Are you Labeling Challenged?

Labeling products properly is one of the most important tasks that I face as I work on building my business. Not only is important to the end consumer, who wants to know what's in the product that they are purchasing, it is important from a legal standpoint as well. As small business owners who produce handmade bath and beauty products, we are required to use INCI names for our ingredients and we are bound by FDA regulations, the Fair Product and Labeling Act, the Uniform Weights & Measures Law, as well as various state and local laws. There are rules regarding minimum font sizes, and rules for what can and can't be on the main label. It's enough to give anyone a migraine. So what's a soapmaker to do? Get a copy of Marie Gale's book, Soap & Cosmetic Labeling, 2nd Edition. It's an excellent guide to the proper labeling of soap, cosmetics and other bath and body products. There are lots of examples in the book. My copy is quickly becoming dogeared as I turn to it repeatedly. If you don't already own a copy of this book, do yourself a favor and get one.