Teach Soap

Morning everyone, I have been busy getting ready for a craft show next weekend and husband, who prints my labels for me, brought something to my attention. I have a few recipes that I love and use to make my various bars with, however I have recently found a few new ingredients to add that made them soooo much nicer. I added white clay to a few to hold the scent..among other things and I am pretty sure I found a new favorite bar with this:). The problem is I am changing my labels with these batches, and wasting money on the labels I already have as well as spending time making sure I have the labels all correct each time we print is beginning to be a pain. Anyway, after that rant...do all you other soapers have this problem as well or do you simply have 1 favorite recipe that you use and put the same label on everything(boy that would make things simpler but I really like the few I have been using). There are other things I am going to try as well in the summer...like gardeners soap using pumus/coffee grinds and dead sea mud/clays!

My other question is, when it comes to fragrance I simply put fragrance in the label however when I am using EO I use each INCI name on the label. Does anyone know if I can simply use fragrance on the label when its EO? I should read the Ontario rules but hoped someone on here would know without having to read through allllll those rules:0) That would make things so much simpler for labeling.

I also find myself tweeking name labels all the time, new scent=new label. How do you other soapers do it? Do you find a few scents and stick with them or do you add different scents and suck it up with the labels. There are sooo many wonderful ways to scent the soaps I just can't stop finding new ones.

Perhaps it would all be simpler if I just had a company make my labels...but that I can only assume is a huge money grab...thus forcing me to up my soap prices which seems unfair to my customers! I have just finished my last day of work to start my maternity leave so I have a whole 4 weeks(hopfully) to get business stuff caught up before my little bundle gets here...never thought I would get so far behind going back full time after my last baby arrives:0)

Thanks

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www.fostersfields.ca
https://www.facebook.com/FostersFields

I use a software program and print my own labels. I can print just a few or a bunch. That way I can change the ingredients as need be. As far as the essential oils, at least in the US, you can list them as fragrance.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

For most products I do as Irena, just print what I need batch by batch and make changes as needed. I do use "fragrance" instead of the eo INS name since we are permitted to do that, besides, it saves a ton of room on the label! I am not sure of the Canadian rules though, you seem to have more than we do.
As for the soap labels (ingredients), we are permitted to not label soap at all, and I choose that option to save myself the time and effort of all those small additions and changes in my batches. However, people want to feel comfortable about their purchases and at least know the basics, so I add a general label that states my main ingredients, that I do not use nut oils, etc. Since I began using these labels I have not had anyone complain about them at all, or even question me. I do have a sign at shows that states that people with allergies should clarify/verify that the bar(s) they are interested in is not colored or scented with their allergen. Again, this has worked just fine. On line I add any potential allergens in the descriptions, so it is less likely to be an issue there, but I also note that anyone with allergies should confirm that their allergen is not an ingredient prior to purchasing. This works well (for me) and has saved me a ton of time and mistakes (that print is small and I am sure I've grabbed wrong labels a time or two, especially when it was just an additive difference).

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Same here. I have my label template saved and then just change the ingredients as needed. My base recipes are always the same, but the colorants, etc. change from batch to batch.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I print labels myself and really LOVE copy & paste! I use two labels per big bar of soap. I use my Company name and the fragrance on one label. That goes on the front of the bar.

The second label states:

Saponified oils of: olive, coconut, castor and shea butter. Fragrances (or Essential Oils of: X, Y, Z if there is room). Colorants (iron oxides, Ultramarine pigments, micas).

FOR EXTERNAL USE ~ DO NOT EAT.

My Address

If I use a different recipe, I change the label to reflect the difference. If I don't have room to list all the EOs, then I just state "fragrance".

If my bar is fragrance free or color free, I actually state that in the ingredients label and the name label. (Although I had one person ask me what the fragrance base was for my fragrance free soap! I bit my tongue because I wanted to answer "The None berry".)

I've gotten more adept at labelling than at the beginning!

Jill

I'm in Ontario too, and no, you don't have to list your ingredients at all on soaps (just like the US). I haven't started selling my soaps yet, but do other body products and find they sell much better when people know exactly what's in them. I print my own labels, and I'm actually working up a design for my soaps where I'll have my logo/the bar name on the front of a business type card and then a sticker label on the back so I can change them as needed. I use Avery address labels that I picked up at staples, there's 30 on a page. I just did wax melts with those labels and only had 10 of each scent so I could do enough for 3 batches on one page. We also just picked up a cheap inkjet HP printer from walmart (for $30) and the ink refills are about $20 I think.

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~Krystal~
Sweet Destiny Candle Company

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www.fostersfields.ca
https://www.facebook.com/FostersFields

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Ok, so I found this little bit on Health Canada.

Under the new Regulation, how will the ingredients be listed?

All ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance on the outer label of the cosmetic, or if a cosmetic has only one label, on that label. Therefore, if a product is in a box, the labelling must at least be on the box; if it is not in a box, the labelling must be on the container itself. If the product is small or in an ornamental container, a tag, tape or card may be attached to the container. In the case of a cosmetic for which the size, shape or texture (i.e. bath beads) renders it impractical for a tag, tape or card to be attached, the list of ingredients may appear in a leaflet that must accompany the cosmetic at the point of sale.

In the case of fragrances and flavours, businesses may choose to either list the individual ingredients which make up the fragrance or flavour, or they may use the expressions "parfum" and "aroma" (respectively) to represent these groups of ingredients.

Makeup products (e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, blush, etc), nail polish and nail enamel, which are sold in several different colour shades, may list all the colouring agents in the range on the label, provided they use the symbol "±" or "+/-" or the phrase "May contain/Peut contenir".

The only thing with this statement that still keep me wondering is...are EO's simply 'fragrance'????

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www.fostersfields.ca
https://www.facebook.com/FostersFields

EO's can be listed as "fragrance".

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

_________________
www.fostersfields.ca
https://www.facebook.com/FostersFields

On the Avery address labels (30 to a page), you will probably use a 9 pixel or 8 pixel type font depending on the number of ingredients. We also have to list an address for contact purposes. I forgot that on my first 3000 bars and had to go back and put a sticker with my address on it -- doesn't look as nice as including it in the original label. Read it twice and then have your hubby give it a fresh set of eyes! Or compare it to a checklist (which is what I have to do).

Jill

If you're in the US and you're planning on selling, you'll want to buy the Soap And Cosmetic Labeling Book by Marie Gale ().

There are very specific rules about location & size of elements on a soap label if you're selling it as a cosmetic. For example, weight needs to be printed in a font that is at least 1/8th inch high after printing within the bottom third of the label. That's different than the requirement for size of ingredients list, etc.

The rules for products other than soap vary significantly. So if you're doing a lotion, there are specific rules about how those are labelled, etc.

The book has example labels for various products which will save you a ton of time trying to figure it out on your own.

From what I understand:

you are only selling soap as a cosmetic IF you are making claims about the soap -- in which case, you have to have had clinical trials and be approved by the FDA.

Soap itself does not have to be labelled if being sold as "soap" with no claims. It doesn't even have to be wrapped.

I sell my soap by the ounce at time of purchase. There is no weight on it because it gets weighed when it is bought. I label it with all the ingredients in decending order and my address is the very last item on the label.

I don't know what others choose to do, but I don't expect any issues.

For those of you who print on Avery type labels -- Office Max is having a 20% sale off of most stuff in the store. The Avery brand is actually less expensive than the Office Max Brand and I got 2730 labels printed and bought 2500 of the labels (2x4) all for $107 (about 4 cents per label!) for my bags. How great is that! The sale is until Saturday April 27th.

Here's the actual info from the US Food & Drug Admin website:
Most body cleansers on the market today are actually synthetic detergent products and come under the jurisdiction of FDA. These detergent cleansers are popular because they make suds easily in water and don't form gummy deposits. Some of these detergent products are actually marketed as "soap" but are not true soap in the common and legal definition of the word.

If a cosmetic claim is made on the label of a "true" soap or cleanser, such as moisturizing or deodorizing, the product must meet all FDA requirements for a cosmetic, and the label must list all ingredients. If a drug claim is made on a cleanser or soap, such as antibacterial, antiperspirant, or anti acne, the product is a drug, and the label must list all active ingredients, as is required for all drug products
Our ancestors often made their own soap for laundering, cleaning, and bathing from animal fats and wood ashes. Today's soap may contain perfumes, colors, and oils, but if it is represented only as soap it's out of FDA's regulatory bailiwick.

Ordinary soap is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under authority of the Hazardous Substances Act. CPSC's jurisdiction covers most noncosmetic, nondrug substances used in the home.

If you sell your soap under cosmetic guidelines in the U.S. you do not have to have it approved by the FDA or have clinical trials. You just need to follow the cosmetic labeling guidelines.

Also, since foster is in Canada, they have a whole different set of rules & regulations.
Lindalu from Malaspina Soap Factory has a class on selling soap
http://www.malaspinasoapfactory.ca/for_soap-makers.html

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Genny