They're in Washington D.C.

[Scented]

I keep trying to join opencongress.org and it keeps kicking me out lol.

[LuminousBoutique]

I'm in Maui right now and every gift shop has at least some (island made) B&B, I've been pulling my hair out looking at the lack of ingredient labels, the poor information on the labels, and the "PLUMERIA ESSENTIAL OIL" claims I keep seeing everywhere. Its so freaking frustrating. There are medical claims on labels, a bunch of them claiming to "heal sunburns" "spf 15!" so on and so forth...

so in that way, I see where some of this is important.. I just hope they can clarify our position that while some oversight might be a good thing, and while we surely want to comply.. we {small businesses} dont have the research, money, and time that say... proctor and gamble do.

[LuminousBoutique]

Another blog to watch.

http://www.bellalucce.com/thebuzz/

Luminous thank you for posting that!

Wonderful blog, its worded so well! Specifically what she posted about the labels, did you guys catch that?

2. It’s clear that these staffers did not fully understand precisely how H.R. 5786 would practically impact the industry. For example, if I began marketing a massage bar tomorrow with just 3 ingredients, the label would look like this: Olive Oil, Cocoa Butter, Lavender Essential Oil. That’s it! A clear, easy-to-digest label for consumers that precisely states what’s in their 100% natural, 99% edible product. Under this new bill, that same cosmetics label would look like this:

Olive Oil

(Tri-Glycerides of Palmitic, Di-Glycerides of Palmitic, Palmitoleic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, Arachidic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Squalene, Beta Carotene, Campesterol, Methylenecholesterol, Stigmasterol, Sitosterol, Fucosterol, 28-Isofucosterol, Stigmadienol, Brassicasterol, 7-Cholestenol,Ergostadienol, Avenasterol, Triterpene Alcohols, Tirucallol, Taraxerol, Dammaradienol Beta-Amyrin Germanicol, Butyrospermol, Parkeol, Cycloartenol, Tirucalladienol, 4-Methlene 24-Dihydroparkeol, 24-Methlenecycloartanol, Cyclobranol, 4-Methyl Sterols, Esters of Tyrosol, Esters of Hydroxytyrosol, Vitamin E (Tocopherols), Carotenoids, Oleuropein),

Cocoa Butter

(Tri and Diglycerides of Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Lead, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Isoleic Acid, Beta Carotene, p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid, Vanillic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Syringic Acid, Phenylehtylamine, Theophylline, Aliphatic Esters, Aromatic Carbonyls, Caffeine, Theobromine, Diketopiperazines and Alkylpryazines),

Lavender Essential Oil

( Cineole Octanol, Octanone, Alpha Bisabolol, Alpha Cadinol, Alpha Humelene, Alpha Phellandrene, Apha Pinene, Alpha Terpinene, Alpha Terpineol, Alpha Terpinyl Acetate, Alpha Thujene, Alpha Thujone, Beta Bisabolol, Beta Pinene, Beta Thujone, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Camphene Camphor, Cineolealpha Terpineol, Carvone, Caryophyllene, Carophyllene Oxide, CIS Alpha Terpineol, CIS Alpha Bisabolene, CIS Carveol, CIA Linalol Epoxide, CIS Ocimene, Citronellal, Citronellol, Coumarine, Cuminaldehyde, Eugenol, Furfural, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Geranyl Butyrate, Hexanol, Hexyl Tiglate, Isoborneol, Lavandulol, Lavandulyl Acetate, Limonene, Linanlol, Linalyl Acetate, Methyl Heptenone, Myrcene, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, Oleanolic Acid, P Cymene, Rosemarinic Acid, Sabinen, Terpinenol, Terpinolene, Trans Carveol, Trans Epoxy Linalyl Acetate, Trans Linanol Epoxide, Trans Ocimene, Ursolic Acid).

Do you feel any safer? Any more informed? Or just totally overwhelmed? It’s the exact same product, but you’ll need both a chemistry book and a magnifying glass to make sense of that label. Can you imagine fitting all that on an 8 ounce bottle? Along with the existing requirements of net contents, applicable safety statements, manufacturer’s contact information, directions for use, and on and on and on. I wish you could have been there to see the faces of the staffers as we passed around the handout with that “expanded” ingredient list. I think we’re beginning to illustrate that what’s fabulous in theory may be disastrous in practice.

[rebeccajo99]

Yes I did catch that label. Can you imagine how large our packaging would have to be if our product contained just those ingredients. Each box of soap would have to have a little book attached just for the label. Unless they change the letter size requirement, but then you would need a magnifiy glass just to read it

[rebeccajo99]

I'm in Maui right now and every gift shop has at least some (island made) B&B, I've been pulling my hair out looking at the lack of ingredient labels, the poor information on the labels, and the "PLUMERIA ESSENTIAL OIL" claims I keep seeing everywhere. Its so freaking frustrating. There are medical claims on labels, a bunch of them claiming to "heal sunburns" "spf 15!" so on and so forth...

so in that way, I see where some of this is important.. I just hope they can clarify our position that while some oversight might be a good thing, and while we surely want to comply.. we {small businesses} dont have the research, money, and time that say... proctor and gamble do.

I totally agree with you that some regulation is important. I think that those who don't label may be losing sales because of it. I read all my labels (even of the food I buy), if it isn't labeled... I don't buy it.

Have fun in Maui, it is my dream to get there someday:)

[Scented]

I'm in Maui right now and every gift shop has at least some (island made) B&B, I've been pulling my hair out looking at the lack of ingredient labels, the poor information on the labels, and the "PLUMERIA ESSENTIAL OIL" claims I keep seeing everywhere. Its so freaking frustrating. There are medical claims on labels, a bunch of them claiming to "heal sunburns" "spf 15!" so on and so forth...

so in that way, I see where some of this is important.. I just hope they can clarify our position that while some oversight might be a good thing, and while we surely want to comply.. we {small businesses} dont have the research, money, and time that say... proctor and gamble do.

Maybe it's time for us to start taking names and reporting them ourselves? Maybe, just maybe that would show people that we're just as concerned as others. Maybe it wouldn't.

[annie123]

This not about labels it is about getting rid of the natural, handmade and organic competition. This bill is sponsored by the big cosmetic companies...but calling it safe cosmetic act makes it sound like the little guy who opposes it is making unsafe products.

[Scented]

I disagree there too. It's about understanding what's in the product because of the twisted way ingredients have been promoted ... or not promoted. I look at what Luminous is saying about the products in Maui and it's just wrong. We can't make claims. We can't falsify and it's going on time and time again and landing us here with laws like this.

The bigger companies aren't going to be for larger and longer labels, honestly they aren't. It's people who have been told "paraffin causes cancer" and believes that it does who are waging this war. They "think" they are hitting the big companies, but they have no idea just who suffers under this. I work with one of these "types" of people. There is no getting through to them, not even knocking on the door and asking if anyone is home. Because they read it or saw it or heard it from a "reliable" source, it's true ... even though it isn't.

[rebeccajo99]

I agree with you Scented. Big companies do not want to be regulated by the government. They want to make their product as cheap and quickly as possible geared towards the market they want. (natural, organic, dollar store, high end shops) Just like you and I. There are big companies out there that make natural and organic products.

This bill is going to hurt all companies big and small. I wouldn't be surprised if some big companies go under because of this too.

The biggest problem I see is the non-labeling, the claims made about ingredients and what thier product does. People take things as truth and unles you have the lab work to prove your product does that... you cannot make that claim. If somebody posted on the internet that lets say strawberries caused something bad, word will spread and sales of strawberries will go way down. Look at the whole thing with sunscreen. I now know people who refuse to wear it because somebody said it caused cancer. I'm surprised on how many people come to my booth and says... Oh, you use that ingrediant... that does this to your skin. Or they say... What is the benefit of that ingredient. Its frusterating because they walk out of my booth without buying anything because I don't say it heals this or cures this or provides this.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but that is how I see it.

[Scented]

You aren't misunderstanding. You can't make the claim. Other people are somewhat getting educated. When we get asked, we tell them the ingredients that are in it, indicate that it is on the label and if they want more information, we explain that it would be illegal for us to make any claims or statements about our products other than they are what they are ... soap is soap, though a little more fragrant than others, but as far as what's in it and why we use that ... because we like the formula is about all we can say.

Bath bombs ... we say what it is or is designed to do.

Our lip stuff and perfume bars are pretty self-explanatory, but again, we can't make claims on our products.

We've been fortunate to have repeat customers in our tent on occasions and that does help, because we can't control what they say.

I think people looking into our type of markets Rebecca will tend to educate themselves on butters and sometimes on oils, but mostly on the butters I think.

As for candles though, we do have an informational sheet that we do pass out and we do encourage people to understand about waxes and visit like the NCA to understand more.

Unfortunately those who don't play by the rules are going to make it to where we all play by a set of rules that will drive us insane or out of business. There will still be people out there who made say a batch of CP soap yesterday and sell it without putting it through a cure by the weekend and there will still be people making bug off products and selling it while either knowing or claiming not to know that they can't sell a pesticide more or less.

There will still be people who call their stuff organic even though they have not jumped through the hoops to be certified as an organic retailer etc.

It would be fair, IMO, if those people were the ones who were fined, but they'll only come back as Mr. Hyde next time. I feel we owe it to our trade to voice opposition against this as well as to start educating even fellow tradesmiths when they're doing something that really is wrong.

I highly encourage labels on everything ... skin in society is highly sensitive. Systems in society are highly sensitive. So what if it's just soap. Let people know what's in the damn thing, even if it is M&P or if it is made with lye etc. Just freaking do it. I know we've had people attempt to duplicate our soap, but the bottom line is they're going to be trying for a very long time. I don't list my percentages on there and never will. BUT, I am opposed to putting my recipe in the hands of a "very trusted" government.

[LuminousBoutique]

I totally agree with you that some regulation is important. I think that those who don't label may be losing sales because of it. I read all my labels (even of the food I buy), if it isn't labeled... I don't buy it.

Have fun in Maui, it is my dream to get there someday:)

Thanks, It was amazing... I've been to hawaii many times (hawaiian blood) but never to Maui... my parents live there now and boy is it hard not to drop everything and go there. Its a world away from Hawaii (big island) and Oahu... those are basically "city islands" to me.. busy and populace... Maui is so... country! Its so relaxed, so green, so vast... I adore it. It sure sucks its so expensive to live there though... 350k gets you a run down shack... $6.00 for a 3lb bag of potatoes... thats ALOTTA SOAP! lol.

SCENTED: Maybe it's time for us to start taking names and reporting them ourselves? Maybe, just maybe that would show people that we're just as concerned as others. Maybe it wouldn't.

Sometimes I wonder about that. Sometimes... I really, really want to do that.

Edited August 15, 2010 by LuminousBoutique