Category: Soap & Cosmetic Labeling
Blog posts that deal with soap and cosmetic labeling; addition information, questions asked and answered and updates as new information becomes known.
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Melt & Pour Soap: Soap or Cosmetic?
Whether a melt & Pour soap is a cosmetic or not depends on the ingredients and how it is marketed.
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“Label” vs. “Labeling”
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…
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Our Trip So Far (August 2015)
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…
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Blended Fragrances in the Ingredient Declaration
You can use the term “fragrance” in your ingredient list, but if you use essential oils, you have options.
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Myth: Soap Labels Aren’t Regulated
One of the myths that I still frequently hear is that “I can put whatever I want on my soap labels because they aren’t regulated.” I believe that particular myth got started because of the “soap exemption” in the FDA’s definition of “cosmetic”: A product, except soap, intended to be applied to the human body for…
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FDA Warning Letters – Drug Claims for Cosmetics
I get notices when the FDA sends out warning letters and it seemed like there has been an increase in warnings to cosmetic companies for drug claims. So I checked. Yes – there definitely has been an increase. One would guess that the FDA is looking a little more carefully at the claims being made.…
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Cosmetic & Drug Claims
Americans spend a lot of money on creams, lotions and other cosmetics that promise to improve their skin, hair and even eyelashes. But sometimes those promises go too far. So says a new page on the FDA website intended for consumers to inform them of the differences between drugs and cosmetics. In my opinion, they’re…
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What is the “Common Name”?
The FDA has said that the “common name”1Ingredient Names, FDA Website. Also 15 USC 1454(c)(3) is required for cosmetic ingredients. But what does that mean, exactly? Let me tell you the story of the Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and INCI names. Once upon a time … Back in the 1970’s, a book called the Cosmetic Ingredient…
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Unpackaged Cosmetic Products
We all know that the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act requires that all consumer products (including cosmetics) have the identity of the product and the net contents on the front, the name and address of the manufacturer somewhere on the label. Cosmetics also require the ingredients to be listed. Here’s a question that has come…
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Helpful Pages from Updated FDA Site
The FDA continues to update their website, clarifying and making things more understandable. I love the new articles as they are very clear and easy to understand (as well as many of them being targetted to small and emerging business). The only thing is that they are a little hard to find … I still…
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Labeling Book 2015 Edition – Preorder
Well, it’s finally happened. I’m OUT OF STOCK on the 2nd Edition of the book (2010)! The 2015 updated 3rd Edition (I’m calling it the “purple edition”) is almost finished. I’m on the final round of edits and updates. In a way, it’s good that the project was delayed a bit because now I’ll be…
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FDA Responds to HSCG PO Box Petition
As handcrafters, often working out of our homes, it’s always been an issue that the street address is required on the label (unless published in a current phone or city directory). The HSCG just announced that the petition they filed with the FDA in 2012 to allow the use of a PO Box in lieu…
