FAQ

Q: How do you determine what's "safe"?

A: This is a difficuilt question to answer conclusively, only because there is so little research and even less of it is conclusive. That being said, we do extensive amounts of research to present the safest, most effective products on the market. We do not rely solely on any one source of information. So while we check the Skin Deep database, we recognize that this is only one source - and not an infallible one - of information. We also speak with the manufacturers and search through other research databases for information on the most current research on the various natural and synthetic chemicals used in beauty and personal care products.

Q: Are all of your products 100% natural?

A: In a word, no. Many - if not most - of our products are 100% natural, but many are also 95%-99.9% natural. Often, that last 1-2% that is not natural is due to the preservative used in the product. In those cases, the synthetic ingredients have been approved by the brands' certifying body (e.g., BDIH, Ecocert, etc) and demonstrated to be safe by objective third parties. We do not believe that just because something is synthetic it is necessarily dangerous, or worse than a natural alternative. But when a product does contain synethetic ingredients, we ask that the manufacturer provide documentation showing that the ingredients have been proven safe for use.

Q: What's the different between natural and organic?

A: An organic ingredient has been sourced from a certified organic farm. Natural means that the ingredient was not created in a lab using synthetic or petroleum-based chemicals. In many cases, particularly with minerals, the ingredient cannot be organic by definition, and therefore the product is natural, not organic. Also, because organic ingredients are more expensive to source, we choose to offer both organic and natural products so that you have safe and natural alternative no matter what your budget.

Q: Do you have any brick and mortar stores?

A: We have one store within a store located in St. Paul, MN, and will soon be opening a similar store in Minneapolis. To view the locations, click here.

Q: I live outside the U.S. Will you ship to me?

A: Yes, we are happy to! We currently use PayPal to manage payment to our international customers, but you can calculate shipping costs and order total by going through the normal ordering process. Instead of clicking on the "pay by credit card" option, simply click on "Pay by phone," and we will email you via PayPal so you can pay for your order (we will not call you).

Q: How do I speak to someone in person?

A: You can reach a customer service representative by calling 651.314.4435. Often, someone will be available to take your call. If not, simply leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. We have someone able to take your call 7 days a week.

Q: If I become a registered customer, will I start getting a bunch of emails and postcards in my mail box?

A: No. In fact, the only way you will receive emails (and we never send out snail mail) is by entering your email address at the bottom of the home page where it says "Sign up for our newsletter." By doing that, you will receive emails with product updates, special offers, and other NOB news. But by registering as a customer, you can save your shipping information and any products you want to save in your wish list.

Q: Do you save my credit card information?

A: Absolutely not. While we can reimburse your account should we make an error or you are eligible for a refund, we do not have access to your credit card information.