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| Did You Know?
Did you know that cardamon is a plant of the
ginger family? I bet you know that
Calendula is commonly called a pot marigold.
Did you know that cellulose is commonly used as a thickening agent in
cosmetics? And, I bet you know that
beeswax is also called cera alba, right? Did
you know that coconut has degreasing and cleansing properties, which is why detergent
cleansing agents are frequently derived from coconut oil?
I bet you knew that annatto extract produces a yellow to orange color;
but did you know that the seeds come from a shrub that is native to South
America? Or maybe you
already know that cyclomethicone is a type of silicone with a drier finish than dimethicone?
You were able to feel this first-hand if you were in the Musical Memories
or the Hearts Desire swaps; as both Frances and Debby made some great oils using
this ingredient. How many times have you read the ingredients on the label of your favorite cosmetic or bath product and wonder “What are these things, and what do they do?” Or, maybe you’re trying to come up with a dupe for your personal use or, perhaps, for a customer… So, you head off to the internet to find some information. I stumbled across this site a while ago and spent hours reading about different ingredients. http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/dictionary.asp?TYPE=MAIN It just might be the place you want to start your search. At the very least it’ll give you some further ideas on how to broaden your quest for information. Now, maybe you have your product and you’re ready to label it. If your product is strictly ‘soap’ then it only requires the simplest labeling. If your product makes any ‘claims’ (about what it can do) then it is considered a cosmetic and will need to confirm to the FDA cosmetic labeling regulations. Now where in the world would you find that sort of information? Why the library should be your first stop…the Soapnuts Library, that is! You will find a wealth of information on labeling cosmetics…start with this page in library, http://www.soapnuts.com/cosmeticlabeling.html and then follow the links to the FDA pages and learn all you can. One other link that might interest you is entitled Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (or Is It Soap?) and can be found here, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-218.html. By now you’re probably wondering
just what in the world INCI stands for…well, this is the International
Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients and these are the terms that you will need
to use when you write your labels. The
Soapnuts Library has a wonderful listing to help you figure out the exact term
you need. http://www.soapnuts.com/inci.html.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, a more complete listing is
located at the Oshun site; http://www.oshun.ca/inci.html.
Now, of course, if you are labeling your products for a swap, they do not
need to be in the INCI form; but if you are selling your products, they should
be. And of course, if you are
totally stumped or a bit confused, then just come to the list and ask.
I’m sure folks will be happy to help out.
~ Denise Washburn
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