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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Choose the right solution to fit your needs
DIY with Blog Articles & Videos
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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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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, the name and address of the manufacturer somewhere on the label. Cosmetics also require the ingredients to be listed. Here’s a question that has come […]
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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 […]
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Helpful Pages from Updated FDA Site
The FDA continues 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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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FDA Sends Warning Letters to Two Essential Oil MLMs
I have posted numerous times, including here and here, about FDA warning letters concerning “drug claims” used for supposedly cosmetic products. After those posts went up, I had a number of people tell me about several national companies selling essential oils that were making all sorts of claims, and asking why they could get away with […]
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Updated Info on FDA site
The FDA recently updated several pages on their website that have to do with cosmetics. The regulations haven’t changed, but it appears that they are continuing in their trend to making them more understandable (although it is still a bit difficult to find things when you need them). Here’s a brief overview of some of […]
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Quest for the Perfect Pickle and GMP
This last week has been shaped by the bounty from our garden. I realized that keeping track of all the canning recipes is just one piece of good manufacturing practices
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Calculating Percentages for Blended Ingredients
Ingredients are supposed to be listed in the ingredient declaration in “descending order of predominance.” In other words, the ingredient at the highest percentage (by weight) goes first, then then next highest, etc. Ingredients that are present at less than 1% can be listed in any order following the ingredients present at 1% or greater. […]
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Labeling Regulations – Don’t Know vs. Don’t Care
I’ve been discussing, writing, and lecturing on the subject of soap and cosmetic labeling for nearly 10 years now. During that time I’ve discovered that people who are making handcrafted soap and cosmetics seem fall into categories when it comes to knowing and following the regulations. As with all things, how a person deals with […]