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
SERVICES
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!
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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Kitchen Grease Into Hand Soap
It seems that “what goes around, comes around,” even with soap. What was once a distasteful chore of country housewives or the task of garbage entrepreneurs has now become the new eco-friendly activity of chefs. According to a recent article at Food and Wine there’s a new line of soaps made from the byproducts of […]
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The Many Careers of Soapmakers
Of all the soapmakers I know, not one started out young in life saying,”When I grow up, I’m going to be a soapmaker.” While some have said they “always had an interest”, most were in other careers when they discovered (and got hooked on) soapmaking. Pre-soapmaking careers include accountant, journalist, engineer, chemist, housewife, teacher, internet […]
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What We Watch – Television and Soap
It’s interesting how the American public is so fascinated with and influenced by the trials and tribulations of fictitious families. The success of all soap operas (daytime and prime time), as well as shows like LOST, is all about getting people vested in a form of imaginary voyeurism. And it started with … soap! Earlier […]
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Soap Bubble Close-Up
Ever wondered what a soap bubble looks like close up … VERY close up … like 50x magnification? Absolutely, amazingly beautiful! Mr. Sykora won Image of Distinction in the 2008 annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. And rightly so!
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Census Records of Soapmakers
You can find information about soapmaking in the oddest places and by the strangest methods. Recently, I found out about the numbers of soapmakers around the turn of the (last) century while celebrating my birthday! Birthdays in our family are a day when you can do (or not do) whatever you want. In the past […]
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Sunlight Soap – Botswana
Last night I watched the HBO series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” If you missed the pilot, it is soon to be released on DVD. It’s very cute, retains the feeling of the original books and actually looks like it was filmed in Botswana. And how does this relate to soap?
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Raise The Bar, Use Handcrafted Soap
That’s what the license plate holder on my truck says now. I just put the new Handcrafted Soap Guild license plate holder on my truck. Required a little cleaning up of things to get the mud off, but I think it looks pretty nice! It’ll be cool to drive around and have it be known […]
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Making Soap (with pictures!)
When I make soap, I break it out into in several stages: Preparation, Melting, Mixing & Molding, Unmolding & Cutting, Trimming, and Packaging. Generally there is a time gap between the different stages—sometimes hours, sometimes days, and even sometimes months. This is just how I do it.
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The Art & Science of Making Soap
Making soap is both a science and an art. For me, it’s the combination of the two that makes the whole thing so fascinating. That, and the joy of having my own custom-made, custom-scented, just-perfect-for-me soap. Add to that the fact that I can share it with other people and make some income while doing […]
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Off to HSMG Conference!
As I write this (May 2009) I am finishing up all the loose ends to get ready to leave. Very excited (now that most of the stress of the preparations is done)! The HSMG Annual Conference is a really big deal within the soapmaking community and for me as the President of the HSMG. Leigh […]
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John Adams, 2nd President of the United States
Last night I watched the 7th and final episode of the HBO Miniseries “John Adams”. While I’ve been intrigued and educated through the entire series, it was the last episode that gave me the most insight into the man himself. I attribute that to the fact that it covers the last years of his life, […]
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Tax Day – We Need a Change
I hate tax day. Like many (maybe most) Americans, I seriously resent the time and effort I have to spend to file taxes every year. Filling in the forms has gotten easier over the years with e-File and programs like TurboTax, but even with that I spent over 6 hours putting together my taxes last […]