Helping you undersand soap and cosmetic regulations — in plain English.
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Category: Legislation & Regulation
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What About Glitter?
Oooh, pretty! Shiny! Sparkles! Glitter! But can you put it in soap or cosmetics? The FDA regulates color additives that may be used in cosmetics, and “glitter” is not on the list of approved color additives. In fact, the FDA says that glitter is not an approved color additive. BUT, you can see glitter in all […]
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Lawsuits Over “Organic” Cosmetics
Babyganics is now the last in a long line of cosmetic companies sued for false advertising over organic-type claims. Last month (Sept 2016) there were two suits filed against Babyganics, one for falsely advertising and implying their products are organic and one by a mom who alleged that her toddler sustained chemical burns from Babyganics tear-free […]
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Intended Use – Know Before You Go
It is the intended use of a product that determines what it is. Oddly enough, it can be the exact same product formulation, but it could be classed as different types of products depending on what you say is its intended use. What is it? This is a very important concept to understand: the intended use […]
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Toxic Substance Control Act Reform 2016
If you’re following chemical news, you may have heard that reforms of the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976 were just signed into law by President Obama. In very, very brief summary, the revisions to the TSCA passed in 1976 include giving the EPA authority (and a mandate) to test and verify more chemicals for their […]
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International Cosmetic Laws
While most of my writing has been on the subject of United States regulations, the truth is that nearly all major countries have very comparable laws when it comes to labeling soap and cosmetics. The US is a bit more lenient when it comes to soap, and to registration and pre-approval. The reason for the […]
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Cosmetic Regulations – Louisiana
Louisiana is another state that has some regulations for cosmetic manufacturers including facility and product registration.
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ISO Issues Natural and Organic Cosmetic Guidelines
In February this year, the International Standards Organization issued ISO 16128-1, Guidelines of technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products (available to purchase here). The description of the guidelines says: ISO 16128-1:2016 provides guidelines on definitions for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients. In addition to natural and organic ingredients, other ingredient […]
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New FDA Webpage for Handcrafters
The FDA has published a new webpage that is directed to cosmetic handcrafters. It’s the Small Businesses & Homemade Cosmetics: Fact Sheet, which can currently be found in the Cosmetics section of the FDA website, under “Resources for You” > “Industry“. Just to clarify, nothing has changed; there are no new regulations. This is just […]
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Personal Care Products Safety Act (2015)
On April 20th, 2015, Senators Diane Feinstein (D – CA) and Susan Collins (R – ME) introduced The Personal Care Products Safety Act (S. 1014), which, if passed, will update the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as it pertains to cosmetics. There has been considerable discussion about various aspects of the bill and what its […]
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Proposed Revisions to Labeling Regulations Under the FPLA
Update: The final rule was published in the Federal Register, but the online federal regulations have not yet been updated (See FTC updates business address requirements) The Federal Trade Commission is looking to update their regulations under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and “modernize the place-of-business listing requirement.” These are the regulations that apply to […]
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Insect Repelling Soap and Cosmetics
Updated September 25, 2017 Several people have asked me recently about soaps and cosmetics that repel insects. What are the regulations and how do they get labeled? Once there’s a “pesticide” claim (that is, that the product repels insects), the product falls under the jurisdiction of the EPA, under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, […]
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FDA Cosmetic Website Updated
The FDA recently (2014) updated the cosmetic section of their website and added some new pages that clarify regulations, particularly for small manufacturers of soap and cosmetics. Some of the most commonly asked questions are very clearly answered in FAQ format.