Labeling your M&P soaps

[ShelleyW]

I have been making M&P and CP soaps for years. I now have time to start selling it so I am researching the business side of it.

How do you list the ingredients? Do you just copy what is on the manufacturer's ingredient list? I am confused by all the chemical names!

Thanks!

 

[Triquetra]

I usually put what the base is made of and if I add in other ingredients those too - so Id list it -

Olive Oil (Grade A extra virgin),Palm Oil,Coconut Oil,Safflower Oil,Glycerine,Hemp Seed Oil (unrefined),Purified Water,Sodium Hydroxide,Sorbitol,Sorbitan oleate,Soy bean protein,Fragrance

 

[Crombie]

Labeling

Labeling rules differ by country. The U.S. seems to have the most lenient rules. If I were going to sell my soap I would first purchase liability insurance and I would next purchase Marie Gale's book on labeling:
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/bookproductreviews/gr/labelinggale.htm

For your soap to be viewed as soap in the eyes of the governmental labeling laws, your soap must be real soap - made primarily of oils and lye...and it must not make any cosmetic claims like "moisturizing", "exfoliating", or "deodorizing" - it just has to be soap...that cleans. This includes melt and pour soap bases too, as long as they are real soap, made primarily with oils and lye.

Soap falls under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission which requires the following on the label:
Wording on the package that identifies the product as "Soap"

1. 1. Wording on the package that identifies the product as "Soap"
   2. Net weight of product
   3. Name and address of your business

This info came from the following website: http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapglossary/a/soaplabeling.htm

 

[lsg]

I list all of the ingredients from those used in the largest amount to the least amount, using the INCI names. Since most melt & pour bases consist of more than lye, water and oils ingredients must be listed.

"The FDA requires that the label for any cosmetic includes a complete declaration of ingredients. In the United States, if a soap is a "true soap" (made primarily with lye, water and oil) and makes no other claims than it is soap and cleans, it not considered a cosmetic and therefore does not require the listing of ingredients. However, if the soap is not a "true soap" (mostly in the case of ready-made soap bases that are detergent-based) or if a cosmetic claim is made for the soap, then the complete ingredient declaration is required."


Source: http://www.soapguild.org/consumers/soap-ingredients.php

 

[shunt2011]

MP soap is considered a true soap. I would list everything by their INCI names. I have one soap that I use MP embeds and I list it appropriately.

 

[lsg]

Most melt and pour is not considered a true soap according to the FDA . Read the definition of true soap above your post.

 

[ShelleyW]

Thanks so much for the responses!

What is INCI? Still learning the acronyms for soaping.

 

[Relle]

INCI, International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients.

Link to the abbreviation thread on the forum - http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=3789

 

[Bann51]

I list all my ingredients by volume or weight in order from largest to least. Just as Crombie has stated. An example of an ingredient listed is as follows: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil. I list both the INCI name and the common name.

 

[eveisalwaysbusy]

Hi Everyone, Newbie here to the Soap Forum and Soap Making. Thx for all of the info... I am also thinking about selling sometime in the future, this is gr8 information to know before I start .

 

[lisamaliga]

Labeling is also important as customers may be allergic to a particular ingredient.