Teach Soap

For those of you who sometimes use micas and glitters in your soaps, do you make each label custom to that soap? Meaning the soaps with mica and glitter specifically say mica and glitter or do you have a generic label that says something along the lines of "may contain mica and/or body safe glitter"? I think I've seen that on other products before. That the product may contain a particular ingredient but not always. What are your thoughts?

I always do an actual label. If it has mica, I say "mica".

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

Ok, I have another question about labeling. I know the FDA labeling requirements are different for cosmetics than they are for soap, and that you have to list every single thing, etc...

My question is, I bought some bulk glycerin white and clear 25 lbs of each, MP base from my local wholesaler this morning. I then contacted them this afternoon, to get an ingredient list to list on my soap. I know Bramble Berry lists theirs, so I just figured that it would be the same with every company. I get a reply back, saying "I don't have the ingredients but I do know that it is made from Vegetable
Glycerin, Sugar and 99% Rubbing alcohol." I mean that is not an accurate list. Technically they should be able to provide me with the ingredient list correct? Don't I have to know it, so I can list it myself on all my soaps? Aren't you still required to list each and every ingredient if you are selling your soap? How can I list it, if the supplier doesn't even know? Shouldn't they have all that on hand? I do know that they are buying it from someone else, so maybe they need to contact them and get it. I just want to make sure I am not misinformed....but I do have a right to request and receive the actual list of ingredients right?

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

Yes, I have read all that. However, I wasn't sure about the process of making MP soap what it was before i got it. I have never done CP so I wasn't sure if it was CP melted down or how that works. Sorry if that sounds silly. So what your saying is only cold process is considered soap anyways, and MP soap is considered cosmetics? The reason I was wondering is I was looking at some soaps at Whole foods the other day, and they looked and felt like regular old MP soap, sold by the slice of the loaf...and there were NO ingredients listed or any information--only the scent name and the price per lb.

Also, they had some bath teas and bar soaps on the isles that didn't even appear to be that detailed in the labeling. After reading the FDA website on labeling cosmetics, I am even more confused this time around lol. I need to display certain warnings like "not intended for consumption. For adult use only. The safety of this product has not been determined" etc....correct? How do I know what to put on which products though? Do all the warnings go on every product? Do I need to put a slippery warning on my bath bombs?
I mean I just need the product and company name. Where it was manufactured. the full accurate ingredients list, and any warnings, right?

Anyhoo....I am going to get the Handcrafted Soap makers guild insurance today...and I'm filing for my business license and registering and taxes and all that jazz this morning...so hopefully whenever I get my info back from them I can start selling! On a sidenote, did you guys go ahead and start selling once you got all stuff filed, or did you wait till all of it was accepted a few weeks later? I didn't know how that worked. Any light that could be shed on any of this stuff is much appreciated!!

I would definitely get a listing of all the ingredients that goes into making your melt and pour base. Not everyone makes it the same way. Craft shops such as Michael's sell mp base that have a whole lot of other stuff in it.

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

thanks. So how do you know if it might be confused for food? Is it common sense like, a regular bar of soap no, or a cupcake shaped bath bomb yes? or do you always do it just to safeguard yourself.

Uh oh. I am thinking I might have a problem. I just got another email from the lady I bought my soap with yesterday. I don't feel like I was duped or anything, but she is telling me she doesn't know the ingredients and this was the email i got when I asked her could she please contact HER supplier and get those ingredient lists. I know they've just started carrying MP soap bases (my local wholesaler) and while they were more expensive, I saved in shipping. I have not used the soap yet, but I doubt they would take a return. Here's what she said

"I called the other day when trying to find out for your email. All they would tell me is that the make it out of Vegetable Glycerin, Plain white sugar and 99% white rubbing alcohol. I do know that glycerin soap base is all natural and safe."

I am new to this, and am still trying to figure out the labeling etc. Why would the larger company not give it to her though? And is there really "plain white sugar" in glycerin soap? I have not seen that on ingredient lists, unless maybe it's a different name. I am worried that I screwed up by buying from this company because I can't sell soap if I don't know what's in it--surely that is not a fully accurate soap ingredient list!! I am doing the d'oh! thing right now....thinking I should have bought from BB. At least BB lists all their ingredients! What do I do? I don't think they take returns...then again, I haven't opened the larger bag-just the box.

Help!!!

Vegetable Glycerin, Plain white sugar and 99% white rubbing alcohol is BS. There are more ingredients involved. White sugar is not used in the manufacture of MP soap. If the vendor cannot get info from the manufacturer that's giving me a big red flag. Unless the vendor is just flaking off. All the big manufacturers af MP will give their vendors an ingredient list, for example BrambleBerry. Is it possible that the manufacturer is just a small time soapmaker that's making this in their home and they just don't want to divulge their "secret" ingredients?

Feel free to send me a PM with the name of the vendor. I'll try to help you.

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

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

Hi Soapbuddy- So when she (above) says that all that is listed in her base is Vegetable Glycerin, Sugar and 99% rubbing alcohol, that is normal? Well, except for the sugar part you mentioned? In all my research all I find is people saying don't get any base that includes alcohol at all because it is too drying. I started this little hobby at Michael's and their base does not include alcohol and Bramble Berrys main clear base is this:
Ingredients: Glycerine, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Lauric Acid, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sorbitol, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA

So I guess I am confused when you say M&P HAS to have alcohol in it when so many say to avoid it. Is alcohol guised under another name by chance that I don't know? Like for me being so new, Sorbitol could be another word for alcohol. lol. But even so.....99%!!! A base that is mostly alcohol seems like it would be nothing and smell terrible.

Anyway, thanks for info cause I am in the learning phase.

Clear glycerin M&P got that way through the use of alcohol, the type and amount vary by the base. Generally the more clear it is, the more alcohol is in the formula. The description you got of ingredients (glycerin, sugar, water and alcohol) is bogus at worst and inaccurate at best. As far as the 99% goes, that is either describing the alcohol solution, or they are just flat out making stuff up. Most of the M&P suppliers are just folks with enough dough to buy bulk from SFIC and break it up for resale. Frankly I wouldn't buy from someone with so little knowledge of what they are selling.

My favorite clear base is Crystal clear from WSP, and the ingredients list reads like a chemistry class syllabus:
propylene glycol, sorbitol, glycerin, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium stearate, sodium myristate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, triethanolamine, water

So what is that stuff?
Propylene glycol is an organic compound (a diol or double alcohol) commonly used as an emulsifier and moisturizer.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol derived from the reduction of glycerin.
Sodium laureth sulfate is a detergent and surfactant as well as an inexpensive foaming agent.
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid. It is the major component of soaps along with many types of solid deodorants.
Sodium myristate is a cleansing agent which is the result of saponifying coconut and/or palm vegetable fatty acids with caustic soda (lye). A myristate is a salt or ester of myristic acid.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a mild surfactant derived from coconut oil. It produces a dense creamy foam and is found in many melt and pour soap bases. It is an anionic surfactant, meaning it reduces surface tension, making water 'wetter'.
Triethanolamine is an organic chemical compound which is both a tertiary amine and a triol.(A triol is a molecule with three alcohol groups.)

The Sorbitol and Triethanolamine are the 'alcohols' used to achieve clarity in this case.

Helpful links:

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Thank you for the explanation supersoaper3000.

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

Yes thank you so much for taking the time to write all that for me. Everyday I am understanding more and more. I am sure others will benefit from this post too. Ok, I'm off to get my DBA. I don't think my name has been taken (from my own investigating anyway so far) so we will see. Do you think I should get a biz license there to while I am at it or not really right now? I think I might see what all I need and where to go for it.

Have a great day everyone.
Kim