Do your scents really smell the way you describe?
Scent perception is a multi-faceted question. It depends upon the sensitivity of your nose, your skin chemistry, the odors around you among many other factors. As a result, you may perceive a fragrance differently than another person. It is also the reason why some perfumes smell great on one person but may not suit another person quite as well. We do our best in describing each scent on our "scent descriptions" pages, but we cannot guarantee that you will perceive the scent in the same way. Please order samples under our "Samples" section if you are ever in doubt about a scent.
How close are your duplications to the real thing?
Our duplications are similar to the real thing to our nose, or else we would not list them as such. Where our versions differ from the original, it will be noted in the scent descriptions. Please note that scent complements are not duplications, but fragrances which complement the original. We have posted testimonials from customers for many scents that attest to the accuracy of our duplications. However, as stated above, each person perceives scent differently, so you should make your own judgment by ordering scent samples. We have established a generous and low-cost sampling policy for this very purpose. Please note that The Body Perfumery does not accept returns on the basis of a customer disliking a scent/product or disagreeing with our scent descriptions. Please order samples prior to full-sized purchases to ensure that a fragrance is compatible with you and meets your expectations. We take a lot of care in writing our scent descriptions, but a sniff is worth a thousand words.
Do you offer scent samples?
Sure do! Click HERE to order scent samples. Special product samples are also offered to members of our mailing list. To sign up, click HERE.
I have sensitive skin and am allergic to certain ingredients. What products or scents should I avoid?
Generally, people with sensitive skin should avoid scents with cinnamon or citrus components. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. If you have sensitive skin, you should order samples or the smallest product size available to test a product.
If you have allergies, please review our ingredients labels which are posted at the bottom of each product's main page. Customers are responsible for duly investigating their sensitivity or allergy to any of the ingredients prior to usage. If you have sensitive skin or allergies, please perform a skin patch test by applying the product to a small area of skin and waiting 24 hours to watch for any adverse reactions prior to application to a larger area. The Body Perfumery uses the finest ingredients in making our products, but we make no guarantee that our products are compatible with all skin types.
How come my product is turning brown?
Fragrances that contain vanilla may cause our bath and body products to turn brown. The color change can take days, weeks, or months. It does not affect in any way the effectiveness or scent of our products. Generally, you should keep our products away from direct sunlight and heat. Keep them in a cool, dry place when not in use.
What is the shelf life of your products?
Customers are strongly encouraged to use our products within this recommended time frame: 9 months from the date of purchase for creams and lotions, 12 months from the date of purchase for other products with water as one of the main ingredients and 12 to 18 months from the date of purchase for all other products. All bath and body products have a finite shelf life, which can be maximized or extended beyond the period stated above with proper handling and storage in a location away from heat, light and moist air, and with hygienic usage by washing your hands prior to applying any product. Products in wide-mouth jars are more prone to spoilage than those in bottles, due to the larger surface area in contact with fingers and air. Therefore, keep jars tightly capped when not in use and apply only with washed hands. Never introduce additional water or other substances into our products. In general, let texture, odor and age of the product be your guide. Should there be a negative change in the texture or odor of the product, or should you experience any irritation, discontinue use immediately.
Why does your fragrance last all day on my friend but not on me?
An individual's body chemistry, climate, geography and skin type all affect his or her fragrance and its longevity. Some factors that enhance scent longevity are: oily skin, heightened body temperature (i.e. during exercise), and perspiration. All of the above amplifies the natural oils and moisture in your skin, which enhances your hold on a perfume. Certain notes in fragrances are composed of more volatile oils, such as citrus oils used in top notes, which evaporate quicker on skin and dissipate into the air. Conversely, dry skin, low body temperature and high altitudes work against scent longevity. If you are affected by any of these factors, you may need a stronger scent or reapply scent more often. Other factors that can affect your scent includes medication, a diet of spicy or high fat foods, stress and pregnancy.
Why don't fragrances from your shower gels and shampoos stay on my skin and hair after my shower?
Some of our products are rinse-off products. Shower gels, shampoos, conditioners and scrubs are formulated to rinse away cleanly without leaving a residue in your skin and hair. However, the act of rinsing and cleaning also unavoidably removes scent. Cleansing ingredients simply do not distinguish between dirt and scent. Therefore, our rinse-off products primarily are scented to give you an aromatic experience in the shower only. Our conditioners will leave a mild scent in your hair but is not intended to act as a perfume for hair. Scent can be reapplied after the shower in the form of perfumes, lotions, creams and our hair glossing sprays and serums. Please remember that rinse-off products cannot function as perfume substitutes if they are to serve their main purpose: to clean.
Is it safe for me to tan with your products?
Before sun exposure, we suggest that you avoid applying products with a citrus oil component. Citrus oils can result in sun sensitivity (or photosensitization) when skin is exposed to UV light. In making skin more sensitive to sunlight, citrus oils can cause skin to burn rather than tan. As always, use common sense and protect your skin daily with a broad spectrum sunscreen to ensure beautiful skin year after year.
What are the differences between your perfume base choices?
Here is a quick table on the scent intensities (denoted by the number of Xs) to help you out:
| |
Initial Application |
2-3 Hours Later** |
4+ Hours Later** |
| Alcohol-based perfume |
XXXXXX
|
XX
|
X
|
| Oil-based perfume |
XXXX
|
XXX
|
XX
|
| Solid perfume |
XX
|
XX
|
X
|
In general, alcohol-based perfumes give you a strong blast of scent and greatest scent dispersion. They are a good choice if you not only want to fragrance yourself, but the space around you as well. Oil-based perfumes do not have the evaporative power of alcohol and is a good choice for a steady diffusion of scent over a longer period of time. Solid perfumes hold scent closest to your body and is a good choice if your goal is for a subtle, discreet scent application that will scent only yourself and not perfume the environment around you.
Oil-based samples will give you the best idea of how a scent will smell like in our bath and body products, as the composition of a fragrance is played out in a more balanced way in that form. Alcohol-based samples place a greater emphasis on the top notes of a fragrance and therefore will differ from how the same fragrance will play out in lotions, shampoos and other non-alcohol containing products.
**Please remember that the choice of perfume base is not the only variable in scent longevity. Scent longevity and intensity are controlled greatly by the scent components themselves and by your personal skin chemistry. The time periods in the table above are for comparative illustration only and your experience with a scent may vary.
How is your soap different from what I can buy at the supermarket?
Commercial "soaps" are often not "soap" under the Federal Drug Administration's definition. They are detergent bars. That is why if you look closely at supermarket soaps' labelling, you will often see them packaged as "deodorant bars" or "beauty bars". They could not legally be labeled as "soap" under FDA regulations. Dove, a common beauty bar, has the following ingredients:
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate [detergent], Stearic Acid [hardener], Coconut Acid, Sodium Tallowate [saponified tallow, or beef fat], Water, Sodium Isethionate [detergent], Sodium Stearate**, Cocamidopropyl Betaine [detergent], Sodium Cocoate [saponified coconut oil] or Palm Kernelate [saponified palm kernel oil], Fragrance, Sodium Chloride [salt], Tetrasodium EDTA [chelating agent], Trisodium Etidronate [chelating agent], BHT [preservative], Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) [colorant], Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate.
It is made of a combination of soap and detergent. The soap components (marked in blue) are saponified tallow (beef fat), coconut oil and palm kernel oil. The detergent components are marked in red. Sodium Stearate (marked with ** above) is the "smoking gun" evidencing that commercial manufacturers remove glycerin, the humectant naturally produced during saponification, from their soaps. Here's why: Beef tallow (like all all animal and vegetable fats) is actually a tri-glyceride. A tri-glyceride is a molecule with 4 parts: three stearic acid molecules (hence the "tri" in the name), plus one glycerine molecule (hence the "glyceride" in the name). When tri-glycerides are treated with sodium hydroxide (or NaOH, the alkali used in soapmaking), the "Na" in the "NaOH" bonds with the "tri" portion of the "tri-glyceride". In the case of tallow (whose tri-glyceride is named "glyceryl tristearate"), "Sodium Stearate" is formed from the Na bonding, and in the process, frees the glycerin in the "tri-glyceride". But where is the glycerin in the Dove beauty bar's ingredients listing? It is no longer in the soap because it is extracted and resold as glycerin in the manufacture of lotions and other bath and body products.
In comparison, our soaps contain much more natural and skin-loving ingredients and retains all of the glycerin naturally produced in the soapmaking process. Our soaps also come in scents you won't see in a supermarket and they look far more interesting than supermarket bars too!
How long do your soaps last in the shower?
We find that the life of our soaps can last as long as commercial bars if they are allowed to dry between uses on a soap dish with good drainage and kept out of the direct stream of water. This is especially important for castile (high olive oil content) soaps which are more prone to softening if left in water. Using a wash cloth or bath pouf to lather up (instead of using the soap directly) can also lengthen the life of your soap. Generally, if you take proper care of your soap, it will reward you with a few more uses.
What do you use to color your soap? Is it natural?
The most common colorants used in our soaps are clays, iron oxides, ultramarines, micas and titanium dioxide. Clays of different geographical origins contribute different colors. For example, French rose clay makes a pink soap, whereas Morroccan red clay makes a reddish-brown soap. Iron oxides, ultramarines and micas are mined from the earth. Micas are further treated to create their characteristic shimmer. Titanium dioxide is a commercially manufactured metallic oxide that contributes to whiteness in soap. All colorants are used in minute amounts, usually in levels of only 0.25% of the soap by weight.
I live in a humid environment. Is there anything different I should do in storing my soaps?
Due to handmade soaps' high glycerin content, it may attract water from moist or humid air. Glycerin is a "humectant", meaning that it attracts water to your skin. Other humectants such as honey can have the same effect. As a result, the soaps may be moist to the touch (an effect called "weeping"). If you live in a humid environment, we recommend that you take the soap out of its shrinkwrap or bag to avoid the trapping of water which can induce spoilage and reduce the life of the soap. Put the soap in a cool and dry location. Do not store your new unused soaps in the bathroom where they are constantly exposed to moist air.
Why aren't your ingredients listed in the same manner that supermarket soaps are labeled?
Supermarket soaps aren't really "soap" and therefore are subject to more stringent FDA requirements on labeling, such as the use of each component's chemical name. Our soap are true soaps (meaning purely formed from fatty acids and alkali) on which no cosmetic claims are made and therefore are not subject to those regulations.
However, if you are really curious, one of our soap labels could be accurately rewritten from this:
Saponified and Unsaponified Oils of Olive, Palm Kernel, Palm, Coconut and Castor, Fragrance, Sucrose, Water, Mica.
To this:
Sodium Oleate, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Glycerin, Olea europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Elaeis guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil, Elaeis guineensis (Palm) Oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Fragrance, Sucrose, Water, Mica.
I heard fantastic review of your soaps but they don't lather up as much as I expected. Why is that?
Do you have hard water? If so, that might be the reason. No chelating agents (such as Tetrasodium EDTA) are added to our soaps to bond with the minerals in hard water. Without chelating agents, the minerals react with the soap and reduce its lathering ability. Soaps made with coconut and palm kernel oils produce good lather even in hard water and that is why the majority of my soaps contain one or both of these oils. If you have hard water, select a soap high in coconut and palm kernel oils as shown in our ingredients listing and avoid castile (high olive content) soaps as they do not do well in hard water. Using a bath pouf will also help.
I fell in love with one of your soaps, but I don't see it on your website anymore. Do you still make it?
Due to our large scent menu, scents are rotated to provide customers with a broad sampling from the menu. If a soap is particularly popular, a new batch may be made as soon as the previous one sells out. Please note that freshly made soaps are not offered for sale until they are thoroughly cured, which can take up to 4 to 6 weeks.
Custom orders are possible but are controlled by current order volume. If you still have the name card that came with the soap, you will find a batch number on the back. This batch number will allow the exact re-creation of your soap. If we are too busy with existing orders, custom orders will be declined. Some scents are not soap compatible. There is a minimum order of 8 bars in the same scent which must be paid for in advance. A lead time of approximately 7 to 8 weeks is required for custom soap orders. Please email us to discuss if interested.
Is the recipe of your soaps always the same?
No, they are not. Often, the recipe is tailored specifically for the soap. For example, the Mango Macadamia Nut Soap is made with both mango butter and macadamia nut oil, whereas the Dairy Princess Soap is made with oatmeal, honey and goat's milk.
A variety of ingredients is used for another reason. A small minority of customers have sensitivities towards nut, palm or coconut oils, and our variety allows them to choose a soap with ingredients that are compatible with their skin.
What Should I Do To Make My Soaps Last?
To maximize the longevity of your soap, please use a well-draining soap dish to keep the soap dry between uses. Keep the soap away from a direct stream of water. Using a bath pouf or wash cloth (as opposed to directly rubbing the soap on the skin) will also lengthen the life of your soap.
Do Soaps Have a Shelf Life?
If stored properly in a dark, cool location with no contact with humidity, our soaps can remain good for several years. In fact, it is the nature of handmade soap to continue to harden and to become more mild as it ages. However, some of the scent may fade from the soap surface over time, so if you like the scent you should use the soap sooner rather than later.
How Should I Store My Soaps?
Please store your new, unused soaps in a cool, dry location away from humidity or moist air.
Why don't you accept returns or exchanges on The Body Perfumery items?
Each order is prepared for the particular customer, and once it leaves our hands, we cannot vouch for the purity of its contents. We cannot resell your returned products to others as a result. This policy protects all customers, as you can be certain that every item you receive is made fresh for you specifically.
What types of payment do you accept?
Please click HERE to see our payment policy.
Where can I find your return/refund/exchange policies?
Click HERE to read about our return, refund and exchange policies.
What if my package is damaged, lost or undeliverable?
Click HERE to read our policy on damaged, lost or undeliverable shipments. Buyers are encouraged to purchase insurance on their packages. To purchase insurance for your order, please click HERE.
What are your shipping rates?
Click here to see our shipping rates table.
Do you ship internationally? If yes, by what method?
We ship to a limited number of countries internationally, as follows: Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. International packages are sent via Air Mail if they are under 4 pounds. The charges in our shipping table reflect the cost of surface mail for packages exceeding the Air Mail weight limit. If your package exceeds the Air Mail weight limit, we will contact you to discuss whether you would like to upgrade to faster mailing options for an additional charge.
What is your turnaround time? How do I know you have shipped?
Our turnaround time is updated frequently on our homepage and depends greatly on current order volume. Large orders may require additional processing time than what is stated on our homepage. All purchases enter the production process in the order of payment receipt; however, smaller orders do generally ship in less time than larger orders. In the case of echecks, orders are not processed until we receive Paypal notification that the funds have cleared (generally roughly 4-5 business days). Stated turnaround times are measured in business days and do not include transit time. Please plan accordingly if you require your items by a certain date.
You will know when your item is about to ship when you receive an email from Paypal (if you made a Paypal payment) containing the delivery confirmation number of your package. Please note that the delivery confirmation number functions to confirm delivery and is not a tracking number. The United States Postal Service usually does not update its website with the number until delivery has been made. If you made your payment via a money order or cashier's check, you will receive a delivery confirmation number by email directly from us.
Which postal carrier do you use?
We ship by the United States Postal Service. Packages going to domestic addresses weighing less than 13 ounces are shipped by First Class Mail and those over 13 ounces are shipped by Priority Mail. Extremely heavy packages may occasionally be shipped USPS Parcel Post or UPS Ground. International packages under 3 pounds are shipped by Air Mail.
What does your shipping and handling charge cover?
Besides actual postage, the shipping and handling charge covers the cost of bubble envelopes, foam peanuts, bubble wrap, shipping labels, tape and other shipping supplies. It pays for the time spent packaging your items, transportation and wait time at the post office. Finally, it helps defray a portion of the Paypal fees incurred to receive your payments. Please keep in mind that the actual postage you see on your package or box reflects only a part of the costs in delivering your order to you.
I bought something from you on Ebay. Can you combine shipping with items purchased from your website?
No, Ebay orders and website orders are processed differently. Shipping cannot be combined for the two venues. The website's shipping charges are calculated automatically by the shopping cart. Buyers are encouraged to purchase directly from our website for the lowest shipping charges and widest selection of products.
I want my order shipping to two separate addresses. How do I do this?
Please submit a separate order for each address if you are purchasing items to be shipped to multiple addresses. The shipping charges automatically calculated by our shopping cart is for delivery to one address.
I signed up for your newsletters, but why haven’t I gotten any?
The most probable reason that our newsletters do not get to you is that your email program’s spam filter is overly aggressive in filtering out bulk emails. You should look in your “bulk” folder for our newsletter. We send out newsletters usually once every 4 to 6 weeks, or whenever we have something significant to announce such as new products, new scents, sales, promotional offers and coupons. Please make sure you reply to the automated confirmation email to opt-in to the mailing list.
Do you charge sales tax?
For orders shipped to a New Jersey address, a sales tax of 7% will be added to you order total.
Do you wholesale your products?
No, not at this time. But should that change in the future, wholesale details and pricing will be posted on this website.
How can I reach you? I cannot find a phone number on your site.
We have found that the quickest and most cost-effective way of communicating with our customers is through email. You can email us at any hour of the day, seven days a week and can expect a response from us in the same day and often within a few hours, unless we are on vacation (in which case there will be a notice posted on the homepage). If you haven't gotten a response from us, please be sure to check your email account's junk or spam folder, as emails from us have unfortunately been mis-recognized as spam by certain email programs.
