Beauty Information English German French Spanish Italian Portuguese Chinese Japanese Korean Russian

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:

Cheryl Tiegs knows ‘True Beauty
Kansas City Star, MO - 21 hours ago
That perception will be put to the test at 9 tonight when ABC premieres “True Beauty,” a show that pits four gorgeous men and women against one another, ...


The Beauty Diet treats from the inside out
Houston Chronicle, United States - 2 hours ago
That’s the main message behind Lisa Drayer’s book, The Beauty Diet. Drayer is a beauty nutritionist and the author of Strong, Slim and 30, ...


Reality TV Magazine

The Search for 'True Beauty' Begins Tonight on ABC
BuddyTV, WA - 10 hours ago
What makes a person truly beautiful is a question producers Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks will attempt to answer as they redefine the concept of beauty in ...
True Beauty Produced By Tyra Banks Ashton Kutcher Premieres On ABC Reality TV Magazine
Tyra Banks is a True Beauty The Gossip Girls
TRUE BEAUTY The Futon Critic
Cinema Blend - Radar Online
all 16 news articles


Trial delayed again in beauty salon triple murder
WREX-TV, IL - 9 hours ago
AP - January 5, 2009 10:34 AM ET BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - The trial for a Missouri teen accused of killing three people at a Belleville beauty salon in 2005 ...
Judge approves evidence testing, delays trial for triple murder ... Belleville News Democrat
all 12 news articles


The Gossip Girls

Kim Kardashian: Beverly Hills Beauty
The Gossip Girls - 12 hours ago
Showing off her self-sufficient side, Kim Kardashian was spotted running a few errands in Beverly Hills yesterday (January 4). ...


School helps students build careers in beauty
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jan 4, 2009
By Donna Jones - Sentinel Staff Writer Longtime local beautician Audi Andrade has opened her own beauty school in the Crestview Shopping Center off Freedom ...


Times Online

Filming in India, ‘Slumdog’ director finds beauty, talent and acclaim
Kansas City Star, MO - 19 hours ago
By LARRY RATLIFF British director Danny Boyle made a name for himself with the stylized black humor of “Trainspotting” in 1996. His latest, the sleeper hit ...
Danny Boyle Set For Best Director Award At Golden Globes For ... OLBG Betting News
all 81 news articles


2009 Chinese New Year Spectacular at San Francisco Opera House
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 8 hours ago
Divine Performing Arts and its breathtaking beauty are not to be missed. Chinese New Year Spectacular is an exhilarating world-class production that ...
'This kind of beauty can't be a mistake.' The Epoch Times
Human Resources Manager: "Just Stunning Beauty" The Epoch Times
Celtic Singer Says Divine Performing Arts Spectacle ‘a fabulous gift’ The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times - The Epoch Times
all 60 news articles


Better Beauty: Stress Reducers
Tampa Bay's 10, FL - 5 hours ago
Last week I gave you seven simple and inexpensive beauty resolutions for no fail results. But if you, like millions of others, made a resolution to lose ...


Idaho hunk's 'beauty' is on the line in new TV show
Deseret News, UT - 17 hours ago
Lewiston's Billy Scharnhorst, aka Billy Jeffrey, is one of 10 contestants on ABC's newest reality program, "True Beauty." The show features 10 beautiful ...

Beauty - Google News

home | site map | towerlinks | link-partners

Map IP Address

Copyright © 2006-2007 - Beauty Information