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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Good Manufacturing Practices – Part 2
In this continuation of my series on Good Manufacturing Practices for small cosmetics manufacturers, we’ll look at the recommended practices for handling raw materials, production and laboratory controls. (See Good Manufacturing Practices – Part 1 for the first of the series.)
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Good Manufacturing Practices – Part 1
This is the first of a series of posts on the subject of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for cosmetics, especially as applicable to making handcrafted cosmetics in small batches. The Regulations Cosmetics are sort of the bastard child when it comes to GMP regulations. Both drugs and food have GMP standards set out in the […]
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Drug Claims and Lip Balm
I just returned from the 2011 Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Annual Conference in Miami. It was terrific! This year I went as a speaker and a vendor, and had time to enjoy some of the other speakers and presenters. I loved seeing Barbara Corcoran and had the privilege of having breakfast with her and several of […]
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L. Ron Hubbard 100th Birthday Event
Last week we went to the L. Ron Hubbard 100th birthday event hosted by the Church of Portland. It was attended by several hundred people—it was great to see old friends. Much of the event was dedicated to a retrospective look at the life of L. Ron Hubbard, especially the many endeavors and adventures in […]
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Labeling … of People
Name calling. In grade school it’s a tool of the bullies to make others feel bad. Even though you can SAY “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” truth is, words, be it name calling or labeling, CAN hurt. Maybe not physically, like sticks and stones, but personally, emotionally, and […]
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Labeling Workshop – Feb 5, 2011
It’s just been finalized that I will be doing a Labeling Workshop at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, California on February 5, 2011. Actually, two sessions are planned (one for the morning and one for the afternoon), depending on how many people sign up. The 4-hour class will cover the following:
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Ground Burning the Oak Savannah
It’s not often that one gets the opportunity to set fire to 25 acres of grass, brush and slash, but that’s what we got to do yesterday. “Why?” you might ask. Well … An Oak Savannah is an area that typically has about 20 – 30 mature oaks per acre, with grass underneath. Untouched by humans, they […]
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Proctor & Gamble Out of Soap Operas
As the World Turns, Proctor and Gamble’s last soap opera is going off the air with it’s last episode (the 13,661st!) to air in September. Their other remaining soap opera, Guiding Light, was canceled in April, 2009. That ends their 76 years in the soap opera business.
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Christmas and Family
I’ve been doing quite a bit of genealogy work recently, gathering up family documents and entering them into my new Family Tree Maker software. Genealogy and documenting my family tree is something I’ve been working on for many years and now I finally feel like I’m getting a handle on it. In doing some research […]
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“Harsh” Lye Soap
I am reading a series of books by S. M. Stirling about what happens when civilization as we know it loses electricity, internal combustion, and gunpowder, as the result of an event the author calls “The Change.” In the years after The Change, the inhabitants of the Willamette Valley in Oregon have learned to cope, […]
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Clean Hands Week, Sept 20 – 26, 2009
International Clean Hands Week is September 20 – 26, 2009. This is part of a bigger campaign by the Clean Hands Coalition to help people, especially children, understand the importance of handwashing to stay healthy. As Martha would say, “This is a good thing.”