Allergens in cosmetics have been an issue of growing concern. Food product regulations require the disclosure of certain allergens, even if only that the facility makes other products with the allergens in them (e.g., “this product was made in a facility that puts peanuts in other products”). Cosmetics don’t have those requirements. Concern for consumers has prompted many handcrafters to include … Read More
Certificate of Free Sale
A Certificate of Free Sale is a document that provides proof that a product is being freely and legally sold without restriction. It is sometimes also called a “Certificate for Export” or “Certificate to Foreign Governments.” When is a Certificate of Free Sale needed? A Certificate of Free Sale is needed if you are exporting from the US to another … Read More
Why is Regulatory Compliance Important?
When looking at the minutiae of labeling a soap or cosmetic product, it’s easy to forget the big picture. Why are all these regulations in place? Why is it important to comply with them? Why are there regulations at all? Regulations are the rules that are put in place to implement the laws that are passed by Congress. When an … Read More
Blended Color Additives
Color additives in cosmetics continue to be a difficult topic. Blended cosmetics are especially problematic. Keeping your products legal requires diligence and an understanding of color additives and the regulations. Why “blended colors”? A blended color additive is one that is made with a combination of color components. It may also have other ingredients to make them work. Face it, … Read More
California Cosmetic Regulations Updated
Two bills concerning cosmetic manufacturing in California have been working their way through the legislative process. California Governor Jerry Brown just signed AB 2775 on Sept 14th, and SB 1249 went to the Governor on September 12th. What does it mean for handcrafted cosmetics? AB 2775 – Professional Cosmetic Labeling California AB-2775 requires that all cosmetics that are “for professional use … Read More
Are Your Product Claims Fake News?
You may have heard that Google, Facebook and other social media sites are trying to figure ways to weed out fake news before it makes its way into the wild. That they are using a combination of artificial intelligence, computer algorithms and live human reviews to decide what’s real and what’s fake. That they have started banning the sites and … Read More
An Almond Doesn’t Lactate
Last month, pointing out that “almonds don’t lactate,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that the FDA will soon issue a new guidance on the use of the term “milk.” Currently milk is defined as “the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows” or goats.1 Let’s put that all together. Since … Read More
Are Your Color Additives Legal?
As I’ve discussed in previous posts (here, here and here) color additives are a major concern for the FDA. Certain color additives are subject to certification by the FDA before they can be used. Using one of those colors that is NOT certified causes your product to become “adulterated” (and therefore illegal to sell). So how do you know if … Read More
