Frequently asked questions
Soap
How to cut the soap bar? 🔪
The 1kg soap bar can easily be cut with a large knife with smooth blades.
How to store the soap? 🧼
To prevent our soap from melting prematurely, we recommend keeping it on a soap holder, protected from the damp. This way, it can dry between uses. This might mean taking out of the shower if necessary. We also advise leaving it to dry a few days after reception. This will make it more economical as it will be drier and will get used up less quickly. You can also hang it up, check out the tutorial here.
Can the soap’s glycerin clog my pipework? 🔧
To avoid your washing machine/dishwasher pipes getting clogged because of the glycerin in our organic olive oil soap, we recommend about once a month cleaning your machine by launching an empty cycle with soda crystals set to a high temperature (+60°C).
You can also pour soda crystals down your bath or shower drain if you think it’s getting clogged.
Can your soap be used to clean reusable nappies, period underwear, or reusable sanitary towels? 🩲
Using a homemade laundry detergent (with or without glycerin) can indeed in the long run clog these products, making them less absorbing. The presence of glycerin in laundry detergents is often proscribed but this is usually when glycerin has been added to soap and/or present in huge quantities, which isn’t the case with our soap.
In any case, we recommend declogging your nappies, period underwear, and sanitary towels regularly, which you can do at the same time as your washing machine. This allows you to clean them thoroughly and avoid all absorption problems.
To do so, we recommend launching a high-temperature wash with 1-2 tbsp of soda crystals. This way, it allows you to use our soap to make your laundry liquid as well as washing your nappies or your menstrual underwear with it, if you regularly degrease your machine.
Shampoo
How to cut the shampoo bar? 🔪
We advise cutting the shampoo bar with a large knife with smooth blades, but it tends to fall into pieces. You can cut the 250g bar into 2 to 3 pieces and the 500g bar into 4 to 5 pieces.
How to store the shampoo? 🚿
To prevent the shampoo from crumbling, we recommend keeping it on a soap holder and away from humidity, this way it could dry between uses. You can also hang it up, check out the tutorial here.
How to use our shampoo? 💆♀️
Rub the bar in between your hands or directly onto your hair and, with the foam obtained, massage your scalp and then rinse. For a better result, keep in mind no to use too much product, otherwise it will be difficult to rinse.
If necessary, you can finish off with an apple cider vinegar rinse (1 measure of vinegar with 10 measures of water). This will replace your conditioner and help you untangle your hair, leaving them with a nice shine.
Does the shampoo foam? 🛁
Our shampoo foams less than an industrial shampoo but you will still obtain some foam. You can rub your shampoo bar on your hair roots and massage until a fine foam appears. Please keep in mind that it isn’t at all comparable to foam obtained with an industrial shampoo. We have chosen not to add any foaming agents in our shampoo, as it has no cleaning powers, it is just a sensory addition.
How to make the transition easier towards a shampoo free from silicone and sulphates? 🌿
If you want to speed up the process of getting rid of silicone and sulphates still present in your hair and make it easier for your hair to adapt to our shampoo, you can do a "clarification". You will find more information by typing “hair clarification” on internet.
Cream
How to cut the creme bar or half-bar? 🧈
The cream bar can be delicately cut with a bread knife (or a guitar string). You can cut the half-bar into 2 or 3 pieces and the bar into 4 or 5 pieces.
How to store the cream? 🍯
To store the cream, we recommend putting it in a sterilised hermetic glass jar, a jam jar type for example, so that it doesn’t dry out and harden.
How to use the cream? 🤲
To easily apply our cream, warm it up in your hands by rubbing it between your palms for a few seconds. When it starts melting, you can gently apply the excess cream on your skin or hair.
Toothpaste
Are there any contraindications for the mentholated toothpaste? ❌
The mentholated version of our toothpaste is not suitable for people using homoeopathic treatment and children under 6. The mentholated version contains mint crystals, considered as an essential oil. If you fall under one of these categories, you can use our fragrance-free version.
For both versions, children must able to spit the toothpaste out as it should not be swallowed.
Is your toothpaste suitable for sensitive teeth/gums? 🦷
Yes, our toothpaste is suitable for sensitive teeth and gums. We have chosen to use calcium carbonate which is a very mild abrasive. Using strong abrasives, such as bicarbonate, isn’t recommend for a daily use. Please also note that the degree of abrasivity is one of the characteristics used by dentists to judge a toothpaste’s quality. Ours is ranked in the first category which is "low abrasivity" with an RDA of 57,23. This means that it is of no harm to the enamel, dentine, or cementum.
Does your toothpaste contain fluoride?🧪
There is no added fluoride in our toothpaste. Fluoride is already present in your daily environment, in water for example. Please note that Miswak contains small quantities of natural fluoride, just as some vegetables do. Tests have shown a fluoride contraction of 147ppm in our toothpaste. This is why it doesn't seem necessary to add more to our toothpaste recipe.
Makeup remover
How can the makeup remover bar be cut? 🧈
The makeup remover can be cut using a bread knife (or a guitar string). The 240g bar can be cut into 4 pieces, and the 120g half-bar into 2 pieces.
How to store the makeup remover? 🍯
To store our makeup remover, we recommend either placing it on a soap holder or storing it in a sterilised glass jar. Make sure it isn't in contact with water to avoid it melting too quickly.
Can the makeup remover be used on eyes? 👁
Our solid makeup remover has been tested in a lab under dermatological control and can be used to cleanse the face and the eyes. Our makeup remover has only four ingredients, none of them being a risk for eyes. The eyes and their contour are sensitive zones, don’t rub too hard and from left to right (or the opposite) as this tends to irritate the eyelid.
Deodorant
How to refill our deodorant? 📦
To refill our deodorant, you simply need to take the refill and replace it in your stick. Try to slide it in straight to avoid grating the sides and wasting some product.
Can your deodorant be used on sensitive skin / by pregnant women?🤰
Our deodorant is suitable for sensitive skin. Triethyl citrate is an ingredient that is very well tolerated by the skin and which is used in natural deodorants. Also, the absence of sodium bicarbonate makes it an ideal deodorant for fragile skin which doesn’t tolerate this ingredient.
As it doesn’t contain any essential oils, it can also be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Is there an adjustment period? ⏰
Yes, if you weren’t using a natural deodorant beforehand, your body will need some time to get used to our deodorant. Your body will regulate itself within 7 to 10 days, as your body's natural methods to eliminate toxins won’t be blocked anymore. After this adjustment period, your body will regain its rights and our deodorant will protect you normally.
What is the active ingredient in our deodorant? 💦
Triethyl citrate is the active ingredient replacing aluminium salts and other antiperspirants which can sometimes be aggressive. It helps to control bacterial enzymes, responsible for bad smells.
Sun cream
Why does your cream have an SPF25? 🌞
Increasing an SPF is possible by multiplying solar filters in a cream. We preferred opting for a short ingredient list and using one single solar filter: zinc oxide, which we judged to be the safest for our health and the planet.
Bear in mind that the difference between an SPF25 and an SPF50 mainly depends on the exposure time during which your skin is protected. The percentage of filtered UV rays is more or less the same (2% difference).
We focused on what's essential to us: a solid sun cream with an SPF25, which is safe, zero waste, with a natural filter.
Does your sun cream resist hot weather? 🌡
Our sun cream has been made to resist heat and has successfully been tested at 50°C. It will simply become a bit creamier if it's very hot but will then harden again.
Does your sun cream harm coral reefs? 🐠
So far, no certifications are able to certify that a solar product has zero impact on marine life.
However, studies have shown that the impact of mineral filters are much lower than those of chemical filters.
We don't want to risk promising you that our sun cream is totally danger-free for the environment. Nonetheless, we are convinced that using zinc oxide as our solar filter is currently the best possible compromise for a sun cream to be natural and efficient.
Does your sun cream contain any nanoparticles? 🧬
It is forbidden to mention that a cream is free from nanoparticles, as all mineral filters are likely to contain some.
Today, no official method exists to identify the size and proportion of particles. The different methods used (scanning electron microscope, DLS, etc.) can impact the results obtained.
As for the zinc oxide we use in our cream, according to the documents sent by our supplier, this ingredient isn't considered as a nanomaterial according to European regulations. Currently, different regulations exist: the European Cosmetic Regulations sets the threshold at 1% of nanoparticles to define a nanomaterial, French authorities accept a tolerance of 10% facing the measuring difficulties for nanoparticles, and the European Commission sets the limit at 50%.
In short, you currently have two choices on the market:
- mineral filters which may contain nanoparticles without needing to mention it, who have been analysed with a method which will benefit them.
- chemical filters which can cause allergies, irritations, and hormonal disruptions for some. They also potentially contain nanoparticles without needing to mention it.
Even though none of these two choices are fully satisfying, sun exposure can't be considered without any sun protection. You have to choose what seems like the best alternative for you.
Soap flakes
Can the soap’s glycerin clog my pipework? 🔧
To avoid your washing machine pipes getting clogged because of the glycerin in our organic olive oil soap, we recommend about once a month cleaning your machine by launching an empty cycle with soda crystals set to a high-temperature (+60°C). You can also pour soda crystals down your bath or shower drain if you think it’s getting clogged.
Can your soap be used to clean reusable nappies, period underwear, or reusable sanitary towels? 🩲
Using a homemade laundry detergent (with or without glycerin) can indeed in the long run clog these products, making them less absorbing. The presence of glycerin in laundry detergents is often proscribed but this is usually when glycerin has been added to soap and/or present in huge quantities, which isn’t the case with our soap.
In any case, we recommend declogging your nappies, period underwear and sanitary towels regularly, which you can do at the same time as your washing machine. This allows you to clean them thoroughly and to avoid all absorption problems.
To do so, we recommend launching a high temperature wash with 1-2 tbsp of soda crystals. This way, it allows you to use our soap to make your laundry liquid as well as washing your nappies or your menstrual underwear with it, if you regularly degrease your machine.
Dishwasher powder
Will the powder damage my dishwasher? 🛠
Of course not. With a pH of 10, it is ideal for dishwashers and pipework.
Does the dishwasher powder clean everything? 🍽
Just like for all dishwashers, it is recommended to avoid fragile crockery such as porcelain, crystal or hand-painted tableware, wood, silver, copper, or aluminium.
Can the dishwasher powder also be used with hard water? 💧
Yes, our powder can also be used if you have hard water. Depending on where you live and the water hardness, you can adjust the amount of powder used. The less hard the water is, the less powder is needed. If your water is very hard, you can also use eco regenerating salt.
Is your dishwasher powder compatible with septic tanks? 🚽
Our dishwasher powder is suitable for septic tanks. White vinegar is often criticised but is fine with tanks. Also, only a small amount is used in our dishwasher powder so it won't harm your tank.
What is more eco-friendly: washing-up by hand or using the dishwasher? 🧽
It depends on your machine or how much water you use when you are washing-up by hand! Generally speaking, a good dishwasher uses 10-12L of water per wash, whereas by hand around 40L of water are needed.
If you use a dishwasher, you need to bear in mind the electrical consumption. The higher the temperature, the more electricity is going to be needed. On average, a dishwasher needs 1 kWh per cycle. This is less than the energy needed to heat water when doing the dishes.
Don’t forget to only start a machine once it is full and use the eco mode. If you use this cycle, we recommend using an intensive mode at least once a month to remove any accumulated grease and scale.
My dishes are greasy and a bit cloudy. How can I clean my machine?🥛
If you notice grease marks on your dishes, it's possible that your machine itself contains fat. Here is what you need to do.
1. Unplug your dishwasher and remove all removable parts.
2. Clean the wash arm with some soap and a cloth.
3. Scour the filer with a hard brush soaked with warm water and some soap to remove any bits of food which would be blocking it.
4. Clean the door joint with a sponge and white vinegar.
5. Launch an empty wash programme with two cups of 250ml of white vinegar
General
Where are your products made?📍
We make all our cosmetic products ourselves in our workshop located near Marseille in France.
We take seriously our commitment to keeping our products’ manufacturing in our premises, even though this is very demanding in terms of organisation and regulations. This allows us to manage the products we make from start to finish, to not add any excess intermediaries, and to avoid our products from travelling across France before they arrive to us.
Do your products contain any palm oil? 🌴
None of our products contain palm oil.
Are your cosmetics products vegan and not tested on animals? 🐰
Our products are certified by the Vegan Society. We don’t test on animals and our products don’t contain any animal matter, this is part of our principles.
Can your products be used on babies and children? 👶
Yes, our products can be used by the whole family, children and babies included.
Our natural olive oil soap can be used to wash babies’ bodies. The soap flakes can be made into liquid soap which might more practical. This soap can also be used on hair, but avoid getting any in the eyes, it can sting.
Our natural argan and rhassoul shampoo bar can be used on babies’ hair. This shampoo is universal and can be used on children of all ages and on all types of hair.
To moisturise babies’ body and face, you can use our natural shea butter cream bar after each bath.
Can your products be used on sensitive skin?🤱
We have formulated our products to suit the most sensitive skin. They also contain a maximum of four ingredients of natural origin. You can find the INCI list on each product page.
Can your products be used by pregnant women?🤰🏻
Our products are family-friendly, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Can your products be used on atopic skin? 🤚
None of our products’ formulas have been specifically tested to deal with a particular issue. This is why we can’t guarantee the efficiency of our products on atopic skins. However, they are no known contraindications. Our products have been made with the least ingredients possible in order to be the most universal and safe for the skin and for the planet.
Can your products be used in nature? 🏕
All our products are biodegradable, so you can use them in nature. However, we recommend doing this at least fifty meters away from watercourses to let the soil, rocks or sand have a decomposing and filtering action. This will have a minimal impact on the fauna and flora.
Can your products be used on animals? 🐶
We haven't done any specific tests for animals. We recommend seeking a vet’s advice to confirm our soap (pH 10) or our shampoo (pH 8) can be used on your animal.
Where can we find your products?📍
You can order online through our website, delivery is free for most European countries for orders above €50. Below this amount, the shipping cost is €6,90.
We also have retailers worldwide.
If you know a shop or an organic grocery that would be interested in our products, you can tell them about us or send their name to Marie and Guillaume: sales@comme-avant.bio so they can contact them. This will help us to develop our resellers near you!
How long does delivery take? 📦
The delivery time required may vary depending on the country you live in. On average, it is 3-7 working days after purchase for an EU country and 7-10 working days for the rest of the world.
Please note that, custom duties may apply to certain countries. To get more information, please visit the custom's website of the shipping country.
Keep in mind that sometimes we can be really quick, but unfortunately can’t guarantee a quick delivery all year round.
How much does delivery cost?
Our shipping costs are FREE for most European countries for orders over €50.
Below this amount, the shipping cost is €6,90.
Click here for more information.
Can we visit your workshop?🚶
Unfortunately, our workshop cannot accommodate public as we are not classified as a "public establishment" (French ERP regulation).