Packaging and Labeling Melt and Pour Soap

Plastic Food Wrap - Plastic food wrap is a great way to package MP soap. You can tightly wrap your soap to keep out moisture. We have found that cheaper plastic wrap works best as it seems to be more stretchy than name brands. To wrap:

• Lay a piece of plastic wrap flat on a table.
• Place your soap on the plastic wrap face/front down.
• Pull tightly as you grab each side of wrap and fold onto the back of the soap.
• The front should be nice and tight and the back will have the gathered excess wrap.
• Place your label on the back to cover the excess wrap.

Cello Bags - Cello bags are a great way to package decorative MP soap such as MP soap cupcakes. The only drawback to using cello bags is that when they are handled, the soap can leave soap residue marks on the bags. Use a small bag to prevent the soap from sliding around and streaking the bag.

• Insert a piece of paper upright and inside the bag.
• Place your soap in the cello bag (the paper will protect the cello bag from streaks as you are sliding the soap into the bag).
• Remove the piece of paper from the bag.
• Tie the bag closed with ribbon or raffia.
• Label with a tag or sticker label.

Shrink Wrap Bags - Shrink wrap bags work well for oddly shaped soap such as soaps with rubber ducks or other toys on top. You may notice little holes in shrink wrap bags; these holes allow air to escape as the bag shrinks to fit the soap.

• Place soap in a shrink wrap bag
• Use a hair dryer to carefully shrink the bag (Be sure to move the hair dryer back and forth as you srhink. Heating one area too long may melt the soap).
• Label

If your soap is made primarily of lye and oils and doesn’t make any cosmetic claims such as moisturizing, exfoliating, etc., then your soap can be labeled as soap and you can follow the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s labeling guidelines below. Most cold process soap meets these requirements as CP soap is made with lye and oils. Most MP soap has added detergents, so will need to be labeled under the Food Drug and Cosmetic guidelines.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Guidelines
If your soap meets the FDA's soap exemption then it must be labeled according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines and your label must have the following three essential elements:

1. Identifying Statement indicating word “Soap”
2. Net Weight of Contents
3. Name and Place of Business

Food Drug and Cosmetic Guidelines
If your soap makes a claim and/or contains detergents (many MP soaps) then it is regulated by the FDA and must follow their guidelines, which include six essential elements to the label.

1. Identifying Statement usually indicating the word “Soap”
2. Net Weight of Contents
3. Warning and Caution Statements (if applicable)
4. Directions for Safe Use
5. Ingredients*
6. Name and Place of Business

The ingredients on a cosmetic label must be listed in order of predominance using correct INCI terminology. INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The INCI system allows the consumer to identify the ingredient content and reduce the risk of an allergic reaction to an ingredient. The FDA mandates the use of INCI names on the ingredient statement on all cosmetics and personal care products.

Color additives of any concentration are listed after the listing of the ingredients that are not color additives.

Ingredients present at a concentration not exceeding 1% (weight) are listed in any order after the listing of the ingredients present at more than 1%.

Since every manufacturer has a different MP Soap Base formula, only the manufacturer knows their exact formula with percentages. Assuming you use 3% fragrance in your soap, you will need to ask the manufacturer or distributor where to list the fragrance on the ingredient listing. It should not be listed at the end of the ingredient list.

Ingredient Listing Examples
Take a look at some example listings from the recipe section of the website that show proper FDA ingredient listings:

RECIPE: Cherry Blossom Swirl MP Soap
Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance, Benzophenone-4, Triethanolamine, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Red 33, Red 40.

RECIPE: Simply Fresh MP Soap Bar
Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Goats Milk, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Laurate, Tocopherol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance, Yellow 5, Triethanolamine, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines. For more details on labeling MP Soap and other cosmetics, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration online. Below are some helpful articles:

Soap: Frequently Asked Questions

Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?)

Small Businesses & Homemade Cosmetics: Fact Sheet