Skincare Safety

Our 2-Week Trial Kit is the perfect way to try all of our products before you buy a full size or a subscription, but please don't jump in until you know how to safely test new products on your skin.

What works great for one person could cause an allergic reaction for the next person

We recommend a skin patch test, which means applying a small amount of each product to a small area of skin like the inside of your arm or your chest where you can watch for a bad reaction for 12-24 hours.

 

In that time frame, you should be able to catch any products you're allergic to. Don't use them again — your skin will not grow out of an allergy, and it might be worse the next time.

In general, products with more plant-derived ingredients, like cold-pressed oils, essential oils and hydrosols are more likely to cause an allergic reaction than products that only contain lab-purified ingredients.

There's also a chance a new product could irritate your skin over time (which is different from an allergy) or clog your pores. You won't know that from a skin patch test, so just pay attention as you use the products over several days or weeks and watch for redness, irritation or breakouts to appear. 

Redness, bumps, swelling, itching, or pain are not signs your skin needs to "adjust"  — they're signs to stop! The bottom line: listen to your skin.

    Why did my skin react?

    These are multiple factors — like our DNA, our unique immune systems and our current state of health — that can influence how skin reacts to an ingredient. And that's for bad reactions as well as good ones.

    A bad reaction doesn't necessarily mean the product is "bad" in some way (toxic, contaminated, etc.); it just means it wasn't a good fit for you.

    When you find something your skin doesn't like, stop using it. Allergies typically get worse over time, not better; sensitive skin and irritation is usually the same.

    Skincare safety is always relevant

    We’re serious about skincare safety because even the most natural ingredients and the purest active ingredients can cause an adverse reaction in a tiny sliver of the population and we want you to be informed. There's also a whole slew of ingredients known to be harmful to people and our environment that we avoid — read about those here.