Helping you understand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.
Hi, I’m Marie Gale.
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 a personal quest to understand soap and cosmetic labeling for my own products has grown into a deep understanding of the myriad of requirements that handcrafted soap and cosmetics 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
Latest blog articles
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H.R. 4434 – Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act
H.R. 4433 Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act, the second bill included in the Safer Beauty Bill Package.
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H.R. 4433: The Toxic-free Beauty Act
H.R. 4433 – The Toxic-Free Beauty Act , the first bill in the Safer Beauty Bill Package.
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Safer Beauty Bill Package
Four new cosmetic bills have been introduced in the House, all together called the Safer Beauty Bill Package.
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July is Made in the USA Month
Along with attention on tariffs for foreign-made goods comes a renewed focus on products that are made in the USA.
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Net Contents: Allowed Variation
Sometimes the net contents of each product in a batch can vary a little bit — it’s just a fact of life, especially with handcrafted products. So how do you label?
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Pet Care Products
When you’re making soap and cosmetic products, it’s easy to move into products for animals. What laws apply?
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Lactobacillus Ferment Found “Safe As Used”
The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (CIR) has found that four Lactobacillus ferment ingredients are safe as used in cosmetics.
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Dr. Squatch: From Cold Process to Cold Cash
Dr. Squatch cut through the labeling and marketing noise with humor, authenticity, and viral genius for a $1.5 billion payout.
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Talc – Beyond MoCRA
Talc has been used in cosmetic products for years. It has a dark side, which is that when improperly purified it can contain asbestos – a known carcinogen. Johnson & Johnson, makers of a talc baby powder, are still settling multi billion dollar (yes, that’s billion with a “b”) lawsuits over it. MoCRA Requirements The […]
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How Bath Soap is Made
Here’s a great video that shows how soap is commercially made. It is slanted toward olive oil and is big production, but it’s very interesting!.
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MoCRA Facility Registration & Product Listing Reports
On March 13th, 2025, the FDA announced the number of cosmetic facility registrations and cosmetic product listings that had been completed under MoCRA in the last year.
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BOI – Geez, Now it’s OFF!
Beneficial Ownership Information — On, off, on, off, on, now OFF (and probably for good).
MORE RESOURCES
Membership
$37 per month
Affordable and easily accessible ongoing support through courses, coaching, regularly scheduled Zoom Q + A sessions, a private Facebook group, and more. You don’t just learn what the rules are—you learn how to apply them to your business and get help when and how you need it.
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 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 me 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..
Books
