Helping you undersand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.
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Category: Ingredients
Post which specifically address all different types of ingredients that are used in soap and cosmetic products.
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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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FDA Warning Letters: Products Containing CBD
The FDA sent out 15 warning letters last week (Nov. 2019) to companies that are illegally marketing products containing CBD. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what the FDA is going after and why. The FDA’s Position First, let’s review the FDA’s position on the marketing of products containing CBD. […]
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Frankincense: Not So Sustainable
Frankincense has been used for thousands of years as a medicine, as a perfume or incense, and in religious practices. It is harvested from various species of Boswellia trees, which are native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Yemen) and northeastern Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia). The frankincense industry provides income to millions of people. The problem is […]
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Castor Oil Toxicity?
I was recently asked about castor oil, and whether there was a need to buy “detoxified” castor oil for use in soap. I’ve used castor oil in my soap for a long time because it makes marvelous creamy lather, but I did check into the toxicity issue.