You could be (and possibly are) doing everything right, and ensuring that your product is of the highest possible quality each and every time … but is it documented? Without accurate and detailed documentation, your GMP will never be fully in place. While it does take…

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