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 … Read More
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 … Read More
Monday Mailbag – Smoothies, Trade Secrets, Essential Oils and Links to Regulations
More interesting questions from readers this week. Smoothies in soap, trade secrets, essential oils, links to regulations and more. Please feel free to email me your questions to hello@mariegale.com! If you make soap and use a smoothie (i.e. Green Machine or Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness) as water replacement, how would you label it? These products sometimes have about twenty items … Read More
Monday Mailbag – Natural, Pesticides, Using Wine or Beer in Cosmetics, the “e” symbol
One of the things I love about the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry is how so many people are willing to share and help others. I’m a member of a number of Facebook groups covering different aspects of soap and cosmetics and I am always inspired by the amount of care that the members have for have for each other. … Read More
Monday Mailbag – Patents, Sunscreen, Certification, Private Label and Hydrogenated OIls
This is the first of my new blog post series, Monday Mailbag, in which I’ll answer soap or cosmetic labeling or GMP related questions that have been sent to me. We’re starting out with an eclectic mix this week – from patenting soap to how to list hydrogenated oils in the ingredient declaration. If you have a question that you … Read More
Insect Repelling Soap and Cosmetics
Updated September 25, 2017 Several people have asked me recently about soaps and cosmetics that repel insects. What are the regulations and how do they get labeled? Once there’s a “pesticide” claim (i.e. that the product repels insects), the product falls under the jurisdiction of the EPA, under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The … Read More
FDA Cosmetic Website Updated
The FDA recently updated the Cosmetic section of their website and added some new pages that clarify regulations, particularly for small manufacturers of soap and cosmetics. Some of the most commonly asked questions are very clearly answered in FAQ format.
Ingredient Names From 1977 Still Good?
The Code of Federal Regulations specifies where to find the names by which cosmetic ingredients should be identified in the ingredient declaration on a cosmetic. First are any names “established by the Commissioner” (there are a few) and then the CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, Second Ed., 1977. After some searching, I was finally able to locate a copy of this … Read More
