Marie Gale

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

Choose the right solution to fit your needs


DIY with Blog Articles & Videos

FREE

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!

Complying with MoCRA by Marie Gale
Soap and Cosmetic Labeling cover
Navigating the Rules and Regs book by Marie Gale
Good Manufacturing Practices cover
300 years of Natural Soap and Cosmetic Recipes cover

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..

  • How & Why to Keep Lot Numbers

    How & Why to Keep Lot Numbers

    Last week The Nova Studio posted a great post, Why You Should Care About Lot Numbers, detailing their experiences on finding out that the San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Company in Fremont, CA had a bad rodent infestation & was recalling over a dozen of their products that may have been infested with droppings. The news report […]

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  • Castor Oil Toxicity?

    Castor Oil Toxicity?

    I was recently asked about castor oil, and whether there was a need to buy “detoxified” castor oil for use in soap.  I’ve used castor oil in my soap for a long time because  it makes marvelous creamy lather, but I did check into the toxicity issue.

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  • Calculating the Net Weight of Soap (Part 1)

    Calculating the Net Weight of Soap (Part 1)

    When you are labeling soap, one of the problems you run into is figuring out the net weight to put on the label. Since water will continue to evaporate out of the soap over time, the soap will gradually come to weigh less, even after the initial “cure time.” When the consumer is deciding whether […]

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  • 8 GMP Documentation Tips

    Good manufacturing practices rest solidly on documentation, documentation, documentation. You could be (and possibly are) doing everything right, and ensuring that your product is of the highest possible quality each and every time … but is it documented? Without accurate and detailed documentation, your GMP will never be fully in place. While it does take […]

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  • 6 Things to Consider When Printing Your Own Labels

    Whether your labels look “professional” or “homemade” can affect how well your product sells. When you are printing your own labels, here are some basics that will help your labels achieve that polished, professional look. It doesn’t take much, just some attention to detail and making sure that all the pieces work together.

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  • 8 Requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices

    There are 8 main types of information and documentation that must be considered and addressed when implementing your good manufacturing practices. While each plays a part, they are inter-related; you can get an overview on good manufacturing practices in general by understanding these 8 different areas.

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  • Measuring Text Sizes For Labels

    Measuring Text Sizes For Labels

    One of the most common labeling errors is using type that is too small on your label. So how do you determine the right size of type? And what font size is that? The right size of type is determined by the size of the container (not the size of the label itself), and the […]

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  • What’s the Point of GMP?

    What’s the Point of GMP?

    You might wonder what’s the point of going to all the trouble of following good manufacturing practices. After all, your products are great, right? The whole reason for implementing good manufacturing practices is to ensure that your great product is great: every batch, every bar, every time. GMP is there to address and control every […]

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  • Five Most Common Labeling Errors

    Five Most Common Labeling Errors

    The errors are all simple to fix. It’s just a matter of putting the right information in the right place, and making sure that it’s the correct information.

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  • Cosmetic Legislative Update

    Three bills have been introduced this session that affect cosmetics–especially small soap and cosmetic manufacturers. They are: HR 2359 – Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 HR 4262 – Cosmetics Safety Enhancement Act of 2012 HR 4395 – Cosmetic Safety Amendments Act of 2012 All are trying to address “cosmetic safety” in different ways. There are […]

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  • Making a Difference with Soap

    Soap, at one end of the spectrum it’s a luxury item, at the other it saves lives. Did you know that more than 5 million lives are lost each year – the majority of whom are children – to diseases such as acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease caused by improper hygiene and lack of […]

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  • Amazing and Unique Soaps

    We’ve all seen bar soap (which can be stunningly beautiful with swirls, embeds, and colors), and liquid soap, and even soap that looks like food. But how about soap that looks completely like something else? Check out these amazing soaps!

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