FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
RETURNS
What is your return and exchange policy?
Opened: Because of the delicate nature of cosmetics, we do not refund opened and used items, however if you’d like to exchange a used item that you are unhappy with, send us an email within 14 days to elise@hammondherbs.com including the reason you would like an exchange. If the item you are exchanging your purchase for is more than the price of the product you are returning, we will invoice you for the remainder due. Your item will not ship until your invoice is paid in full.
Unopened: Unopened items can be returned for a full refund within 14 days of purchase. Send us an email at elise@hammondherbs.com including the reason you would like to return it. If you would like a pre-paid return label mailed to you, let us know and we will deduct the postage price from your refund.
INGREDIENTS
Are your products or ingredients tested on animals?
Never! All our products are handmade by us and we are our own guinea pigs!
Are your products vegan?
Our toothpowder and shampoo bars are but we use organic beeswax in our deodorants and a small amount of honeyquat in our conditioner bars which is derived from honey.
Are your ingredients Fair Trade, organic, and non-GMO?
We use Fair Trade, organic, and non-GMO ingredients wherever they’re available. The majority of our ingredients are organic and we use Fair Trade shea butter and coconut oil. Our vitamin E oil and xylitol are both non-GMO.
Are your products safe for pregnant/nursing women and children?
We use essential oils in some of our products which are by nature very concentrated. Because our tooth powder is flavored with essential oils and because substances applied to the mouth can easily find their way into the body, we do not recommend our tooth powder to pregnant/nursing women or children under the age of 5. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there regarding pregnant/nursing women and children and the safe use of essential oils so we strongly advise you to consult your health care provider regarding the safe use of our products.
Do you sell baking soda free deodorants?
We used to, but unfortunately we’ve been having issues with the formula. The vast majority of our customers don’t seem to have any skin reactions to our standard formula since we use considerably less baking soda than many recipes out there. If you do have sensitive skin, we recommend starting out with just 2 deodorant swipes per underarm. If deodorant with baking soda is still not an option for you, check back with us in the near future and we may have a baking soda free formula back in our shop.
Are your products gluten free?
Yes!
Why are your shampoo bars sulfate free?
Sulfates are commonly added to shampoos because they are effective at cleaning.. sometimes a little too effective. Over time, sulfates can corrode and damage hair follicles, dry out the hair and scalp, or lead to skin irritations and hair loss. We use only the most gentle sulfate free surfactants made from coconut oil and glucose that are still able to effectively clean your hair without stripping it dry and all while giving you an amazing lather.
What’s wrong with silicones in a conditioner?
Though there’s a great debate about whether silicones are good or bad for hair, we choose not to use them because they’re synthetic polymers that are not biodegradable and it’s not well understood how they effect the environment they accumulate in. Instead we use coco caprylate which comes from coconut oil and has a similar hair feel to silicone.
What do you mean by natural?
There’s a lot of confusion around the term “natural.” By “natural” we mean that our ingredients are either straight from nature such as beeswax or coconut oil or naturally derived such as sodium cocoyl isethionate which comes from coconut oil but has been altered to be a gentle cleansing agent. A few of our ingredients are “nature identical” which means that they’ve been synthetically produced but are chemically identical to an ingredient found in nature such as provitamin B5 which we use in our conditioner bars.
SHIPPING
Do you offer free shipping?
Yes! We offer free US shipping on all orders $35 or over.
What is your shipping method?
We ship First Class on all packages under a pound and ship via Priority Mail on all packages a pound or over.
Do you ship worldwide?
We currently only ship to US states and territories but if you’re outside the US and would like any of our products shipped to your country, email us at elise@hammondherbs.com for a recommended online store that carries the product you’re looking for and ships worldwide.
How fast do you ship?
We ship within 1-4 business days of your purchase.
What shipping materials do you use?
We ship 100% plastic free! We use water activated adhesive paper tape, plastic free padded mailers, cardboard boxes, and paper for cushioning. We recycle shipping materials whenever possible.
ETC
What do you mean by zero waste?
The term “zero waste” has come to refer to products that can either be reused, recycled or composted. Though I’m more comfortable with the term “low waste” since anything produced requires some amount of energy and waste, the term “zero waste” is useful to distinguish the lack of waste once a consumer purchases a product. All of our product packaging can either be composted or reused (including our shipping materials!) and similarly, all of the ingredients in our products are natural and biodegradable.
Do your deodorants stain clothes?
In our many years of using our deodorants, we have never had issues with staining. The deodorants may cause discoloration of the clothes if you are a heavy sweater and/or wear tight fitting or light colored clothes. This should come out in a normal laundry wash but if you find that it’s remaining, I recommend rubbing a bit of laundry detergent or dish soap into the build-up before throwing it in the wash.
Why a shampoo and conditioner bar?
When you buy a bottle of shampoo, what you’re mostly getting is water. Bar shampoo is made without water so it’s super condensed. They last much longer and no need for the plastic. Did you know only about 10% of plastic in use ever gets recycled? Every bar is equal to at least one or several bottles of shampoo that you’re saving from a landfill. Plus they’re TSA compliant!
Do you offer free samples?
At this time, we do not currently carry sample sizes of our products but we may in the near future.
What is the shelf life of your products?
All our products last at least 6 months or longer.
What do I do with the shipping materials or product containers once I’m finished with them?
The shipping materials, deodorant tubes, shampoo/conditioner boxes and bags, tooth powder refill pouches, and soap decks can all be composted and the tooth powder jars can be refilled!
Any other questions?
Feel free to contact us at elise@hammondherbs.com