The MSDS is a document which describes the physical and chemical properties of your product, such as flash point, toxicity, procedures for spills and leaks, and storage guidelines.

If you are the manufacturer and don’t know how to create the MSDS, there are companies which will compile one for you or you can find various guides on the internet.

Manufacturers have to create MSDSs for their products. Most manufacturers like you don’t have to because you make consumer products which do not require MSDS. But because you sell on Amazon and use FBA they require one.

You can try four things. From easy to hard:

• The easiest is to find a generic MSDS for your product. There are literally millions of MSDS available online. If you sell skin lotion with rosemary oil try to find a generic MSDS for it whose ingredients closely match your own. You don’t even have to enter the Product name of your product. But don’t use one that has a significantly different formulation (for example yours has alcohol but the generic doesn’t).

• Next easiest is to find another product that is essentially the same as yours. You can use the data on that sheet to create your MSDS for your product. You simply substitute your product name, manufacturer name, phone number, etc. The data in MSDSs are public domain and not copyrighted.

• You can also get an MSDS for the hazardous component of your product from the essential oil manufacturer or supplier and submit that, but Amazon might reject it as not being specific enough.

• Quality-wise the absolute best way, but also the most expensive, is to get a professional to create an MSDS for you.

I wrote MSDSs for chemical and pharmaceutical companies for many years and I know how daunting it would be for a lay person to try and create one from scratch. But you don’t have to reinvent the wheel - matching products and using that data for your MSDS is acceptable and common.

Also, if you sell many products that are essentially the same (with different essential oils perhaps) you can create one MSDS for all of them.

An MSD sheet is a document that has legal (OSHA, DOT, etc.) ramifications. You’re documenting the hazards associated with your product in case of spill or accidental exposure. You can’t just copy/paste someone else’s unless you know with 100% certainty that your product has exactly the same composition and hazards.

As a manufacturer of a chemical product, you have a legal and ethical obligation to know and properly communicate the hazards of your products. If you’re not doing this, it will nullify any insurance you have and open you up to significant risk.

Beyond that, having incorrect information on an MSDS endangers the public. What happens if a package breaks in transit and mixes with other materials? What happens if a warehouse worker gets some in his or her eyes? These are the types of situations that an MSDS addresses. If your “close enough” MSDS doesn’t give the right hazard information, this could result in serious injury.

This is important, not just an Amazon box-checking exercise.

First and foremost, consult and comply with all local, state, and federal laws for products sold in the United States. Forum or even professional advice does not supercede the requirements of the law! You should be able to find most resources publicly on the internet. But you will need to take some time to read and understand what is required of you by law to avoid a costly mistake down the line.

Once you have a basic understanding of the requirements, you may start by taking a look at the MSDS of several similar products. You may be able to use these as a reference or starting point to better understand what you may possibly need to include when authoring your own datasheet.

There are a number of MSDS templates you may find online. You may also choose to copy the format of a similar product’s MSDS, so long as it is correctly formatted and contains all the legally required information you need to list in the datasheet.

Since you manufacture the product, you should also know what is in your product. If you need to verify the composition of any composite material incorporated into your product, obtain the applicable MSDS from the manufacturer of that material, and incorporate the composition details into the MSDS you author, as required by law.