What Should Be On Your Labels
Obligatory legal disclaimer: The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available in this article are for general informational purposes only. Readers should contact an attorney to obtain advice concerning any particular legal matters.
What Should Be On Your Labels?
By Michael S. exclusively for candlebrain.com
This article is written for the United States Market. If you live outside the U.S. where the laws might be different, please feel free to write an article and send it to askcandlebrain@gmail.com. We would love to add it to our growing list of important information.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC ) has created a set of requirements for what must be displayed on any products sold in the United States, and candles must follow the FTC regulations for labeling. The official FTC site explains in greater detail is: Section 4 – Fair Packaging & Labeling Act
Proper candle labeling is crucial. The label provides vital safety information, instructions for use, and details about the candle itself. For candle makers, following labeling laws and guidelines protects your business and ensures your products are safe and informative. For customers, the label is the primary source of product details and precautions which helps the customer make choices when buying your candle.
Despite your label being aesthetically pleasing and brand-oriented, there is information that MUST be displayed on it to ensure that you are selling a product that is compliant with labeling regulations.
There is no rule on where this information is displayed, or in what order this information should be listed. You have a lot of creative freedom when making your labels. However, the required must be on the label in an easy-to-see place. The rule is simply that all required information must be displayed.
Below is a graphic color-coded so you can see what is required on a label.
Company Name:
The name of your company should be complete and prominent somewhere on the label.
Identity Statement:
It must answer the question of “What is it?”
The candle is the most important part and in most cases the most minimum you would put. Scented candles, Scented Soy Candles, and even Luxury Candles are all acceptable Identities, as long as it says “candle”.
Product Weight:
This seems to be the most misunderstood part of candle labeling. The rule is that it must be the weight of the contents of a product. The vessel is considered part of the packaging and must NOT be counted in that weight. In other words, the weight should be that of the candle and not the vessel.
You can weigh an empty vessel and a full candle and subtract the empty candle weight from the full candle weight and that should give you the Net weight or product weight.
This weight must be in imperial AND metric. (Oz and grams.)
Location Text:
Where is your company located? It is supposed to contain the city, state, zip code, and country. The full address should be used if your business does not have the full address on your company website or in a phone book listing. In most cases the City, State, Zip, and country are sufficient.
Optional Additions That Are Not Required:
Anything else you put on the label is entirely up to you. Some information can be added simply to help sell the product, offer further information to consumers, or just for fun.
These could include but are not limited to:
- Handmade – Hand Poured
- Burn Time
- Scent Notes
- Wax Types
- Quotes
- Or anything else you think would help consumers choose to buy your candle.
Proper labeling serves multiple needs. Follow regulations to legally sell candles, inform customers to make the best purchasing choices, and promote your brand effectively. Creativity and aesthetics draw attention while vital information educates and safeguards.
You will also want to have a safety label on your candle as well. This label must have its own article because there are a lot of details you will need to make a good safety label. So much so, that this will constitute another article.
We hope that this article explains everything you could want to know about labeling your candles with the most recent regulations in the United States. If you have any questions please reach out to us at askcandlebrain@gmail.com