Beauty Information

Handmade and Homemade Toiletries-Buyer Beware


If you've been to a craft show or a farmers' market recently you've probably noticed that more and more people are making and selling homemade soaps, toiletries and cosmetics. Gone are the days when the neighborhood soap maker was a grandmotherly lady in a long cotton dress-today's soap makers are young, hip stay-at-home moms hawking homemade lotions, makeup and bath products. But are the products they're selling any better than store brands? More importantly, are they safe? Consider these facts before you make your next purchase:

*Commercial toiletries are manufactured in clean, modern labs which are subject to FDA inspection at any time. Homemade cosmetics, on the other hand, are often made in home kitchens where food is prepared, cleaning chores are performed and meals are consumed. Because they're so small these home-based companies often slip right under the FDA's radar and are never inspected at all.

*Commercial companies are required to follow a set of FDA guidelines known as the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices. These practices include having dedicated work spaces, employee dress codes and specific safety procedures. Homemade cosmetics are often made in the presence of pets, children and others not wearing proper attire like hair nets or gloves. No home-based business can meet the FDA's GMPs for cosmetics manufacturing.

*Commercial companies hire skin care experts and doctorate-level chemists to formulate their products. Homemade toiletries are made by people with education varying from college degrees all the way down to high-school drop-outs.

*Commercial manufacturers spend millions on product liability insurance. Based on my experience in the handmade toiletries business I would estimate that only 25 percent of home-based toiletry makers have even basic product liability coverage.

*Commercial products go through an extensive process called "challenge testing" to determine their safety. I've never met a single home-based toiletry maker who challenged tested her products for mold, bacteria or yeast.

Before you buy that scrub with the wonderful mango scent, spend a couple of moments getting to know the person on the other side of the booth. There are some wonderful micro-manufacturers out there. You just have to know the right questions to ask.

Lisa Barger is a traditionally trained naturopath who puts her knowledge of herbal products to work in one of the oldest and most respected personal care companies on the internet. Learn more about Lisa at her website http://www.LisaBarger.com and learn why she believes in "Empowerment through Education".


MORE RESOURCES:

Bleacher Report

BYU Fans' Guide To The West Coast Conference: Beauty All Around The WCC
Bleacher Report
The natural beauty accentuates the man-made beauty found on each campus. I do not use the description “beautiful people” loosely. ...

and more »


iFreshNews (blog)

Robert Pattinson admires Kristen Stewart's beauty
iFreshNews (blog)
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart seem to be making it in Hollywood and it seems their love relationship is flourishing too. They are apparently really ...

and more »


DailyFill.com

Rihanna: Battleship Beauty
The Gossip Girls (blog)
She's always up to something and yesterday (September 2) Rihanna was spotted on the set of her new film “Battleship.” The “Rude Boy” songstress looked a bit ...
Rihanna's a 'Battleship' Bombshell (PHOTOS)Celebuzz (blog)

all 47 news articles »


He sees the beauty in every woman
Detroit Free Press
If I don't see the beauty in some woman, that's MY problem, not hers. It's up to me to work harder to see the beauty, not up to her to make herself live up ...

and more »


Palm Beach Post

Pack your carry-on with these beauty must-haves
Palm Beach Post
By Parade | Beauty | September 03, 2010 Who doesn't love three-day weekends? This Labor Day weekend, I'm making a quick getaway to Atlanta (or Hotlanta, ...

and more »


Your morning fashion and beauty report: Meghan McCain dishes on style ...
Los Angeles Times (blog)
Though there's not much dirt or sex (she says she swore off the latter for the duration), there are, All the Rage is happy to note, some style and beauty ...

and more »


The Guardian

Corinne Day: Pioneer of a new kind of beauty
The Guardian
"She had good bone structure, great lips, enough for people to recognise her as a beauty, but there was also something quite ordinary about her: her hair ...
Corinne Day: The model's viewThe Guardian

all 16 news articles »


Daily Mail

Christina Hendricks, Blake Lively, Laura Linney, Rutina Wesley: Eye-Riveting ...
ABC News
Beauty may be the sum of its parts, but sometimes the parts are way too extraordinary not to dazzle on their own. ...
Christina Hendricks can't borrow dressesOsoblog (blog)

all 43 news articles »


Pieces of the Past: Beauty, entertainment blossomed at Pavilion Garden
Ithaca Journal
Ithaca's residents have long treasured gardens, and in its earliest days gardens were a sign of stability and a source of beauty -- they showed that their ...

and more »


Beachside beauty
Danbury News Times
Sea breezes, stunning sunrises and sunsets and walks on your own private beach await the next owners of an attractive Nantucket-style house at 415 Ocean ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map ZLX.com home
© 2006