# Home address on labels



## HerbalEarthling

I just took my first shots of my products for my Etsy shop.  I was wondering if you guys have the same fear, or do you avoid showing too much label with your address on there?  I want to take full product shots for obvious reasons but this whole putting your address on your label really freaks me out.  What to do?


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## ShayShay

Hi. I know the topic of addresses on soap is ongoing and that yes, you are supposed to include it. I don't sell, but I have bought a lot of soap off of etsy (and at at farmers markets or craft shows) from many different sellers before I started making my own - and some after as well. I saved all of those labels and I can tell that not one label has a home address on it. I am certainly not advocating that you do that, just sharing my experience as a consumer. And is certainly doesn't bother me to buy soap that doesn't have an address on it.


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## lsg

I don't know as I would show my whole address on etsy, but I always include it on the back of my product labels.


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## pamielynn

My labels just have my company name, city, state and web address. I'm not too hard to find, if anyone wants to come and give me a hard time about my labeling. 

If you are really nervous about the pics, can you blur out the address part?


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## LuvOurNewf

pamielynn said:


> My labels just have my company name, city, state and web address. I'm not too hard to find, if anyone wants to come and give me a hard time about my labeling.



This is exactly how we do it.


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## HerbalEarthling

Thanks for your input soap friends! I think I will from now on just put my city and state. I did edit out the address on one of my pictures that showed my address. Never even knew it was there! Seriously, paint.net for Windows is pretty cool for doing little edits. FYI


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## paillo

pamielynn said:


> My labels just have my company name, city, state and web address. I'm not too hard to find, if anyone wants to come and give me a hard time about my labeling.



Exactly what I do too. I really don't want to put my full home address on labels. I know anyone can google me, but I don't want to advertise where I live.


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## Moody Glenn

paillo said:


> Exactly what I do too. I really don't want to put my full home address on labels. I know anyone can google me, but I don't want to advertise where I live.



And this is excellent advice. According to the lawyer that helped form my business LLC, home craftmaking businesses *should never include* their exact address. Otherwise you have the potential to have weird people stopping by at all hours to sniff the soap, ask for samples, ask if you have kids, dogs, etc. I think you get the general idea. All it takes is one very determined person. Also, your home insurance may not allow you to showcase your home like this. The lawyer recommended to obtain a PO Box number for added communication purposes. Your home is strictly your home. Allow customer business elsewhere.


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## HerbalEarthling

Ahh what to do! Haha! I've already sold many products with my address on them because I just wanted to do things the legal way. I also have a lot of product that I haven't sold yet with my address on it. 

In the future though I will take your advice and keep my address off of the labels. 
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Soap Making mobile app


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## WAsoaps

Moody Glenn said:


> And this is excellent advice. According to the lawyer that helped form my business LLC, home craftmaking businesses *should never include* their exact address. Otherwise you have the potential to have weird people stopping by at all hours to sniff the soap, ask for samples, ask if you have kids, dogs, etc. I think you get the general idea. All it takes is one very determined person. Also, your home insurance may not allow you to showcase your home like this. The lawyer recommended to obtain a PO Box number for added communication purposes. Your home is strictly your home. Allow customer business elsewhere.



PHEW! When the other user said she thought we had to put our home address on our labels I almost freaked out! Cos there's NO way I would put my personal home address on a label. (I have had stalkers in the past! albeit not related to any business I owned.. just creepy stalkers)

The only scary part is if someone creepy/obsessive meets you at a craft fair or farmer's market and goes to your online store and orders something... they will end up knowing my home address.

...so yeah, I guess I need to get a PO box!!


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## HerbalEarthling

WAsoaps said:


> PHEW! When the other user said she thought we had to put our home address on our labels I almost freaked out! Cos there's NO way I would put my personal home address on a label. (I have had stalkers in the past! albeit not related to any business I owned.. just creepy stalkers)
> 
> The only scary part is if someone creepy/obsessive meets you at a craft fair or farmer's market and goes to your online store and orders something... they will end up knowing my home address.
> 
> ...so yeah, I guess I need to get a PO box!!



Supposedly, you're not even supposed to use a PO box either. But no worries, I haven't been putting my address on labels. I just never really talked to other soapers. I'm very new compared to a lot of people. Seriously, the Soap Making Forum is like the best thing. I was trying to follow the rules, and we all know that's not always fun


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## peepla

My p.o. is my home address.  I've used the same one for 27 years....this year I switched to one closer to home. I don't know why anyone would have a problem with it. For the record, I'm: PurpleButterfly Soaps, P. O. Box 12886, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212. 

So if any on says I cant do that....I simply do this: PurpleButterfly Soaps, 4515 Allison st, #12886, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 

That's the street address of the post office.


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## new12soap

And just for clarity, that does not comply with Federal Law in the US. Small businesses may be able to use a P.O. Box, you can "get around it" if you wish, or you can flat out ignore it and hope you don't get caught, but the FDA is very clear about it.

If you manufacture soaps or cosmetics, the physical street address of where the product is made MUST be listed on the product, or the company or business that manufactures it MUST be listed in the local print directory (phone book). A website, an online directory, a P.O. Box, or just the city and state are NOT sufficient.

There are a number of people that are trying to change that for the safety of the people that run their business from home.

And back to the point of the OP, no, I would not let my address show on my labels online, even tho it is required on the label (or just be listed in the phone book).


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## MzMolly65

Question then .. when I had my company in Canada, my company was allowed to use my lawyer's address as a legal business address for tax purposes.  I had a PO box that was listed on all documents and business cards but when a physical location was required I put the lawyer's address.  Could you do the same in the USA?


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## new12soap

MzMolly65 said:


> Question then .. when I had my company in Canada, my company was allowed to use my lawyer's address as a legal business address for tax purposes. I had a PO box that was listed on all documents and business cards but when a physical location was required I put the lawyer's address. Could you do the same in the USA?
> 
> ETA: can anyone direct me to the legal rules regarding soap making in the USA?


 
No. Unless the soap was actually physically made at your lawyer's office, you cannot use that address on your packaging.

You can start here http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm115449.htm

the package label requirements fall under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, but for some reason I am not able to access that page right now.

HTH


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## paillo

I don't include my home address on any labels, don't want to provide an easy way for someone to find my house. Not that I'm paranoid, and I know the info is easy enough to find via Google, White Pages, return address, etc., but I'd rather keep that info private. I live out in the sticks and hubby travels a lot, so I prefer to provide address info selectively, and not just to anybody.

I include link to my Etsy store, city and zip code, that's all.


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## peepla

In the usa.....the fda guideline stated an address where you could receive and respond to mail, company name, and phone or web page. Is been good enough for 28 years.........not worried about it now.

Legally I only need to declare soap or non-soap. I don't have to list ingredients other than "saponated oils"....which oils...that's a courtesy. I used to put the weigh on them......turns out that's not a requirement either.


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## new12soap

Everyone can choose whether to comply with the laws or not, but legally there is a lot more to it than declaring it soap or non-soap. Soap does not have to list ingredients, but what it is, what size it is, and the rest of the info is required.

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/CosmeticLabelingManual/default.htm

http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/ucm148722.htm

_"(1) The commodity shall bear a label specifying the identity of the commodity and the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;_

_(2) The net quantity of contents (in terms of weight or mass, measure, or numerical count) shall be separately and accurately stated in a uniform location upon the principal display panel of that label, using the most appropriate units of both the customary inch/pound system of measure, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, and, except as provided in paragraph (3)(A)(ii) or paragraph (6) of this subsection, the SI metric system;"_

I didn't make the rules and I am certainly not trying to enforce them, just putting it out there for everyone that does not know, this is what Federal Law says about it. I would encourage everyone to do their research on the FDA website (and follow the links), get all of the correct info and make their own educated decision about compliance and risk. And don't forget wherever you are may have additional state and local requirements.


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## paillo

Yes, I've read the FDA regs, and decided not to comply on the full address requirement. I weighed my sense of risk, and decided that feeling comfortable with my own personal safety was more important, at least to me, than full compliance. I do always include the full ingredient list (and weight), feel that's a courtesy to my buyers, especially those with allergies, and to those who want to make sure they're getting their money's worth. I want to minimize their risk too. It's murky...


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## MzMolly65

new12soap said:


> Everyone can choose whether to comply with the laws or not, but legally there is a lot more to it than declaring it soap or non-soap. Soap does not have to list ingredients, but what it is, what size it is, and the rest of the info is required.
> 
> http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/
> 
> http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/CosmeticLabelingManual/default.htm
> 
> http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/ucm148722.htm
> 
> _"(1) The commodity shall bear a label specifying the identity of the commodity and the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;_
> 
> _(2) The net quantity of contents (in terms of weight or mass, measure, or numerical count) shall be separately and accurately stated in a uniform location upon the principal display panel of that label, using the most appropriate units of both the customary inch/pound system of measure, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, and, except as provided in paragraph (3)(A)(ii) or paragraph (6) of this subsection, the SI metric system;"_
> 
> I didn't make the rules and I am certainly not trying to enforce them, just putting it out there for everyone that does not know, this is what Federal Law says about it. I would encourage everyone to do their research on the FDA website (and follow the links), get all of the correct info and make their own educated decision about compliance and risk. And don't forget wherever you are may have additional state and local requirements.



I'm glad this topic is being discussed and I appreciate you posting that link.  For me, it brings up more questions surrounding labeling and here's what I found when I followed your link.

*****
How labeling requirements are different

A cosmetic product must be labeled according to cosmetic labeling regulations. See the Cosmetic Labeling Manual for  guidance on cosmetic labeling and links to the regulations related to  cosmetic labeling. OTC drugs must be labeled according to OTC drug  regulations, including the "Drug Facts" labeling, as described in 21 CFR 201.66  Combination OTC drug/cosmetic products must have combination OTC  drug/cosmetic labeling. For example, the drug ingredients must be listed  alphabetically as "Active Ingredients," followed by cosmetic  ingredients, listed in descending order of predominance as "Inactive  Ingredients."

*And what if it's "soap"?
*

Soap  is a category that needs special explanation. That's because the  regulatory definition of "soap" is different from the way in which  people commonly use the word. Products that meet the definition of  "soap" are exempt from the provisions of the FD&C Act because—even  though Section 201(i)(1) of the act includes "articles...for cleansing"  in the definition of a cosmetic—Section 201(i)(2) excludes soap from the  definition of a cosmetic.

*How FDA defines "soap"
*

Not every product marketed as soap meets FDA's definition of the term. FDA interprets the term "soap" to apply only when



the  bulk of the nonvolatile matter in the product consists of an alkali  salt of fatty acids and the product's detergent properties are due to  the alkali-fatty acid compounds, and
the product is labeled, sold, and represented solely as soap [21 CFR 701.20].

Products that meet this definition of soap are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission

 (CPSC), not by FDA. Please direct questions about these products, such as safety and labeling requirements, to CPSC.
****

*But when I go to the CPSC website and do a search for soap NOTHING comes up.  There are regulations surrounding specific ingredients such as sodium hydroxide and the products made that contain that ingredient.  Their only comment that I can find relates directly to the need for child proof containers for any product containing more than 10% of total weight sodium or potassium hydroxide but by my calculations most of my soaps contain 8% or less per total recipe so they wouldn't need to conform.  I can't find any other regulations on their website pertaining to soap or soap ingredients.

More reading to do .. murky waters indeed.


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## Lin

Since finished soap does not contain any sodium hydroxide (properly made) it would not fall under any restrictions for products containing sodium hydroxide.


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## peepla

Exactly Lin. I read ALL of that and the updates over the years. It is perfectly legal to use your po box as your business address. All that is listed as a guide line.  My soaps are listed as soaps becuz they are. No cosmetics or detergents in it. I don't even use sodium lactate cuz even though of nature....its a derivative. I use ingredients I can find in the food aisle. Ex: table salt. Same effect.


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## neecee223

I don't sell yet but do plan on using a PO Box address. Different states are probably different, but, when you register your business name I think you have to use a physical address. So if anyone decides to sue you they can easily find out where to serve you. That said, for a home business I don't think it is prudent to use your home address on your product for reasons already listed. You have a phone number a website and a mailing address on your label if someone needs to contact you. The authorities can find you by looking up your business info. If you are getting a PO Box, get one at the Post Office not at a private mail box place. The cost is less and you can also get Fedex and UPS deliveries made there by using the street address of the PO and  your box number. If you have a box at a private mail place the PO cannot forward your mail from there if you close that box, you have to rely on the owner of the business to send it on to you.


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## peepla

The USPS states that you can use a p.o. box as your permanent address...business address......and I have for nearly 30 years. Mail will get forwarded to home address automatically if p.o. box fails. And the guideline that ways a way to get in touch with the seller stipulates mailing address, email, as well as a phone since some folks don't use a standard phone either.


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## new12soap

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/consumer-product-labeling-laws-soaps-detergents-72629.html

"
*Address*

_One issue for some small business manufacturers is the requirement that a physical street address be shown on the label, unless the address is included in a city directory or telephone directory, to comply with the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. Since fewer city directories are published, and since telephone books usually only include landlines and may or may not include a street address, some with home-based soap-crafting businesses find themselves having to list their home address on their business products. Some have petitioned the FDA to alter the rules to allow P.O. boxes to be used instead."_

Again, that some choose not to comply does not change the law, and the FDA (cosmetics) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (soap) are very clear.

eta: Using a P.O. Box as a business address does not have anything to do with labeling laws for commodities. Perhaps that is the source of confusion or disagreement.


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## peepla

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retriev...60&r=PART&n=21y7.0.1.2.11#21:7.0.1.2.11.3.1.1 as of 2/6/2014 these are the guidelines for labeling.


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## MzMolly65

new12soap said:


> *Address*
> 
> _One issue for some small business manufacturers is the requirement that a physical street address be shown on the label, unless the address is included in a city directory or telephone directory, to comply with the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act._



I'm not sure where people are reading the part about physical street address.  I read the FPLA and it states.

"*§1453. Requirements of Labeling; Placement, Form, and Contents of Statement of Quantity; Supplemental Statement of Quantity.* 

*(a) Contents of label*
  No person subject to the prohibition contained in section 1452 of  this title shall distribute or cause to be distributed in commerce any  packaged consumer commodity unless in conformity with regulations which  shall be established by the promulgating authority pursuant to section  1455 of this title which shall provide that -


(1) The commodity shall bear a label specifying the identity of the  commodity and the name and place of business of the manufacturer,  packer, or distributor;"

I don't read the words "street address".  However, Sally's Soaps, MyTown, Washington is a name and place.


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## MzMolly65

peepla said:


> http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retriev...60&r=PART&n=21y7.0.1.2.11#21:7.0.1.2.11.3.1.1 as of 2/6/2014 these are the guidelines for labeling.



Those are guidelines for cosmetics, from which soap is exempt .. unless you make statements about your soap that put it into the cosmetic category.


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## MzMolly65

Lin said:


> Since finished soap does not contain any sodium hydroxide (properly made) it would not fall under any restrictions for products containing sodium hydroxide.



Interesting and I like this statement ... buuuutttt ... if you did have to label ingredients what would you put?  Saponified oil?


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## ilovesoap2

On commercial soaps I see things like sodium tallowate which I understand to be saponified tallow?  I'm new and really just trying to understand.


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## ilovesoap2

peepla said:


> I don't even use sodium lactate cuz even though of nature....its a derivative. I use ingredients I can find in the food aisle. Ex: table salt. Same effect.


Are there rules about using derivatives?


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## Hazel

peepla said:


> Exactly Lin. I read ALL of that and the updates over the years. It is perfectly legal to use your po box as your business address. All that is listed as a guide line.  My soaps are listed as soaps becuz they are. No cosmetics or detergents in it. I don't even use sodium lactate cuz even though of nature....its a derivative. I use ingredients I can find in the food aisle. Ex: table salt. Same effect.



I'm curious about where you found the information about the legality of using a PO box as a business address. Could you please share the source?

@ ilovesoap2 & MzMolly65

There aren't any rules for 'derivatives'. I use sodium lactate as an additive in soap and lotions and like the properties it brings to both items. 

I list all ingredients which go into soap just in case someone has an allergy or perhaps is looking for a specific ingredient. I list them before saponification since lye takes what it wants and I don't have any way of determining the percentage of oils after saponification for recipes which have oils used in equal weights. So, my label would look like: 



> Water, Olive Oil, Tallow, Lard, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Castor Oil, Fragrance, Sodium Lactate, Sugar, Tussah Silk, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide Green, Tin Oxide


I have seen some labels which state "Saponified oils of olive, palm, coconut (etc)" so sodium hydroxide doesn't have to be listed. However, I'm not sure how they would show or if they did show other ingredients. There are discussions about CP labeling which goes into more detail. 

Now, if I knew exactly how much of each oil was left after saponification, I could use INCI terms like commercial manufacturers. If I did, the oils would be proceeded by the word "sodium" to show the conversion to 'salts of fatty acids'. I'm not positive but I think my label would look like:



> Sodium Olivate, Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Lardate, Sodium Sunflowerate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Castorate, Fragrance, Sodium Lactate, Sugar, Tussah Silk,  Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide Green, Tin Oxide


You might find WSP's Saponified Terms useful. http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/PDFS/SaponifedTerms.pdf


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## The Efficacious Gentleman

I appreciate the back ground to this, but if someone wanted to just walk up to your house, they can - even if your address is not published anywhere!  For every instance of someone taking an address on a product label and doing something nefarious I imagine there are at least 2 instances of someone just picking a random house and doing something nefarious!


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## Lindy

In Canada you are required to have your address on the label.  Since Health Canada recognizes that not everyone has a physical address, they will allow a box number on the label.  I have rented a post office box for this very reason after checking to make sure it was legal by speaking directly with HC...

 I don't know the US rules as well as Canada so I can't say what theirs are but I expect they recognize that there are rural makers as well.  You can register your business with them at your physical address so they know where to find you and then use a PO Box for your labels I would think.  Although you don't have to register with the FDA either do you?


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## Lindy

With the actual ingredient label (in Canada) they want what is in the finished product not what was used to create a chemical reaction in order to produce the product.  So here we must label using INCI and since Sodium Hydroxide is not in the completed product it is not to be on there, the Sodium part of the INCI covers that since, for instance, Sodium Olivate means Olive Oil Soap and covers the process of saponification.  We are also not allowed to use the term of Saponified oils of.....


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## ilovesoap2

Hazel said:


> @ ilovesoap2 & MzMolly65
> 
> There aren't any rules for 'derivatives'. I use sodium lactate as an additive in soap and lotions and like the properties it brings to both items.



Thank you.


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## green soap

MzMolly65 said:


> I'm glad this topic is being discussed and I appreciate you posting that link.  For me, it brings up more questions surrounding labeling and here's what I found when I followed your link.
> 
> *****
> How labeling requirements are different
> 
> A cosmetic product must be labeled according to cosmetic labeling regulations. See the Cosmetic Labeling Manual for  guidance on cosmetic labeling and links to the regulations related to  cosmetic labeling. OTC drugs must be labeled according to OTC drug  regulations, including the "Drug Facts" labeling, as described in 21 CFR 201.66  Combination OTC drug/cosmetic products must have combination OTC  drug/cosmetic labeling. For example, the drug ingredients must be listed  alphabetically as "Active Ingredients," followed by cosmetic  ingredients, listed in descending order of predominance as "Inactive  Ingredients."
> 
> *And what if it's "soap"?
> *
> 
> Soap  is a category that needs special explanation. That's because the  regulatory definition of "soap" is different from the way in which  people commonly use the word. Products that meet the definition of  "soap" are exempt from the provisions of the FD&C Act because—even  though Section 201(i)(1) of the act includes "articles...for cleansing"  in the definition of a cosmetic—Section 201(i)(2) excludes soap from the  definition of a cosmetic.
> 
> *How FDA defines "soap"
> *
> 
> Not every product marketed as soap meets FDA's definition of the term. FDA interprets the term "soap" to apply only when
> 
> 
> 
> the  bulk of the nonvolatile matter in the product consists of an alkali  salt of fatty acids and the product's detergent properties are due to  the alkali-fatty acid compounds, and
> the product is labeled, sold, and represented solely as soap [21 CFR 701.20].
> 
> Products that meet this definition of soap are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
> 
> (CPSC), not by FDA. Please direct questions about these products, such as safety and labeling requirements, to CPSC.
> ****
> 
> *But when I go to the CPSC website and do a search for soap NOTHING comes up.  There are regulations surrounding specific ingredients such as sodium hydroxide and the products made that contain that ingredient.  Their only comment that I can find relates directly to the need for child proof containers for any product containing more than 10% of total weight sodium or potassium hydroxide but by my calculations most of my soaps contain 8% or less per total recipe so they wouldn't need to conform.  I can't find any other regulations on their website pertaining to soap or soap ingredients.
> 
> More reading to do .. murky waters indeed.



I have sent an email to the CPSC asking details about the labeling requirements.  Two years later, I am still waiting for their reply.  Given this, I figure if we omit our home address nobody is going to come knocking at our door to enforce these rules.  

My understanding from a lot of searching is that in the US, if you sell 'just soap' you only need:

1 - to label it as 'soap' 

2 - to put the weight - FDA likes both oz and grams.  Not sure if the CPSC wants both oz and grams (they never answered!) So no big deal to me, I list the weight in both oz and grams.

3 - the address of the soap maker.  This part is where I had my question, do we need to use our home address or a PO box will do?  two years later still no answer.

The ingredients do not need to be listed.  This is as far as the regulations. 

My customers really appreciate me labeling all the ingredients comprehensively and in plain english, so I go beyond the simple regulations.  I make my labels for my customers, and since I also sell some cosmetics I label everything according to the FDA rules, it just makes it simpler for me.  

So the answer is that yes, unless you are listed in your town phone book (this is very expensive in some towns) the regulations are that your home address should be listed on the soap, but the ingredients do not need to be (funny thing, my customers seem to care a lot more about the ingredients in their soap than where I live....).

Now for the good news, no one is doing it (none of the local soap makers in any case), and no one seems to be enforcing it either.  

I have decided to list our company name and our town only.  All of my customers know how to find me.  Two years later no one has complained about my labels.  

I am sure that this rule (listing the home address) will be eventually dropped from the books.  It seems there is no real rush to either change it, or enforce it though.


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## neecee223

I too perused the CPSC website, to no avail. Has anyone ever been "busted" for not listing their physical address on their labels? Until there are some stories saying they have, if you use a PO Box, keep doing it.


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## freesia792

Moody Glenn said:


> And this is excellent advice. According to the lawyer that helped form my business LLC, home craftmaking businesses *should never include* their exact address. Otherwise you have the potential to have weird people stopping by at all hours to sniff the soap, ask for samples, ask if you have kids, dogs, etc. I think you get the general idea. All it takes is one very determined person. Also, your home insurance may not allow you to showcase your home like this. The lawyer recommended to obtain a PO Box number for added communication purposes. Your home is strictly your home. Allow customer business elsewhere.



Moody Glenn, you and I are on the same page with this. That was going to be my suggestion. Get a P.O box and list that. I purchase home crafts of all sorts (foods and soaps and more). Never have I seen a home address. Just seems irresponsible to give your home address. I don't know who encourages this practice, but obviously YOUR safety isn't high on their list. A person needs to be careful. I have no problem putting my email address, and/or a p.o box...but why would my home address be required? Sounds like just another way to make you wonder if having your own business is worth the risk. I work for a small business (family run) and we work with the public (some vulnerable adults) and even in this business, we are not required to list a home address.


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## Squeaky

green soap said:


> I have sent an email to the CPSC asking details about the labeling requirements.  Two years later, I am still waiting for their reply.  Given this, I figure if we omit our home address nobody is going to come knocking at our door to enforce these rules.



New here, I thought I'd share that I contacted the CPSC a number of months ago and did get a reply.  It basically said that because there's no Sodium Hydroxide in the finished product it's not in their jurisdiction.  I'm not sure where it got started that the CPSC has any rules about soap, but it's just not true.  I can dig up the email and copy the exchange (it's brief) if anyone is interested in the particulars. Soap labeling is confusing enough if you want to follow all the rules, it would be great if the CPSC bit could be effectively "debunked" 

Soap labeling falls mainly to the FDA and the Fair Labeling Act.  I don't sell yet, but when I do I plan to add something to the tune of that the location is not open to the public under the address. I've also considered finding some small space to rent so I could make soap in a location other than my home and be able to use a different address, but I'd still add that the line about not being open to public.  I have no aspirations to run a brick and mortar store front, so I'll likely never be in a position where I'd want people thinking they could just pop by.


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## green soap

from the horse's mouth:

http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/ucm074201.htm

and this is copied right from that link:


....."And what if it's "soap"?

Soap is a category that needs special explanation. That's because the regulatory definition of "soap" is different from the way in which people commonly use the word. Products that meet the definition of "soap" are exempt from the provisions of the FD&C Act because—even though Section 201(i)(1) of the act includes "articles...for cleansing" in the definition of a cosmetic—Section 201(i)(2) excludes soap from the definition of a cosmetic.

How FDA defines "soap"

"Not every product marketed as soap meets FDA's definition of the term. FDA interprets the term "soap" to apply only when

the bulk of the nonvolatile matter in the product consists of an alkali salt of fatty acids and the product's detergent properties are due to the alkali-fatty acid compounds, and
the product is labeled, sold, and represented solely as soap [21 CFR 701.20].

Products that meet this definition of soap are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission disclaimer icon  (CPSC), not by FDA. Please direct questions about these products, such as safety and labeling requirements, to CPSC..."


So as you see, the FDA tells us that soap is regulated by the CPSC.  This is very interesting that CPSC responded that soap is not under their jurisdiction.  Neither the FDA nor the CPSC want anything to do with soap apparently.


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## Squeaky

Thank you!  My post could have been better worded.  Yes the CPSC would technically regulate soap.  But they have no rules about labeling.  Not unless there's enough lye left in the soap it would be hazardous. So, I don't know why it goes around that the CPSC has labeling rules for soap.  The FDA doesn't actually say that. If you run "CPSC Soap Labeling" through a search engine, you get other forums, soapers, and websites that claim the CPSC has rules and will list them, when in fact they don't have any labeling rules or guidelines at all.

They didn't actually outright say that soap is not in their jurisdiction, that's more my own summary of what they said.  Here's their reply. 



> The CPSC does not have regulations for bath soap or hand soap. For either type of soap to require labeling under the CPSC, it must fit the criteria in the 2 paragraphs below.
> 
> The Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) requires hazardous household products ("hazardous substances") to bear labeling that alerts consumers to the potential hazards that those products present and that tells them what they need to do to protect themselves and their children from those hazards. Whether a product must be labeled depends on its contents and the likelihood that consumers will be exposed to any hazards it presents.
> 
> To require labeling, a product must first be toxic, corrosive, flammable or combustible, an irritant, or a strong sensitizer, or it must generate pressure through decomposition, heat, or other means. Second, the product must have the potential to cause substantial personal injury or substantial illness during or as a result of any customary or reasonably foreseeable handling or use, including reasonably foreseeable ingestion by children.



Which makes sense to me if you consider what all the CPSC actually handles.  Product recalls and safety guidelines for potentially dangerous/hazardous products and materials.

It's the the Fair Labeling and Packaging Act that has most of the label requirements.  Including those most often falsely attributed to the CPSC. 

http://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rule...eform-proceedings/fair-packaging-labeling-act

Isn't the address petition still pending? I don't recall ever seeing that they arrived at any decision about it.  I wonder if there's some way to bolster support for it, let them know that there are a lot of businesses out there that this impacts.


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## Cococamila

I have an Etsy shop not for soap
Selling though. The shipping labels I print from Etsy show my home address. I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe in the pictures you wouldn't want to show your address but the buyer will see your address on the shipping label unless you have a diffrent address listed. For example a po box. I'm not trying to persuade anyone anyway as I have no knowledge of FDA or other laws but just bringing up the fact that the shipping label has your address on it. Also if you purchased a domain name and you did not secure your info so it is shown on Whois or similar sites they can find it there too.


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