Thank you for your inquiries. Below you will find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If you don't see an answer you are looking for please contact us so we may help you. Click here to go to our contact form.

Q1: I have sensitive skin, can I use your handmade soap?

Q2: How long will your soap last?

Q3: How do you fragrance your products?

Q4: Do you have a storefront; can I shop in person?

Q5: What about preservatives - do you use them? If products are made without preservatives, how long will they last?

Q6: I'm a little confused about products advertised as natural, organic, all-natural, etc. Can you explain?

Q7: Do you offer a print catalog?

Q8: Does your soap have lye in it?

Q9: How can I get samples?

Q10: How quickly do you ship? What if I need my order sooner?

Q11: Do you take custom gift basket orders or orders for party favors?

Q12: What about returns?

Q13: What the heck is the difference between a Bath Bomb, Bubbler, and Bubble Bar?

Q14: What should I choose - a salt scrub or a sugar scrub?

Q15: How do I choose a moisturizer?

Q16: A friend of mine had a spa night at her house. Do you offer anything like that?

Q17: What is a Wish List?

Q18: How do I check my order status or past orders?

Q19: Do you offer vegan or organic products?

Q20: Are your products cruelty free?

Q21: Why should I register for an account on your website?

Q22: Is it safe to use my credit card on your site?

Q23: What if I don't want to shop online?

Q24: I have a coupon code or promotional discount and I'm not sure how to use it.

Q25: I have a gift certificate and I'm not sure how to use it.

Q26: I would like to carry your products in my store. What do I do?

Q27: I got a body lotion sample with my order. What do I do with it?

Q28: I have a question I don't see the answer to here. What do I do?

Disclaimer:
This notice is required by the Federal Food Drug & Cosmetic Act: The Contents of this website are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Always consult your doctor if you are pregnant, lactating, or have any other health conditions before applying these products. Keep out of eyes & mucous membranes. All of our products should be used with the same care and caution as any other bath or household product that you use. Flower Peddler assumes no liability for claims arising from the misuse of our products.

A1: We highly recommend you try handmade soap. All of our soaps have natural beneficial oils as well as glycerin to help moisturize your skin. We do not use any synthetic dyes, preservatives, or petroleum products in our soaps. Unlike many commercial bars, our soaps will not leave your skin feeling dry and itchy. Our process produces an extremely mild soap. Try handmade soap; we think you will notice the difference immediately.

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A2: Our soaps will keep for up to a year, but we recommend you use them within six months.

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A3: We prefer to use essential oils whenever possible to scent our products. We also use natural oils which are made from essential oils and botanicals such as aromatic herbs, blossoms, spices, or woods. Natural oils are cosmetic grade and not synthetic and are used in place of certain essential oils that are extremely expensive like jasmine and rose.

We do get a lot of requests from customers for certain fragrances that are not available as essential oils or natural oils, specifically, some fruits and nuts, or "food" type fragrances or from those who would like a wider variety of choices. To meet those requests, we select only high grade, tested fragrance oils.

We have indicated wherever applicable what is an essential oil selection and what is a fragrance oil. All our soap selections are divided into categories including essential oil soaps, fragrance oil soaps, and goat's milk selections.

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A4: We are an internet-based store however, we do have a showroom at our Ashland location where you can view, smell, and purchase our products in person. Our showroom hours are 8:30 - 3:30 p.m. and other times by appointment. We also try to participate in several arts & crafts shows and farmer's markets throughout the year. We will update our calendar of events as soon as dates & times are established.

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A5: Products made without preservatives, or with products such as grapefruit seed extract or rosemary oil, have a shorter shelf life than products you may buy at the grocery store. We recommend you use your skin care products within 3 or 4 months.

Some products made from oil and water emulsions, such as lotions and creams, if unprotected, are prone to bacteria and mold growth. These little nasties need water to thrive whether that water is present in the product itself or introduced from the warm, damp environment of a bathroom. These growths can be potentially dangerous - think e-coli and staph. To prevent such hazardous "extras" from growing in our products we have carefully selected safe preservatives borrowed from the food industry. These preservatives are usually used at a rate of 1% or less in our formulas and only when absolutely necessary. If we don't need them, we don't use them. Despite the confusion and misconceptions that surround the subject of preservatives, to date there is no natural preservative that adequately controls the growth of bacteria, yeast, and mold in oil and water formulations. Some products such as grapefruit seed extract (GSE) have been advertised as a natural preservative, but have yet to have those claims proven in a laboratory. Some essential oils exhibit antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, however, the level at which these EOs would need to be used to sufficiently preserve the item would ultimately make the product unsafe. We feel it is important to protect our customers from the hazards of mold and bacteria and keep our products fresh and free of growth, therefore, we choose to add a proven preservative to the products that require them.

Preservatives are different from antioxidants which you will also see mentioned in some of our product descriptions. An antioxidant is used to prevent the oxidation of fats and oils, in other words, to keep oils from going rancid. Rancid oils are not dangerous, and they will not contain microorganisms- they just smell foul. We use antioxidants, such as Vitamin E and Rosemary Oleoresin Extract (ROE), in some of our products to keep them fresh and extend their life.

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A6: The word "natural" has prompted some major debates among skincare manufacturers and the public alike. Because "natural" is difficult to adequately define, many products on the market may make claims that cannot be supported. Everyone seems to have their own definition of what constitutes a natural product. "Natural" is a very powerful marketing tool as many people associate the word with a product that is safe or preferred. Whether or not "100% natural" ingredients are best is really subject to the individual experience of the consumer. For every person who has had a reaction to a product with synthetic ingredients, there is likely a person who reacted to something that was all-natural. It is very important that you familiarize yourself with ingredient listings. Many times it is not the ingredient itself, but rather how it was grown and harvested. A product may be composed of botanical ingredients, but if those ingredients were treated with pesticides or harvested using chemicals, is it still natural?

The FDA's definition of natural can be loosely applied to many products that are not even close to being botanical or too stringently applied to products whose only inorganic ingredient may be color. "Natural" is generally defined as being directly from plants or animals. This means that products that contain color additives such as micas or oxides could not be considered all-natural as these colorants are derived from the earth. Some believe that if a certain percentage of the product is made with botanical ingredients, that it is considered natural. Given the varied interpretations, what it really comes down to is a need for a thorough understanding on the part of the consumer. You must choose for yourself what level of "naturalness" fits your comfort level. Whether it is nature-inspired products with environmentally-friendly sounding names or it is "natural" in its truest meaning - products free from all synthetic ingredients and colorants- it is a very personal choice.

We try to keep our products as natural as possible. Some of our products are made with 100% natural ingredients. Others may be 97 - 99% natural with the addition of a safe preservative to protect the product from bacterial growth and mold. Some products are impossible to produce without the use of some synthetics. In this case we select only those ingredients that meet the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) guidelines. A GRAS substance is one that has a long, safe history of common use or that is determined to be safe based upon proven science.

We offer all our products with the option of essential oil fragrances, unscented, or dye-free. But we know our customers appreciate the wider variety of choices offered by synthetic fragrance oils, and we will continue to offer them. We will, however, identify what is "naturally" scented versus what is not. We want you to make informed decisions on what is best for your skincare needs. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the potential hazards of all ingredients in products you use, natural and synthetic. While the debate on what is natural rages on, we will continue to do our best to identify all our product ingredients completely and thoroughly down to every single item used in production. We have made choices based on what we feel is most beneficial for you, our customer. Should you ever have any questions about the ingredients in any of our products please contact us.

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A7: We are constantly adding to our product line to meet the requests of our customers. In order to keep our prices low and to preserve a few trees, we do not offer a print catalog. Our website reflects the current products we have available.

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A8: True soap cannot be made without lye - sodium hydroxide for hard soaps, and potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps. Technically speaking, soap is actually an alkali salt of a fatty acid. The salt is formed as a result of the chemical reaction between an alkali (lye) and an acid (fatty acids found in fats and oils).

When the lye solution and water are mixed with the fats and oils, the molecules of the alkali join with the molecules of the fatty acids, and the final result is soap. The chemical process is complete and all lye is reacted out.

This is why you sometimes do not see lye listed as an ingredient in soap, but rather a reference to saponified oils.

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A9: Please see our Samples page for our policies. We currently offer sample sizes of our lotions, gels, bubble bath, and bath mist and sample packs for our cold process soaps.

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A10: Most orders are shipped within 5 business days. Orders placed over the weekend will be processed on the following Monday. We strive for the quickest turnaround time possible after we have received your payment, however, during very busy times around the holidays, processing may take an extra day or two. You will be contacted if there is a significant delay.

If you need your items sooner, we can offer expedited processing and shipping for an extra charge. Please understand, selecting an expedited shipping method for your order does not constitute expedited processing. Please contact us for details. For more information on expedited processing please click here.

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A11: Absolutely! We would love to help you with your special events or gift-giving needs. Call or email us for information.

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A12: We want you to be thrilled with our products! If for any reason you are not satisifed with your purchase, please contact us toll-free at 888-569-7627 so we may assist you. We will accept the return of any retail purchase if the items are received back within 15 days of delivery. Once the items are received we will issue a store credit in the amount of the product purchase price excluding original and return shipping and handling. Credit may be used for purchases from our website and is good for six months from date of issue.

We are sorry but we cannot refund credit card charges; refunds are handled as store credit only. If you are unsure about any product, we recommend you purchase a sample size before ordering a full size item. We offer sample sizes in several products or smaller sizes at affordable prices. If you ever have any questions regarding our products we are always available to assist you in making selections.

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A13: It's all in the details dahling! So what kind of tub would you like to take? Maybe one with loads of luxurious, silky bubbles? Then you need to choose one of our Tub Bubblers or a Bodacious Bubble Bar . Crumble one of these gems under warm running water and voila - mounds of soft fragrant bubbles. Maybe you would like something a little more effervescent and exciting without the bubbles? Then a UFO or a Bug Bomb is what you need. Just drop one in the tub for a fizzing, fragrant experience. Still not what you're looking for? How about a combination? What about something that fizzes with fragrance and releases an incredible combination of skin softening butters and oils (think solid bath oil)? Then our Fizzing Bath Bloomers are just the luxury bath bon bons you're looking for. Whatever your mood, we have a bubbler, bomb, or bloomer to fit your needs.

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A14: One of the first differences you will notice between a salt scrub and a sugar scrub is the crystal size of the exfoliating grains. For example, our Turbinado Sugar Scrub has a large grain making it scrubbier. Our Rise & Shine Sugar Scrub and our Sea Salt Scrub have a finer grain. Sugar scrubs tend to be more gentle and are excellent choices for first time scrub users or those with sensitive skin. Sea salts are naturally purifying making them a great choice for cleansing, however, if you have any scratches, or cuts the salt will definitely sting. No matter what type of scrub you choose, we recommend you not use them on freshly shaven skin. Remember, scrub first, then shave.

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A15: When choosing a moisturizer, the most important thing to consider is your skin type and needs. If you only have occasional dry hands your moisturization needs are very different than someone who suffers from extremely dry skin and scaly patches. For those looking for light, all-over moisturizing, a lotion such as our Petals Lotion or Cucumber & Aloe Lotion are terrific choices. Medium weight lotions including our Goat's Milk & Honey Lotion or Hemp Lotion or creams such as Blossoms Hand & Body Creme are the best option for those with dry skin and for dry areas of the body like the elbows and the knees. If you have extremely dry skin or problematic areas such as heels, a heavy weight cream or body butter will give best results. Our Shea Body Butter or Extreme Creme may be just what you need. Also, a good rule of thumb to remember is when the relative humidity drops below 60%, such as in the winter, skin begins to lose moisture at a more rapid rate. Greater protection against this moisture loss is needed. When humidity is low, look for heavier weight moisturizers, creams, and butters. In humid conditions, the skin can replenish itself by soaking up moisture from the air so a light lotion may be all that is needed.

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A16: We love to put together pampering packages for spa nights and other parties. Call or email us for information.

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A17: The Wish List is an awesome feature of our upgraded shopping cart system that we are just tickled to be able to offer you!

You must be registered with the Flower Peddler online store to participate in our Wish List program. Your Wish List will only be available once you have logged in.

With your Wish List, you can make a list of the items you'd like to purchase for yourself at a later date. Storing them in your Wish List will help you to find them immediately with one little click of your mouse. Please note: Adding an item to your Wish List does not guarantee it will be in stock when you go to purchase it at a later date.

You can also choose to share your Wish List with friends or family members. It can even be used as a Gift Registry or a even a Wedding or Baby Shower registry! It's up to you! You can share this list with anyone you'd like with just one click of the mouse!

If someone chooses to share their Wish List with you, you'll know exactly what they want and will be able to fulfill that. No more wondering - will they like what I got them? Now you can purchase exactly what they want!

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A18: To check your current order status, view past orders, or access your wish list, simply login and click on "order history" or "wish list." Simple as that!

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A19: Our products are botanically based but not certified organic. Many of our products are vegan; you will see a symbol indicating this. We do use honey, beeswax, and goat's milk in some of our products. These are all clearly marked. We are currently in the process of switching many of our ingredients over to organic and certified organic sources. We are excited about the changes. We hope you will be too!

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A20: Flower Peddler is steadfastly against animal testing. We perform absolutely no animal testing for any of our products. We may occasionally test on a relative though!

A21: Registering for an account on our website gives you access to several features not available to unregistered users:

• Past/current order status and order look up
• Wish List capability
• Ease of ordering (no need to enter billing and shipping address information each time you order)
• Access to wholesale pricing for qualified wholesale members

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A22: Absolutely! Our shopping cart is protected with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, the most widely accepted method of encrypting commercial transactions on the Internet. If you would like more information about our website security please click here.

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A23: No problem! You can call toll-free 888-569-SOAP to place your order. You can also fax your order to 804-496-6382 or snail mail your order to the address listed on our contact page.

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A24: So you have a coupon or promotional discount and aren't sure how to use it. We can help. Here's how you do it. Simply shop on our site and add the products you would like to purchase to your cart. When you are finished, click on View Cart. You will see a block at the bottom of the page that says coupon code. Just enter the code you have and click submit. Easy as that!

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A25: Not to worry! Gift certificates are simple to redeem. Just follow these steps:

• Select the products you would like and add them to the cart.
• When you have completed your selections, click on Checkout.
• Follow the checkout instructions by entering your personal details and shipping information.
• Select Gift Certificate as your payment method.
• Enter your Gift Certificate ID and click the Submit button.
• If you have not used your entire gift certificate you will be notified of the amount remaining which you may use at a later date. If your order total exceeds your gift certificate amount, the cart will prompt you to select your desired payment method to pay for the balance.
• And now the easiest part - relax and enjoy your special pampering!

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A26: Wonderful! We are always happy to have new members join our wholesale team. You can click here to review our application process.

A27: It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. :)

A28: No problem. click here to go to our email contact form and we will be glad to answer your question.

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