FAQ
-
How do returns work?
We accept unopened products as returns. Please reach out to friends@bathingculture.com, or text 415.754.0209 with your order number within 30 days of ordering for a return label, we will pay shipping for the return, if everything is in good shape when it gets back, we'll give you a refund via your original payment method, we do not cover original shipping costs . It may take 30 days to process your return.
-
What is your refund policy?
We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We would be happy to refund your order if you’re unhappy with it, please email your order number to friends@bathingculture.com within 30 days of ordering as well as your request for a refund. One refund per household :) Refunds are done via Shopify via the original method of payment and can take up to 10 business days to process.
-
How long will my refund take?
Refunds are done via Shopify and can take up to 10 business days.
-
I'm not satisfied with my relationship... can you help?
Try taking a long shower and thinking about what's really holding you back... it might be time to make some changes
-
When will my order arrive?
We ship orders as fast as we can, with Covid-19 we’ve been working hard to keep products in stock and ship them out as soon as possible. Orders may take as long as 10 days to ship out. Once your order has been packed a tracking number will be sent to your email, if you have more questions, please reach out to friends@bathingculture.com
-
How do I check the status of my order?
Reach out to Friends@bathingculture.com
-
Why are some items missing from my shipping notification?
This is because it is a split shipment. Your order will come in two shipments, we're currently doing some split shipments because as part of our Covid social distancing protocol we're shipping from two locations, and we don't currently have all of our inventory in both locations (some of it was sadly lost in transit, some we're working hard to increase manufacturing)
-
My shipment didn't have all the items I ordered. Help!
This is most likely because your order was shipped in two boxes. As part of our Covid social distancing protocol, we're sending some orders in two shipments. If the missing half of your order hasn't arrived within a couple of days reach out to Friends@bathingculture.com and we'll track it down for you.
-
Do you ship Internationally?
Currently, we only ship domestically within the US. We're working hard to expand our bathing community and hope to get to you soon!
-
What does concentrated mean?
A little bit goes a long way, our Mind and Body Wash is 100% soap, no water, a dap of soap is typically enough for a shower, an ounce is enough for 10 showers.
-
Can I add water to make it last longer?
Yes! Feel free to dilute soap with water in a 1:1 ratio
-
Can I use this as shampoo?
Yes! Results will vary depending on hair type, remember a little goes a long way. We recommend conditioning after use, or only using for hair every few days vs daily, to allow natural oils to maintain hair health.
-
What are the benefits to using Mind and Body Wash?
Bathing Culture is a full Mind and Body experience. Lather so good it wraps you up in a velvet robe and sends you floating out to sea. The aromas lift you into the damp redwood canopies and will leave you in an aromatic afterglow. Our formula is sensitive skin aware and after cleansing makes your skin feel healthy and smooth. All of that is done with purely plants, no chemicals, no synthetic fragrances, or ingredients like palm that deforest rainforests. Besides that, we are certified organic, cruelty free, and biodegradable. As of this October, we are now one of the only companies to use bottles made from 100% recycled, California collected, and reprocessed bottles.
-
Do you have any pro tips you’ve learned along your journey? How can one ensure they are making a sustainable choice when choosing a quality soap product?
Over 95% percent of packaging makes misleading claims about how green a product is, so it’s really important to know the company behind the products. What’s their approach to carbon, packaging, is the farming/sourcing of the ingredients sustainable? If they aren’t talking about it on their website ask them about it. Push them.
-
Can you provide a detailed smell description of Cathedral Grove?
Cathedral Grove is developed to smell like a redwood grove that is nestled on the side of Mt Tamalpais in Northern California. As you lather the aromas of the forest open in the water, it is earthy, florid, piney and incredibly refreshing.
-
Will you have another scent?
We're currently working on a few, what's your dream scent? Let us know Friends@bathingculture.com
-
Can you make biodegradable pouches to refill the glass jar?
We’re working on some new refill options. Right now you can order a gallon bottles for refills.
-
Where do you manufacture?
We manufacture in San Francisco and Portland. We have a close eye on our carbon footprint so use as many local ingredients as possible too!
-
How is this different from other body washes?
We formulated this so it’s water free, 100% soap, made purely with plants and minerals, no synthetic chemicals. It’s also made with plant ingredients that have been shown to help combat dry skin, while still giving you a powerful lather. A lot of folks also really love the scent.
-
Is this baby/kid-safe?
Yes, but like all products for kids test before use.
-
What are the Mind and Body Wash ingredients?
Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Potassium Hydroxide ( electrified mineral that turns oil into soap - none remains in finished soap), Plant Glycerin (Vegan from North American soybeans), Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Guar Bean, Citric Acid (derived from cassava root and used to balance PH), Cathedral Grove Essential Oil Blend
-
Can I use this on my face?
Yes! Depending on your skin, you may want to use face oil to say moisturized. We formulated our Outer Being Face and Body Oil to meet this need.
-
Do you have a specific bathing routine?
We could write a book on this. Or if people reach out directly, give you a full on bathing consultation. For starters… Get dirty. Get wet. Lather up with Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash. Breathe. Rinse. Reveal in euphoric clean!
-
My pumptop clogged, help.
Any plant based non-synthetic liquid soap will coagulate. We use pump tops that should clear a blockage, when pumped. Hot water will also clear blockages.
-
What is the PH level of your soap?
Our soap is formulated to have a PH of 8.5 which is close to neutral, while still being alkaline enough to effectively remove grime.
-
Can I use this on my genitals?
Yes, but test it out to start, and see if it’s a good match for your body. Every body is different, some folks will find that any product containing scent will be sensitive. Many gynecologists recommend just using water on your genitals and allowing the natural bacteria to do the rest.
-
Is your body wash good for people with eczema?
We don’t make any medical claims, but many folks with mild to moderate eczema have reported that our soap has worked well for them.
-
Is the soap antibacterial?
Technically no natural soap is antibacterial, a natural soap works to remove and rip apart viruses. The Center for Disease Control notes that antibacterial soaps with added chemicals are no more effective than natural soaps for killing disease-causing germs.
-
Can I reuse your bottle?
Yes! You can buy a gallon and refill it with soap, use it as a flower vase, water bottle or fill it with hot sauce (these are all re-uses we’ve heard about! Let us know if you have other ideas!)
-
Can I wash the Cosmic Rainbow towels?
Yes! We've been washing and drying ours for years. Try to avoid washing with lots of zippers or velcro.
-
Where are the towels made?
These towels are hand-loomed in Turkey!
-
Why are the colors different?
Our weavers use deadstock threads that would not be used otherwise.
-
Are the towels organic?
No, the towels are not currently organic. However, they are made from deadstock thread that would not be used otherwise. We’re currently working on organic sourcing.
-
Are the towels prewashed?
Yes!
-
My towels got threaded what do I do?
These towels are made using a looping weave, if it gets caught the loops can turn into runs, these can be snipped off with shears, or allowed to shag for a more wabi sabi look.
-
Are the colors fast?
Yes! The colors will not run.
-
What’s your favorite way to get dirty before you get clean?
We love any shower that comes after getting good and dirty. Depending on the day the best way to get dirty can range from riding salty surf breaks, to loooong distance trail running, dancing deep into the night, painting, gardening, completing a tough day of work or project, making a really involved dinner for friends, tangling with a lover… this list could go on forever… really as long as you’re working hard to get dirty you’ll be happy getting clean.
-
Tell us about your favorite bathing experience.
It must have been around 101 degrees Fahrenheit in the Nevada Desert and Tim and Spencer decided it would be a good idea to take a steam bath in this geodesic dome. They stripped down in the blaring sun and stepped into misty darkness. It was completely black inside with beams of light that shot across the room from a few joining corners. Spencer remembers waving his hand through the beams and the steam casted colors in the light. They sat, poured sweat and rambled. The wildest sensation was stepping out into the desert and feeling all that moisture leave your skin like water in a skillet. It cools you down so much. They actually remember being cold and feeling clean and pure. Truly one of their favorites.
-
What is the culture of bathing?
From steam baths to sauna rituals, the culture of bathing is something that cuts across time and space. In some communities, it’s deeply ingrained in the everyday. You have hammams in the Middle East, onsens in Japan, saunas in Nordic regions and sweat lodges in the Americas. In modern America, we don’t really think about it too much, but it’s a truly valuable and overlooked time to connect with ourselves and eventually each other. Nothing is really needed to practice conscious bathing, just the realization that you have yourself.
Free word association: swimming holes, skinny dips, sweat-inducing activities, surfing, saunas, whirlpools, spiral jetty, mud pits, other peoples unattended pools.
-
How diverse is your team?
We have a small team that with limited race diversity, as we grow so will our diversity
-
What brings you to the world of personal care?
We were really dirty and couldn’t find truly natural, environmentally friendly products that respected the act of bathing. We would come home after these long bike rides covered in mud and sweat and the memory of all the beauty we saw would totally be interrupted by nasty fragrances and chemicals that dried our sensitive skin out. Straight killing our natural high. No need for that. We went deeper and deeper on what it meant to bathe and we continue to chase that rabbit on its uncatchable journey. Great bathing starts with getting dirty. Cherish what you do to earn your bath. The harder you work for it the better and more satisfying it tends to be.
-
Northern California seems to be a huge inspiration for Bathing Culture. Can you tell us how your location and surroundings play a role in what you’re creating?
Nature has been our greatest medicine and we are grateful to call the Bay Area home. We have this saying that Bathing Culture is “Made Under the Supervision of Mt. Tamalpias.” That everything we make and do is in respect to the beauty and preservation of the earth, as if the mountains are watching. The experiences of dipping into the oceans and forests of Northern California made conservationists out of us. We hope that Bathing Culture brings people closer to nature wherever they are.
-
Your packaging and branding are incredible! Who are your design heroes or where do you look for inspiration?
Our main inspiration is our mother earth and bathing under the tree canopies and stars. We're inspired by designers that pushed the boundaries like Victor Moscoso, Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Milton Glaser, and April Greiman. Light artists like Ana Mendieta, Andy Goldsworthy and James Turrell paint our prismatic dreams. So much respect for Lenord Koren of Wet Magazine and many of our designs collaborators over the years.
-
You guys have created a brand that seems deeply authentic. Could you pass on a word of advice for those who are interested in taking on their own creative endeavor?
Have fun with it! We have the majority of our design meetings over home cooked meals. Which helps keep us grounded. It’s also really important that ANY project that people start today factors in the environmental crisis, before every decision, asking "is the best thing we can do for the environment?" will make it a lot easier to sleep at night and will ensure your project aligns with the situation we’re living in.
-
Can I call / text you?
Sure! (415) 849-2398 please keep in mind there are only a few of us at Bathing Culture and sometimes we can't grab the phone
-
How do I manage my subscription?
First, go to this page and enter your email address. You'll receive an email with a secure link to your subscription portal.
Once there, you can adjust your delivery date and frequency, update your address or billing information, or cancel your subscription.
If you have any trouble, give us a shout at friends@bathingculture.com