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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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 […]
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United Airlines – AGAIN
I posted before about my sad experience with United. I wasn’t sure I was going to use the $150 coupon they gave me, but I did. And everything seemed to be fine. For a while.
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Silent Birth – A New Perspective
The idea of a silent birth was a concept presented in Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health, based on the premise that words spoken during pain or unconsciousness could have adverse effects on a person later in life. I’ve observed it to be true myself, both from my own personal recall and from applying […]
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www.Scientology.org
Last night (Saturday) was one of the major events within the Church of Scientology—the celebration of L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday. There is an international event in Clearwater, Florida which is video’ed and then shipped out to all the outlying Churches so the parishioners there can watch it. I went to see it in Portland. I’m […]
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Suggested SOPs
Good manufacturing practices cover anything and everything that could affect your product quality. It’s not just your master formula and how you make the products – it also includes all the OTHER things that make a difference. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) cover, your workspace, helpers, equipment, facilities, safety procedures, documentation, and quality control, which all […]
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History of the Bath
After a lot of very interesting research, I’ve written an article on The History of the Bath. It was published as the cover article in the Handcrafted Soapmaker, which is the journal of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild. You can read the entire article here.
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Saponifier Review of Soap & Cosmetic Labeling
I have to say I am just tickled with the review that Beth Byrne wrote about my book in the on-line soapmakers magazine, The Saponifier. When they said they were going to review the book I was happy, but I never expected such a glowing (and long) discussion of the book! I’ve always been a […]
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..
Books
