For those who make at home (businesses included) - label question

[dndlyon]

I did a bit of a search but most of the posts I found about this were over a year old, so forgive me if I missed something

For those of you who make soap, lotion, lip balm, etc. in your own home - Do you add any kind of allergy statement to your labels?

I'm thinking specifically about cross-contact from other allergens in your home. For example, let's say that you made a peanut butter pie in your kitchen or ate a peanut butter sandwich somewhere else in the house. Then later that week you use the same kitchen or other house space to make lip balm. Even if you use different equipment, there could be a potential for cross-contact from shared surfaces (counter tops, etc.) depending on how well you clean, if you cover the counter, etc.

I'm asking those of you who give your products as gifts and those who sell your products. Just curious what everyone's thoughts are on this.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Lin19687]

Nope. I wouldn't make lip balm or lotion in the kitchen anyway.
All the ingredients are listed on the products. If someone has an allergy and asks me I tell them. If they ask about peanuts I say I have it in my house, period.

Anyone that gets my stuff as a gift can contact me through my website that is listed on the product if they have a question.

 

[cmzaha]

Since we lost our shop I do have to make my products in my home. If I use a nut oil in lip balms or lotions I do put a warning on the label, additional I will put Macadamia Nut Lip Balm on the prominent part of the label. As for cross contamination all counters are washed down with bleach or sprayed with a food safe broad spectrum bactericide. All lotion utensils are soaked and counters covered with cheap vinyl tablecloths. Tablecloths are stored in bags and the one that never has high allergen such as peanut ingredients/products used on it. I love the cheapie table cloths covers from dollar stores. I keep a stack of them around

Keep in mind I have severe allergies, so I am quite paranoid. I also believe we should not have to be totally responsible for others, but protect ourselves to a point. People really need to take responsibility for themselves. But we live in times of high litigation...

One thing I had happen at my former Friday market, like any good nosy soapmaker I was checking out a new booth that had essential oils, soaps etc. She picked up a highly scented Lavender (aromatherapy) candle and stuck it in my face. I told her not to ever do that again that I am allergic to Lavender, answer was, nobody is allergic to Lavender. A few years back lavender bothered me a lot, but my allergies have leveled off with the Lavender sensitivity. Although I still use a mask when using it and do not use lavender candles or melts in my house.

 

[zanzalawi]

One thing I had happen at my former Friday market, like any good nosy soapmaker I was checking out a new booth that had essential oils, soaps etc. She picked up a highly scented Lavender (aromatherapy) candle and stuck it in my face. I told her not to ever do that again that I am allergic to Lavender, answer was, nobody is allergic to Lavender. A few years back lavender bothered me a lot, but my allergies have leveled off with the Lavender sensitivity. Although I still use a mask when using it and do not use lavender candles or melts in my house.

ive seen so much of that on facebook recently- "you cant be allergic to essential oils. these essential oils are all-natural- no one is allergic to them" blah blah
some pretty dangerous misconceptions out there

 

[MKLonestar]

I used Almond oil in some of my recipes, but not all. I have thoroughly washed, sanitised, and cleaned everything from when I made those soaps a couple of months ago, but I realized that I would need a warning on all labels following. Now I do put "May contain trace elements of tree nut oils, specifically ALMOND and MACADAMIA". I only put these two because those are the two oils/butters that I use that I am aware of that may cause problems for people.

 

[Susie]

One thing I had happen at my former Friday market, like any good nosy soapmaker I was checking out a new booth that had essential oils, soaps etc. She picked up a highly scented Lavender (aromatherapy) candle and stuck it in my face. I told her not to ever do that again that I am allergic to Lavender, answer was, nobody is allergic to Lavender.

Words fail me at how dangerous her beliefs and actions are.... We really need the little mad face like FB has so we can be mad at people with you. (Not mad AT you, mind you)

 

[amd]

Slightly off topic... is it possible to be allergic to lye? I had a woman come to my booth this summer and said "It smells so good, but I won't be able to use any of it. I'm allergic to lye." Ridiculous claim or how much of a concern is it? I do label my soaps as having NaOH (lye) - I really should change it to Sodium Hydroxide but SM3 spits it out as NaOH (lye) and I'm lazy, so I leave it - even though there isn't any lye left. If the allergy concern is legit, then would using soap made with lye that passes the zap test be an allergy concern?

 

[shunt2011]

That’s a good question. Curious now myself. I’ve never had anyone say they were allergic to it but hmmmm. Coconut and nuts have been the most common.

 

[jcandleattic]

Slightly off topic... is it possible to be allergic to lye? I had a woman come to my booth this summer and said "It smells so good, but I won't be able to use any of it. I'm allergic to lye." Ridiculous claim or how much of a concern is it? I do label my soaps as having NaOH (lye) - I really should change it to Sodium Hydroxide but SM3 spits it out as NaOH (lye) and I'm lazy, so I leave it - even though there isn't any lye left. If the allergy concern is legit, then would using soap made with lye that passes the zap test be an allergy concern?

That is a good question that I just don't know the answer too. Yes, there is no active lye left after saponification, but there is still the by product of lye/oils that are now saponified oils. So? Maybe a legit concern?

Sometimes, I think people make up these things as a way not to hurt our feelings when they just don't want to purchase our product. (not always of course, allergies are a serious concern)

I once had a woman tell me she couldn't use my CP soaps because she was allergic to glycerin, but then proceeded to a table across the way and buy 12 M&P bars of soap... ??? Okay...

 

[dndlyon]

Nope. I wouldn't make lip balm or lotion in the kitchen anyway.
All the ingredients are listed on the products. If someone has an allergy and asks me I tell them. If they ask about peanuts I say I have it in my house, period.

Anyone that gets my stuff as a gift can contact me through my website that is listed on the product if they have a question.

Thank you! Just curious - why would you prefer not to make lip balm or lotion in the kitchen? I'm assuming you make the products in your house, just not in the kitchen - really I'm just curious...In my head you have some dreamy production set up in a spare area of the house. I'm also trying to justify turning some spare space into a production area, so any justification I can get not to use the kitchen is a +

 

[dndlyon]

It was interesting to see several of you pick up on nut oils themselves. I even go back and forth on this - depending on how the oil was refined, it may not contain traces of allergens, but how well do you know and trust your supplier, and who can afford to test every batch for traces of allergens?!

I'm more concerned about cross-contact in a shared production area, and I'm probably thinking from an overly conservative viewpoint. In food, you have to prove your cleaning removes traces of allergens below a detectable threshold level and have a monitoring program in place before you can consider not labeling product that is made on shared lines. However, I haven't read anything about this in any of the cosmetic regulations, GMP manuals, etc. Was just curious where y'all felt was an appropriate place to draw the line if you use shared space. Thanks for your opinions!

Regarding "allergic to lye" - I mean aren't we all? I get a pretty serious reaction when it hits my skin Seriously though - if you look through all the medical and food literature around allergies, there are only a few designated classes of allergens with a lot of other categories like "irritants" and "sensitizing agents". It's mostly based on how your immune system functions and what the "invading molecules" cause your immune system to do - all very scienc-y and chemist-y. It's also a government thing as some places recognize different lists of allergens.

If you're looking at the actual science / legal version of allergen, lye is not in the list. If you're looking at it from the perspective of a person who wants to avoid X for specific reasons (science based or based on a misconception or opinion), then sure...ok

Allergens? “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” - Inigo Montoya


Maybe this person has an association with CP soap as "lye soap" and she has purchased bad soap in the past (we all say here regularly that we see things that we shouldn't see on the market). Not a far jump to see how they could decide that all "lye soap" was bad. My first purchased goat milk soap was a bad soap and it gave me the worst dry skin. I HATED it as a category based on that one experience. Then I found someone who knew how to make goat milk soap. The previous soap was not a good soap - no matter what soap I purchased, I would have had a bad experience, and since it was my first experience with CP soap, I might have decided I needed to avoid the whole category.

 

[Lin19687]

1 I have a tiny kitchen and 2 I have an office/soaping room

But mainly because there are always things in there that I can not control without having to clean clean everything over and over. Flour, crumbs, I have kids lol. In the office it is one counter and it easy to wipe clean and keep other 'contaminants' out.

 

[dndlyon]

@Lin19687 - thanks for sharing! I don't have kids, but do have dogs. So I'm thinking an office soaping area would be perfect - I just hate to be so far away from the sink Thanks again!

 

[amd]

Regarding "allergic to lye" - I mean aren't we all? I get a pretty serious reaction when it hits my skin Seriously though - if you look through all the medical and food literature around allergies, there are only a few designated classes of allergens with a lot of other categories like "irritants" and "sensitizing agents". It's mostly based on how your immune system functions and what the "invading molecules" cause your immune system to do - all very scienc-y and chemist-y. It's also a government thing as some places recognize different lists of allergens.

If you're looking at the actual science / legal version of allergen, lye is not in the list. If you're looking at it from the perspective of a person who wants to avoid X for specific reasons (science based or based on a misconception or opinion), then sure...ok

Allergens? “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” - Inigo Montoya


Maybe this person has an association with CP soap as "lye soap" and she has purchased bad soap in the past (we all say here regularly that we see things that we shouldn't see on the market). Not a far jump to see how they could decide that all "lye soap" was bad. My first purchased goat milk soap was a bad soap and it gave me the worst dry skin. I HATED it as a category based on that one experience. Then I found someone who knew how to make goat milk soap. The previous soap was not a good soap - no matter what soap I purchased, I would have had a bad experience, and since it was my first experience with CP soap, I might have decided I needed to avoid the whole category.

The person had an experience with bad soap was my first thought as well, but it doesn't seem like good customer service (even for a customer who is not buying) to "poo-poo" what they say. Maybe someday they'll realize the error of their ways and remember me for being nice. (I don't bank on that, but that's my approach to it.) Maybe next time I'll just say "Yeah me too, that's why I make sure there's no lye left in my soap." and see what happens.

 

[Lye-h20-oil]

I have worked in the restaurant business for 20 years. I am no expert on food allergies but if someone has a food allergy they will let us know. They still eat food from a kitchen that has the offensive item. If you clean your soaping equipment and work area thoroughly after using nut oils and label anything having nut oils as such you should be ok. Now the fancy soap cutters....I don't have one and I don't know how easy they are to clean? Maybe put nut oil soaps in a special mold that doesn't need to be cut? Again I'm not an expert on soap or allergies, just my experience in restaurants.