Marie Gale

Since I started making handcrafted soap in 1998, I've become more and more interested in and focused on the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry as a whole. During my time as President of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild (2004 - 2009) I had the privilege of meeting many creative and professional handcrafters and getting an more "inside" view into the regulations that affect us all.

There's no doubt that we are different than the large, commercial soap and cosmetic companies; what we do is similar, but definitely not the same. We have the ability to customize our products to meet our own (and our customers) demands, whether it be "natural", vegan, without petroleum products, organic, artistic, or a combination. We can produce in small batches to tailor-make our products, something no commercial manufacturer can do.

But there are still standards to be met to ensure that our products are correctly labeled and - most importantly - safe for ourselves and our customers. I've created this website as a resource for information on the legal and professional aspects of being part of the handcrafted soap industry - labeling requirements, good manufacturing practices and the regulations that affect us all.