On the Label: Business Name & Address

One of the simplest—and most often misunderstood—parts of a cosmetic or soap label is the business name and address. This small detail connects the product to the responsible party and provides consumers with a way to contact you if they have a question or concern.

It sounds easy, but depending on who actually made the product, how your business is structured, and your online presence, there are a few specific rules to follow. Let’s break them down in plain English.

The Legal Requirement

Every product label must include the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. This requirement comes from an actual law, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA).

For cosmetics, the FDA’s regulations (21 CFR 701.12) require this information to be displayed on the label. Normally, it’s placed on an information panel—that is, the side, back, or bottom of the product (not the front panel).

For non-cosmetics (including soap that is exempt from the definition of a cosmetic), the same rule applies, but it falls under the FTC’s consumer commodity labeling rules (16 CFR 500). Nearly every STATE also has the same requirements for non-cosmetic products, with regulations generally (or exactly) taken from Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulations (NIST Handbook 130).

In short:

• Every product needs a responsible name and address.
• It must be clear who made or distributed the product.
• The address must be complete enough for a consumer to contact you.

The Responsible Party

The business that is printed on the label is the “responsible party”. That means they are responsible for the product.

In practical terms, that’s the person or business responsible for filing a product listing with the FDA, submitting any adverse event reports for the product, and maintaining safety substantiation.

The responsible party is usually, but not always, the same as the manufacturer.

If you make the product, then your business name and address go on the label directly.

If you have the product made for you, then you show that on the label by adding “Manufactured for” before your name.

What Business Name?

The business must be the legal business name under which you are operating. That depends on how your business is structured.

LLC, PARTNERSHIP, OR Corporation

If you’ve formed a limited liability company (LLC), corporation (Inc.) or partnership and filed the paperwork with your state, then your legal business name is the one registered with your state. That’s the name that should appear on your label.

Even if your LLC or corporation has filed to operate under a different trade name—often called a ficticious name or a DBA, (doing business as)—you still need to put your legal name (as registered with the state) on the label.

SOLE PROPRIETOR

By default, you are a sole proprietor. That means your business isn’t legally separate from you personally—your business income and expenses go on your personal tax return (Schedule C). In that case, your legal business name is your own name.

If you have registered to operate under a fictitious name or DBA, AND you are a sole proprietor, you can use your trade name on the label.

The Address

The address must be the actual, physical address of the location where the product is manufactured or where business is conducted.

Okay – to address the elephant in the room…

• Yes, if you have a home business, you have to use your home address.
• No, it can’t be a PO box.
• No, it can’t be the street address of the post office where your PO Box is located.
• No, it can’t be a mail service.

However, there’s one small exception that allows you to leave off the actual street address:

If it’s NOT a cosmetic (including non-cosmetic soap), you can omit the street address if the full address is publicly available through a widely accessible, published resource—for example, your company website, a business directory, or an online business registration database.

If it IS a cosmetic, you can omit the street address if the full address is listed under the name on the label in a print or online city or phone directory. (Yes, that comes from pretty old regulations.)

Whether you put it on the label or publish it online, the bottom line is that your street address will be publicly available.

In deciding whether to put it on the label or not, consider who you want to have access… the customers who buy your product? or anyone who searches for your company online? You may have less exposure by just putting it on the label.

The MoCRA Requirement: How Consumers Contact You

Under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), there’s a new requirement for cosmetic labels: consumers must be able to reach you to report a serious adverse event (21 U.S.C. §364e).

If your cosmetic label includes a complete domestic address—meaning street address, city, state, and ZIP code—that’s considered sufficient. But if you’ve chosen to omit the street address and only show city, state, and ZIP, then you must include another clear method of contact on the label.

That could be:

• A telephone number,
• An email address, or
• A website.

Practical Tips

• Keep it consistent. Use the same business name format on your labels, invoices, website, and registrations.
• List the street address on your label or make it findable online under your business name.
• Check your business registration (if you have an LLC, partnership or corporation). Ensure the business name on your label matches your business registration.
• Include “Manufactured for…” wording when appropriate.
• (Optional) Add additional ways a customer can reach you to buy your products, such as an email, phone, website, social media, or even a QR code.

Final Thoughts

The business name and address do more than check a regulatory box—they tell the story of accountability.

If there’s ever a complaint, recall, or question about your product, regulators and customers alike will look to that name and address to trace the source. Missing or incorrect information can make your label misbranded, meaning it doesn’t meet legal requirements for sale.

And beyond legal compliance, it’s good marketing. Displaying your real business name builds trust. It signals that you stand behind your product and are easy to reach.