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Personal Care Products Safety Act (2015)
On April 20th, 2015, Senators Diane Feinstein (D – CA) and Susan Collins (R – ME) introduced The Personal Care Products Safety Act (S. 1014), which, if passed, will update the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as it pertains to cosmetics. There has been considerable discussion about various aspects of the bill and what its effects will be. Several people have asked me for my…
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Running Away From Home in an RV
Last month, Jere and I announced to family our intention to get an RV and “run away from home,” living and working on the road as we travel around the US seeing the sights and visiting friends and family. Yesterday it became a lot more REAL. I actually drove our new (to us) RV. Actually, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, although I…
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Wildlife Society Award to Chandler Family Ranch
I was just informed that our ranch, of which I have been the Operations Manager for 12 years, has been awarded the Private Landowner Stewardship Award by the Oregon Chapter of the Wildlife Society! The award is one of two civic recognitions they give out annually. From their website: “Private Landowner Stewardship Award “This civic award recognizes private landowners for implementing positive wildlife conservation programs or…
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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 right.
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What Is the “Common Name”?
The FDA has said that the “common name” is required for cosmetic ingredients. But what is it?
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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, as well as the name and address of the manufacturer somewhere on the label. Cosmetics also require a list of their ingredients. Here’s a question that has come up more than once: How do stores…
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Proposed Revisions to Labeling Regulations Under the FPLA
Update: The final rule was published in the Federal Register, but the online federal regulations have not yet been updated (See FTC updates business address requirements) The Federal Trade Commission is looking to update their regulations under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and “modernize the place-of-business listing requirement.” These are the regulations that apply to “true soap” that is exempt from the FDA definition of…
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Helpful Pages from Updated FDA Site
The FDA continues (as of 2015) 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 can’t figure out the categorization and menu system! Here’s…
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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 able to include information about the FDA’s response to the…
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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 our product labels (unless published in a current phone or city directory). The Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild (HSCG) just announced that the petition they filed with the FDA in 2012 to allow the use of a PO Box in lieu of a street address,…
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Liquid Soapmaking by Jackie Thompson
Jackie Thompson’s long awaited book, Liquid Soapmaking, is finally here—and more than worth the wait! For those who make handcrafted soap bars, transitioning to making liquid soap can be daunting. While the chemistry is essentially the same, when it comes to the finished product, opaque bar soap is much more forgiving than liquid soap that should be completely clear and of the right consistency. Jackie…
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Cosmetic Claims and Required Approval
Recently (2014) there has been some discussion online (in a Facebook Group) as a result of a report of a conversation with someone from the FDA. The report was that this FDA representative said that if you wanted to use the word “moisturizing” to describe a soap, then your recipe would need to be submitted and evaluated for its composition of moisturizing properties. This FDA…
Helping you understand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.