Frequently Asked Questions

We build every recipe around organic plant oils, butters and botanicals, and we list every ingredient on the label so you can check for yourself. That transparency matters, because “organic” on a soap or scrub is not a word the FDA defines.

Who regulates the word “organic”?

The FDA states that the term “organic” is not defined in the federal cosmetics law or in the regulations it enforces. Instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program certifies that agricultural ingredients were grown and handled to its organic standard. A cosmetic that makes an organic claim has to follow both sets of rules: USDA’s for the organic claim, and FDA’s for labeling and safety.

What that means for you

• Read the ingredient list, not just the front of the jar. It tells you what is actually inside.
• If a product shows the USDA Organic seal, it has gone through USDA certification. Without the seal, “organic” describes the ingredients the maker chose.

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “Organic” Cosmetics.

Every soap, scrub, hair bar and memorial we sell is mixed, poured, built and finished by hand in our own workshop in the United States.

The federal standard

The Federal Trade Commission holds “Made in USA” claims to a strict standard: the product must be “all or virtually all” made in the United States. That means final assembly or processing happens here, all significant processing happens here, and all or virtually all ingredients or components are made and sourced here. The FTC’s Made in USA Labeling Rule is codified at 16 C.F.R. Part 323.

We take that standard seriously, which is why the claim appears on our labels and on this site.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Complying with the Made in USA Standard.

Our bars are true soap: plant oils and butters combined with an alkali, then cured until the reaction is complete. No lye remains in the finished bar. Many supermarket “beauty bars” are synthetic detergents instead, which is part of why they can leave skin feeling tight.

How the government tells them apart

The FDA explains that a product counts as “soap” under its definition when most of its nonvolatile matter is an alkali salt of fatty acids, and it is labeled, sold and represented solely as soap. True soap under that definition is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission rather than the FDA.

Once a soap is marketed for other cosmetic purposes, such as moisturizing the skin or imparting fragrance, the FDA treats it as a cosmetic. Detergent bars are cosmetics too. Either way, we label honestly and list every ingredient.

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?).

Yes. Our scrubs, hair bars and scented or moisturizing soaps are cosmetics under federal law, and they have to be safe and properly labeled, just like products from a large brand.

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act

In 2022 Congress passed the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), the biggest update to U.S. cosmetics law in decades. It added requirements such as facility registration, product listing, and reporting serious adverse events to the FDA within 15 business days. MoCRA exempts certain small businesses from some of the registration, listing and manufacturing-practice requirements, but every maker remains responsible for product safety and accurate labels.

If you ever have a reaction to one of our products, stop using it and contact us. We want to know.

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).

Ingredients are listed from the largest amount to the smallest, so the first few items make up most of the product. Plant oils and butters usually appear by their botanical names, for example Butyrospermum parkii for shea butter.

A few tips

• If you have a known sensitivity, scan the whole list, including the end. Small amounts still count.
• “Fragrance” or “parfum” covers scent blends. If scents bother your skin, choose a product from our Unscented collection.
• Questions about a specific ingredient? Ask us. We are happy to explain why it is there.

Learn more: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Cosmetics Labeling Regulations.

Our soaps are made to clean gently, and many customers with dry or easily irritated skin use them every day. Everyone’s skin is different, though, so we recommend a quick patch test with anything new.

How to patch test

• Lather a small amount on the inside of your forearm and rinse.
• Wait 24 hours. If you see redness or itching, stop using the product.
• Start with our Unscented collection if fragrance has bothered you before.

Our products are cosmetics, not medicine. If you have a skin condition such as eczema, ask your doctor or dermatologist before changing your routine.

A foaming sugar scrub is a whipped soap base blended with sugar. It lathers like a body wash while the sugar gently polishes away dry, flaky skin, so you cleanse and exfoliate in one step without the greasy film an oil scrub can leave.

How to use it

• Scoop a small amount with dry fingers or a spoon to keep water out of the jar.
• Massage onto damp skin in small circles. Arms, legs, elbows, knees, heels and hands love it.
• Rinse well. Your skin is ready for lotion or oil if you like.

Use it two or three times a week, and skip freshly shaved or broken skin. Keep the lid closed between uses.

They are concentrated hair care in solid form. No bottle, no water weight, and nothing to spill in your suitcase.

Shampoo bar

• Wet your hair thoroughly.
• Glide the bar over your scalp a few times, or lather it in your hands first.
• Work into a rich lather and rinse.

Conditioner bar

• After shampooing, glide the bar over the mid-lengths and ends.
• Comb through with your fingers, leave it for a minute, then rinse.

Some people need a week or two for their hair to adjust when switching from bottled products. That is normal.

Handmade bars last longest when they can dry out between uses. A bar left sitting in water turns soft and wears away fast.

• Use a soap dish that drains, or a soap saver bag you can hang.
• Keep the bar out of the direct stream of the shower.
• Cut a large bar in half and keep the second piece dry until you need it.

Stored this way, a full-size bar typically lasts several weeks of daily use. Hair bars follow the same rules.

Our products are made for people, so please keep soaps and scrubs out of reach of pets, the same way you would with any toiletry.

The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center specifically warns that dogs especially love to eat bar soap, and recommends keeping it out of reach at all times. If you think your pet has eaten a product, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Source: ASPCA, Poisonous Household Products.

Each memorial is a small handmade greenhouse of wood and glass, filled with moss, greenery, flowers and warm fairy lights, built around a keepsake box with your companion’s name on a nameplate.

From order to delivery

• Personalize: choose your memorial in the shop and enter your pet’s name, dates if you’d like them, and any notes.
• Proof: we email you a proof of the nameplate before we engrave it, so the spelling is exactly right.
• Build: we make your memorial by hand and confirm the ship date with you.
• Delivery: it is packed carefully for the trip, ready to set out and light.

Every memorial is made to order. If you need one by a particular date, tell us in the notes and we will let you know right away whether we can make it.

Yes. Use the notes box on the product page to tell us their favorite colors or flowers, or anything that reminds you of them. If you would like to include a photo, mention it in your notes and reply to your proof email with the picture attached.

For a fully custom piece, larger size, or a memorial for more than one pet, send us a message before ordering and we will talk through the options together.

We do. Boutiques, salons, spas, gift shops and event planners can carry our soaps and scrubs at wholesale pricing. We also make custom favors for weddings, bridal and baby showers, and corporate gifts, with labels that match your event.

Tell us what you are looking for on our wholesale page and we will send pricing and minimums.

We pack every order by hand and ship from our workshop. Shipping costs and estimated delivery dates are shown at checkout before you pay.

Because skincare is personal and memorials are made to order with your pet’s name, we can’t accept returns on opened products or personalized items. If anything arrives damaged or isn’t right, contact us within 7 days with a photo and we will make it right. Full details are on our Shipping & Returns page.