FAQ
WHILE OUR NAMESAKE IS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY, WE WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. HERE WE ADDRESS SOME QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT DR. JEKYLL SOAP CO. PRODUCTS.
General
Q: What makes you different than other brands?
We never talk specifically about other brands, it's just not our style. Instead, below is what sets us apart.
Our Ingredients
Our products contain only the highest quality ingredients. We don’t want our products to cut any corners, especially when it comes to the use of base oils. We're also honest about our other ingredients.
What does that mean?
Palm Oil harvesting is one of the primary drivers of deforestation and it’s pushing many species, including orangutans, to the point of extinction. Our soaps contain Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified Palm Oil. A company may use RSPO certified oil and it may still be “mass balance,” which is a cheaper way to still have RSPO certification, but the oil comes from unknown origins and may still be driving deforestation. The oils used in our soaps go one step further in that we can trace the exact origin of the oil and it is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance – a higher, more stringent certification. Click here to learn more about RSPO certification.
Another ingredient that you may see in other soaps is Sodium Tallowate. This is a cheaper, more commercial product that combines sodium hydroxide (lye) and animal fatty tissue.
Be very careful with soap bars that claim to be "organic." Click here to learn about organic labeling practices. Some brands claim their soaps are certified organic, but, when you dig deeper, they are simply buying their certification from a third-party organization. While our soaps contain organic ingredients, including Palm Oil, we don't want to mislead consumers like a lot of brands into thinking our soap is fully organic. Unfortunately, "organic" and "all-natural" are the most used words employed by many brands to mislead consumers as they remain mostly unregulated. Be careful and do your research.
Ultimately, we strive to be honest with our claims. We keep it real. If has natural ingredients, we claim it (on the front of the package, in the ingredient list, and in the product listing); if it doesn't, we don't. Don't worry, any fragrances used are high quality and free from phthalates and harmful chemicals.
Why does it matter?
Companies that use “mass balance” are using potentially adulterated palm oil from unknown origins. This will impact deforestation and customer’s experience considering that it may be significantly adulterated. Companies use “mass balance” oil because it’s cheaper and they can save a buck in production. We don’t want to cut corners.
For those soaps that contain Sodium Tallowate, you may be paying premium price for a cheaper, lower quality product.
We encourage everyone to really challenge personal care brands on their claims of "all-natural," "organic," and others as most of the time they're not. There are brands, including some that are well known, that simply put "all-natural" on everything, but, when you look at their ingredient glossary, they admit they use synthetic fragrances. Honestly, they make false claims because they help sell products. We don't, we'd rather be as honest as possible.
Our Service
Excellent customer service is a non-negotiable. If you have issues with any part of the ordering process, we’re here to help. We never outsource our customer service like many other brands. Plus, we work to fulfill orders as quickly as possible. For orders received during the week (up to noon on Friday), orders are fulfilled within 24 hours, but most of the time they’re fulfilled same day.
What does that mean?
It means we’re here to help you and you’re actually going to get help from a real person. Plus, it means you can have confidence that we’re working on your orders. While shipping times may vary based on the season and other logistical issues, we’re watching every order very closely.
Why does it matter?
Don’t you hate it when you need help and no one responds? We do, too. We believe the way a company treats its customers says a lot about that company.
Our Value
Essentially, we offer bigger and bolder scents for less. Our soaps are larger than many of our competitors and they also contain more scent or fragrance load. On top of that, we offer them at a better price point than many of our competitors.
What does that mean?
You get more scent and showers and better ingredients for less money, and who doesn’t love saving money? It’s that simple!
Why does it matter?
We know people work hard for their money. We’re not in the business of selling lower quality products at higher prices. We want our customers to get great products and even better value.
Our Honesty
We truly wish more customers would demand honesty from soap brands and not just accept claims at face value. Did you know, the vast majority of soap brands, even some of the larger, well-known ones, simply order standard soap from a wholesaler and resell it? Unfortunately, some are very deceptive in then saying they 100% make their own products. We do work with a partner as most companies do as they need to scale their production.
What does that mean?
Let us explain how we’re different than most in this regard:
While many brands just order an existing and standard soap online and slap their sticker on it, we work with a partner in our local community and collaborated for years before ever launching a single product. Working with our partner let's us meet demand (which we're humbled by) while keeping the products handcrafted and small batch (144 bars at a time to be exact). We know everyone involved and talk to them regularly (about products, our families, the weather, local restaurants, etc.). We’ve worked with them for a long time to develop special formulations that can’t be bought anywhere else. In many ways, they've allowed us to have a lab of sorts to test ideas and express our creativity - as with most good science, not all of our ideas have panned out. We’ve been involved in it all, including testing exfoliants, comparing exfoliant size, scent loads and combinations, and much, much more. We’ve run test groups and focus groups on our products, and, obviously, done a lot of testing ourselves to make sure the formulations meet our exact specifications. If they don't, we huddle the braintrust. When we say we’re involved from ideation to the package being delivered, we really mean it. We believe in working hard to bring the best and highest quality products to market.
To be honest, we’re quite proud of our process as it has taken a lot of time and collaboration to get our products where they are today. You'll notice a difference between what we offer and what others are simply buying and reselling. To think that any one brand knows everything there is to know about soap-making is foolhardy. We believe in being strategic in pulling together and working with industry experts who have a variety of perspectives and experiences.
Why does it matter?
This approach is what has led to, in our opinion, some of the best products on the market. Admittedly, we didn't invent this approach. Car manufacturers routinely utilize consultants and contractors to help make their products. With our approach, when you order our products, you’re reaping the benefit of different perspectives and decades of knowledge and experience in the field. Even though we’re significantly more involved in the soap-making process than many others, we want to make sure we’re keeping honesty a priority. We believe in the quote “anything you lose from being honest, you never had to begin with.” We just wish other soap companies had the same priority.
So, even if you don’t buy from us, really question other soap companies on their process before ordering, and even question their responses. Don’t take their claims at face value.
Our Commitment to Give Back
We want to leverage our company to do good. As such, a portion of every purchase is donated to two causes very important to us: environmental conservation and mental health. We want to do our part to ensure future generations get to enjoy the great outdoors as much as we do. Also, we know that accessible mental health services can be a critical lifeline for low income individuals facing mental health crises.
What does that mean?
It means when you buy from us, you’re Loving Your Hyde, loving the world, and loving others at the same time.
Why does it matter?
This is obvious!
Q: Why Dr. Jekyll as your namesake?
As the main character from the 1886 classic, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll embodies the duality of human nature. While we all may present a certain persona in specific contexts, we can almost be a different person in another. So, if you're rocking the suit and tie during the week and blazing trails on the weekend, being dad during the day and jamming with your garage band at night, or hitting the books during the week and hanging out with friends on the weekend, then our products are for you.
Q: $6+ for a bar soap! Are you kidding me?
A: We get it! You work hard for your money and $6.99 for a bar of soap seems steep and is a far cry more expensive than the standard soap bars you can buy at the local pharmacy or big box store. Our prices are driven by the quality ingredients we use. So again, we get it, but perhaps you haven't been giving your Hyde the attention it deserves. After all, scientifically speaking, your skin is your body's largest organ, so maybe maintaining it with the highest quality ingredients is not such an outlandish expense or idea. Another way to think about it from a mathematical perspective, the average adult has approximately 22 square feet of skin, so at $6.99 per bar, you're only spending 32 cents per square foot. Come on, your Hyde deserves it.
Q: Are your products handmade?
A: Yes, our products are handcrafted in the USA! But, we have help from partners. Hey, we promised to be honest! We don't know everything there is to know about developing high-quality men's products, so we work very closely with experts in the industry to develop unique formulations and product characteristics in order to bring you the highest quality products. When you order our products, you're reaping the benefit of numerous perspectives and years of experience in the field - our approach is just good science. Also, not only are our products handmade, they're also hand selected and tested by us. We smell good! To be honest, most natural soap brands are not handmade by the company selling them. At Dr. Jekyll Soap Co., we're involved from ideation to the product being dropped off at your door.
Q: My soap is disappearing! Why am I paying more for a soap that disappears quicker?
A: Depending on your shower habits and frequency, you may notice that you use our soap quicker than generic bar soaps. Because we use high-quality, natural ingredients in our base, our soaps don't contain any kind of stabilizers or synthetic ingredients that limit suds. You'll likely notice that our products create really robust suds and scents. But, we understand that you want the most bang for your buck. So, we offer a 6 oz. bar, which is larger than many of our competitors, and we've formulated our soaps with a higher scent load, thus requiring less soap to get the scent and shower experience you desire. We recommend going with our monthly and quarterly subscription options to show your Hyde and your wallet some love.
Q: Can you list your soaps from most exfoliating to least?
Most Exfoliating: Rocky Coast (Pumice); Mountain Stone (Pumice); Quick Escape (Pumice)
Intermediate Exfoliating: Cold Front (Oatmeal); At Bay (Rose Hip and Annatto Seed Powder); New Leaf (Light Pumice)
Slight: Pine Forest (Bentonite Clay and Activated Charcoal)
Little to None: Charcoal Soul (Activated Charcoal); Magnetic Force (Activated Charcoal); Whiskey Tumbler; New Leaf (current batch does not contain pumice, but future batches will); Happy Place; Tobacco Bud; Solar Flare
Q: The packaging says keep soap dry between uses. Uh, why, it's soap?
A: As mentioned above, our soaps contain only high-quality ingredients and lack the synthetic additives that artificially preserve the integrity of the soap. So, if you leave your soap in a puddle of water, it will turn mushy and disintegrate. Even most commercial soaps do this to a certain degree. Again, we want you to be informed. If you want to prolong the life of your soap, just store it in a well-drained area beyond the "splash zone" between uses. A lot of other companies will sell you soap holders that may or may not work. However, here's a free tip, stand your soap on its side in a well-drained area outside of the "splash zone" and you'll avoid any issues. If keeping the soap out of the "splash zone" isn't possible, cut the soap into four squares - dental floss works well. Also, if traveling, dry the soap before packing and don't store it in any container with residual water.
Q: How much do your bars weigh?
Our soap bars may vary between 5.6-6.4 oz depending on the ingredients used (exfoliants), cure time, etc. We tell you what others won't. Due to the nature of handmade products and the ingredients we use, weight may vary slightly. We do our best to ensure the weight stays at 6 oz. or more (we want to give you the best value possible), but we also realize that the natural drying process can slightly impact weight.
Q: What is titanium dioxide, ultramarines, and chromium oxide? Why are they in my soap?
These are naturally-occurring materials that are used to add to the color and appearance of our soaps. They otherwise provide no functional or practical purpose, aside from providing a more natural colorant than synthetic colorants. They are used in the vast majority of handcrafted, cold-process soap brands – check their ingredients. Titanium dioxide adds white, ultramarines are used for deep blues, and chromium oxide provides green hues. As they’re naturally occurring, these ingredients are extracted through mining – like salt and the numerous other minerals used in our day-to-day lives.
In particular, titanium dioxide is found in a variety of everyday products ranging from toothpaste to cosmetics. The FDA has provided approval for its use in foods and may be found in milk, coffee creamers, candies, and much more, though there remains some debate over its use in foods, it is safe in cold-process soap applications. The concern in soap is if it is added in too high of a concentration, it can cause a drying effect. We're aware of this and our soaps are carefully balanced to ensure that this doesn’t occur. Please note that when used, these ingredients can be found as one of the last in the ingredient list, indicating they represent a very small presence in the product.
You may have heard that there are some concerns related to titanium dioxide’s potentially carcinogenic properties. This material is listed on the Proposition 65 list, but only when “airborne, unbound particles of a respirable size.” As such, it is not recommended for aerosolized or powered applications, and, broadly, there are concerns about the handling and use of any mineral in an airborne, respirable size. You will not see these ingredients used in any powder and spray applications we may offer. Similarly, Chromium Oxide and Iron Oxide pose risks to those involved in the manufacturing and processing of these minerals in respirable form and, therefore, you may see guidance and exposure regulations for individuals involved in manufacturing processes. However, they are considered safe and stable when used in cold-process applications, especially in very limited amounts. If you want to learn more about these ingredients, check out the quick reference below:
Q: Why are you telling me all of this?
A. It's simple, we're an honest company and just want to be honest with our customers. You work hard for your money and we want you to be informed about what to expect when you use Dr. Jekyll Soap Co. products. We think you'll love our products, but, if you don't like something about our brand and decide not to buy from us, then we're glad we helped you make the best decision for you.
Shipping
Q: How long will it take to get my order?
Time for the mother of all non-answers: It depends. Seriously, it depends on where you live, but orders typically take between 3-7 business days to arrive. Orders placed during the week until noon on Friday will be fulfilled within 24 hours, often same day. Please note, however, that, like most businesses, there may be a delay in processing orders received during the holiday season (October-December).
Q: What shipping carriers do you use?
We use all major carriers, and local courier partners. Shipping options (standard and expedited) will be listed at checkout.
Refunds and Customer Service
Q: Do you have a refund policy?
Yes, and it's simple! If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, contact us at support@drjekyllsoap.com. We offer a 30 day money back guarantee up to $50.
Q: I'm not happy with my order. What do I do?
We have a hypothesis: If you order our products, you'll love them.
However, our formula for customer service is simple in the event you don't love our products: Contact us at support@drjekyllsoap.com and someone from our team (never outsourced) will contact you within 24 hours to make it right.
That's it! It's that simple.