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Parabens in Cosmetic Preservatives
Parabens are a class of preservatives including methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ethylparaben (and 17 more). These are commonly used preservatives which form the basis of several commercial preservative blends, including Germaben(TM) II and Liquapar(TM). Paraben Safety Parabens have been used in cosmetic (and other) products for over 100 years. However, there have recently been safety […]
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Plastic Microbeads
Plastic microbeads are prohibited for use in rinse-off cosmetics. If a rinse-off cosmetic contains plastic microbeads, it is adulterated (and therefore illegal).1 Key Words to Know Pastic Microbead: Any solid plastic particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size and is intended to be used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body or any […]
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Rubbing Alcohol
The term “rubbing alcohol” originally referred to alcohols that were applied to the body rather than drinking them as a beverage. Especially during Prohibition, when consumable alcohol was illegal, the distinction was very important.1 The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the United States Pharmocapeia (USP) define two different formulas for rubbing […]
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Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol)
Isopropyl alcohol (also called 2-propanol or isopropanol) is a colorless, clear, flammable liquid with a strong and recognizable odor. It is made from propylene (also called propene) which comes from petroleum. Isopropyl alcohol is often also referred to as “rubbing alcohol” although it is not the only type of rubbing alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol is highly poisonous […]
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Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol)
When used in the naming of a cosmetic ingredient, “alcohol” is the proper INCI name for ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Ethyl alcohol—also called grain alcohol—is the consumable kind of alcohol. It’s naturally produced by the fermentation of sugars, from which we get all sorts of alcoholic beverages; beers, wines, and hard liquors. It can also be […]
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Talc
As an ingredient in cosmetics, talc has been under scrutiny for some years now. I’ve recently done a survey of the current information about talc, and here’s what I found out. Talc was originally used as “talcum powder”—the original body or baby powder. Now it has many uses in cosmetics and other personal care products; […]
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Made in the USA
If you want to make the claim that a product is “Made in the USA” you must comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s “Made in the USA” policy.
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Making Cosmetics in Ohio
Ohio is one of the several states that have additional requirements for cosmetic makers.
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The Importance of Good Manufacturing Practices
Sometimes it’s easy to think that keeping in Good Manufacturing Practices when making cosmetics is just a good idea—a “suggestion” rather than a “rule.” I suppose that idea is reinforced by the fact that cosmetic GMP isn’t actually in the regulations, it’s a “guidance.” Events of the past several months have shown that GMP failures […]
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What is INCI?
Key Words to Know Nomenclature The words and terminology specific to a particular subject or area of study. Botanical Related to plants: a part of a plant. INCI International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients is a list of the standardized and internationally accepted names (called “INCI Names”) that should be […]
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FDA Policy Change on Hand Sanitizers
On October 12th, 2021, the FDA announced they are withdrawing their temporary policies allowing manufacturers who were not drug manufacturers to produce certain alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Background In the US (and elsewhere) hand sanitizers are classified as drugs—usually over-the-counter drugs. They must be manufactured by approved drug manufacturers in facilities that are registered, inspected, and […]
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FDA Warning Letters 2021
I’ve been receiving a lot notices of FDA warning letters, so I reviewed the last 106 warning letters (60 days) to see what sort of warnings they have been sending out lately. Here’s the breakdown of the types of products cited (in descending order). Unapproved New Drugs Warning letters concerning cosmetics are usually found under […]
Helping you undersand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.