Helping you undersand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.
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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 that 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 your 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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Adult Film Star and Ivory Soap
I don’t follow the news much, so I missed the fact that Marilyn Chambers, star of Behind the Green Door, one of the first “main-stream” porn films, died earlier this month. I only found out when it was briefly mentioned in People magazine. What I found interesting was the note that before Marilyn made her […]
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More EO blends from 1904
Here are some more EO blends from The Manual of Toilet Soap-Making by Dr. C. Deite. The amounts given in the book are for scenting a soap batch using 50 kilos of oil; I’ve adjusted them down so the amounts shown below are for a soap batch containing 5 kilos (11 pounds) of oil. The […]
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Promote the Benefits of Soap and Water
As we all know, washing with soap and water is one of the very best ways to prevent the spread of disease, including colds, flu, and other illnesses. The CDC has long been promoting the benefits of washing with soap and water. But a survey by the The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) and the American […]
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EO Blends for Soap from 1904
Back around the turn of the (last) century, synthetic fragrances were just making their debut. Soapmaking manuals and books for the time still gave recipes for scent blending based on essential oils. My Manual of Toilet Soap-Making by Dr. C. Deite lists a number of scent blends for what were “traditional” toilet soaps at the […]
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Wool and Soap
I found a reference in The Art of Soap-Making by Alexander Watt (1918) which describes “fulling soaps.” Being unsure of what, exactly, “fulling” really was, I wasn’t sure whether the soap he described would be suitable for washing woolens as well. Turns out not, but I did make some interesting discoveries along the way. And […]
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Manhattan Garbage & Soap
Imagine New York City and the island of Manhattan in the 1840’s. The city was rapidly expanding with an influx of immigrants from all over the world. Industry was expanding with the rise of the Industrial Revolution. The northern portion of the island was still providing the city with dairy products and meat. Sewage disposal […]
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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! This image is “Soap Bubble in a Petri Dish,” taken at 50x magnification. Photographer: Viktor Sykora 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?
MORE RESOURCES
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..
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