Question 1

Are your products suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

Accepted Answer

All of our products are suitable for vegetarians. Many are suitable for vegans, however some of our products do contain animal products (such as Goats' milk or beeswax).
 
The ingredients for each soap is clearly displayed on the product page, along with details of whether it is vegan friendly.

Question 2

Does your soap contain lye?

Accepted Answer

We use lye in the process of making our soaps. True soap cannot be made without the use of lye as it is needed to combine with the oils and turn into soap.
 
As the lye is chemically changed by the soap making process, there is no lye left present in any of our finished bars.

Question 3

Are your soaps suitable for all skin types?

Accepted Answer

Because our soap is made with all natural oils and butters (including cocoa butter, shea butter and sweet almond oil), they are incredibly gentle and kind to skin. Our soaps are suited to all skin types, however if you have especially sensitive skin, we recommend doing a patch test on a small area of skin before using.
 
For very sensitive skin, we recommend either our fragrance free "Goats' Milk" soap, which is a very gentle blend of pure Goats' milk and natural oils or our "Dead Sea Clay", fragrance free soap..

Question 4

Do your products contain any allergens?

Accepted Answer

Yes, many (but not all) of our products do contain certain ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in some people.
 
All ingredients are listed on the product pages and allergens are clearly displayed. Should you require any assistance in determining whether a product is suitable for you please do contact us for advice.

Question 5

Are your products organic?

Accepted Answer

While many of our raw ingredients are certified as organic, we as a company have not been certified as organic and as such, cannot advertise our soaps as organic.
 
We can however confirm that all of our ingredients in our "Natural soaps", "Body Butters", "Salt Bars" and "Clay Masks" ranges are natural and free from man made chemicals or fragrances. For people who prefer a stronger scent or brighter colours, we offer a range of bath bombs, sugar scrubs and (on occasion) limited edition soaps which are scented and coloured with safe, synthetic ingredients.

Question 6

Do your products contain palm oil?

Accepted Answer

Here at The Sussex Handmade Soap Company, we are very much against unnecessary use of palm oil. Due to this, if there is any possible alternative to palm oil as an ingredient then we will go with the non-palm option. Unfortunately, there are a couple of products where there is no alternative but to use ingredients that may have been derived from palm oil as comparable alternatives simply do not yet exist (hopefully one day they will and when that happens, we will be the first to switch!)

Please be aware that as of October 2022, the following products contain ingredients that MAY have been derived from palm oil:

Shampoo bars
Bath Bombs

All of other products continue to be completely free of any palm oil or palm oil derived ingredients.

Question 7

Do you test on animals?

Accepted Answer

The Sussex Handmade Soap Company can confirm that none of our products or raw ingredients have been tested on animals and no animal testing whatsoever has been conducted on behalf of The Sussex Handmade Soap Company.

Question 8

Do you use plastic packaging?

Accepted Answer

At The Sussex Handmade Soap Company we believe in looking after our environment and the world around us. For us, this means making our packaging recyclable and/or compostable wherever possible. 
 
We do not use any traditional plastic packaging on any of our products. If you purchase our bath bombs, shampoo bars or limited edition soaps, you will notice they appear to be plastic wrapped. Please do not worry! The film used is fully biodegradable and compostable and does NOT leave behind any microplastics. We choose to use this film rather than selling our products naked as products such as bath bombs are very sensitive to humidity and if we were to sell them unwrapped or wrapped in another material then there is a chance that they would not perform as well when you use them!

Question 9

What is the shelf life of your soap?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that our soap is used within 6 months of opening. Soap itself does not "go off" (In fact, it actually becomes milder and even more bubbly with age), however, after being out of their packaging for longer than 6 months there is a chance that the fragrance will begin to fade.
 
Please note that our shelf life recommendation is based on an assumption that the soap is stored correctly in an appropriate place and is not exposed to extreme conditions.

Question 10

Do you have any special offers?

Accepted Answer

From time to time, we run special offers and promotions online. These will be advertised on the website and sent to any customers who have opted in to receiving emails from us.
 
When attending public events across the South East, we will generally have special offers running on our stall.

Question 11

Do you sell your products wholesale?

Accepted Answer

Yes we do. If you are a business and are interested in purchasing our products in wholesale quantities please get in touch and we will be happy to set you up with a trade account.
 
Please note that wholesale orders are subject to minimum order quantities.

Question 12

Where can I buy your products?

Accepted Answer

As well as purchasing direct through this website, we also attend various shows and events across South East England. You can view what events we are attending by clicking on the "Events" link at the top of the home page.
 
We also supply a small number of local, independent shops. You can view the list of shops that stock our soaps by clicking on the "Stockists" link at the top of the home page.

Question 13

Do you deliver internationally?

Accepted Answer

At present, we are happy to ship to the UK, Channel Islands, the USA and Canada.
 
Unfortunately due to a change in the law, we can no longer ship orders to countries within the European Union.
 
Please be aware that customs charges may be payable on your order, depending on whereabouts you are located and your countries rules and regulations. These charges are your responsibility and are levied by your country of residence and not us.

The
Sussex Handmade
SOAP CO.

Frequently asked questions