Helping soap and cosmetic handcrafters navigate the rules and regs.
Hi, I’m Marie Gale.
Helping People Understand What’s Required.
For over 15 years I’ve been researching and following the world of laws, regulations, standards and guidelines for the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry. What started as my personal quest to understand soap and cosmetic labeling for my own products has grown into a deep understanding of the many regulations that handcrafted soap and cosmetic makers are subject to.
My personal passion to assist others to understand and follow the labeling and other requirements grew out of all that research. If I had my way, no handcrafter would ever experience the stress and heartache of unwittingly running afoul of the the laws and regulations.
There is peace of mind in knowing that you are compliant with the applicable regulations. I’m here to help you achieve that stress-free relationship with your products and your business.
Whether you know it or not, you’ve been an invaluable resource for me throughout our years in business as I’ve relied on your many books whenever I have questions. I’ve recently purchased “Navigating the Rules & Regulations” and am going through it with tabs & a highlighter and am learning more than I ever expected. — Julia
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This blog has much of the basic information you need to get your labels right and comply with other regulations. Here are some pages to get you started:
If you are wondering about requirements in your state, check the State Agencies page. You can also search by subject for related articles and videos.
DIY with Books
$9.99 – $34.95
My books contain the details you need to correctly label your soaps and cosmetics and folllow the laws and regulations applicable to handcrafted soap and cosmetics. All are available from Amazon.com – just click the images below!
Label Review
$125 per label
If you want another set of (experienced) eyes on your label to make sure it meets all the requirements, a label review is a good choice. A Label review checks your label against the pertinent regulations. You get a checklist of showing if corrections are needed (or not), along with documentation to help you understand the requirements. Label reviews take about a week. Once your review is complete, you can send the revised label and I’ll take a look to make sure everything is in order.
I wanted my labels to be as close to compliant as I could get them. I took advantage of your label review service and can’t thank you enough for your expert advice. It was money well spent! — N.M.
Consulting
$100 – $125 per hour
Consulting is the tailor-made solution to address whatever your concerns are with your labeling, GMP, MoCRA compliance, safety substantiation, and the like. Consulting can be as simple as just answering the questions you have by email, phone or online meeting, or it can cover reviewing all your labels, ingredient declarations, website copy, safety substantiation documentation, and good manufacturing practices. It’s your call – I’m here to help with what you need.
I speak on behalf of the entire team that we are all very appreciative of your work in helping us grow our brand. It is a big step for us, and you have been instrumental in making that a reality. Thank you for your help. — D.C..
Latest blog articles
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Ingredient Labels for Soap
Soap can be a chameleon – a consumer commodity, a cosmetic, an insecticide or a drug. Whether or not the ingredient declaration is required, depends on what is, how the soap is made, and what claims are made about it.
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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 familiarity with […]
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Nova Studio Classes – October 14, 2012
I will be at the Nova Studio on Sunday, October 14th 2012 giving two classes; one on Soap and Cosmetic Labeling, and the other on Good Manufacturing Practices. You can see the details for the Soap and Cosmetic Labeling class here. We’ll be covering all of the basics of labeling. The class will be hands-on, […]
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Calculating the Net Weight of Soap (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how to calculate the net weight of your soap over time by weighing actual bars and seeing what happened to them. That works if you know where your soap will be and can rely on the fact that the environment won’t change much. If your soap may be […]
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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 the 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 […]
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Castor Oil Toxicity?
I was recently asked about castor oil, and whether there was a need to buy “detoxified” castor oil for use in soap. I’ve used castor oil in my soap for a long time because it makes marvelous creamy lather, but I did check into the toxicity issue.
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Calculating the Net Weight of Soap (Part 1)
When you are labeling soap, one of the problems you run into is figuring out the net weight to put on the label. Since water will continue to evaporate out of the soap over time, the soap will gradually come to weigh less, even after the initial “cure time.” When the consumer is deciding whether […]
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8 GMP Documentation Tips
Good manufacturing practices rest solidly on documentation, documentation, and more 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 all documented? Without accurate and detailed documentation, your GMP will never be fully in place. While it […]
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6 Things to Consider When Printing Your Own Labels
Whether your labels look “professional” or “homemade” can affect how well your product sells. When you are printing your own labels, here are some basics that will help your labels achieve that polished, professional look. It doesn’t take much, just some attention to detail and making sure that all the pieces work together.
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8 Requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices
There are 8 main types of information and documentation that must be considered and addressed when implementing your good manufacturing practices. While each plays a part, they are inter-related; you can get an overview on good manufacturing practices in general by understanding these 8 different areas.
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Measuring Text Sizes For Labels
One of the most common labeling errors is using type that is too small on your label. So how do you determine the right size of type? And what font size is that? The right size of type is determined by the size of the container (not the size of the label itself), and the […]
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What’s the Point of GMP?
You might wonder what’s the point of going to all the trouble of following good manufacturing practices. After all, your products are great, right? The whole reason for implementing good manufacturing practices is to ensure that your great product is great: every batch, every bar, every time. GMP is there to address and control every […]