Our products are all 100% natural and are made with fresh ingredients. This does mean that their shelf life may be somewhat lower than traditional beauty products but that's the trade off! The shelf life of our products are approximately one year unopened.
Plastic. My favourite topic of late…. which is not without controversy.
There are many studies and research has been done on plastic vs glass. And plenty of conflicting opinions out there.
It pains me every time I walk into our warehouse and see all stock packaged in plastic. And why packaging manufacturers are not stepping up to the plate to produce more sustainable materials, or at the very least use more recycled plastics in packaging they make, is beyond me. And there in lies the issue for brands, especially smaller brands like Schăf - there just are not suitable replacements available. Sure there are some options, but many of these options result in packaging that compromises the product inside, or creates other issues that contribute to harming the environment.
My hope is that technology will ramp up more quickly with this pressure on suppliers to produce more sustainable packaging - but it’s a very big, powerful industry that also includes the petroleum giants - and unfortunately it is in their best interests for this sustainability movement to move slowly.
Having said all that, we are testing packaging with PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) plastic right now. We hope to be able to start shipping using PCR plastic this year. It’s certainly not ideal, and I don’t think we can be expected to make major shifts, so baby steps are what we all need to do so that change can grow.
And I remain hopeful that even more sustainable packaging becomes available sooner rather than later. In the meantime, all our plastic packaging is fully recyclable - there are no metal parts to remove before recycling.
I get asked this a lot, and this is somewhat controversial as well!
We pride ourself as a clean skincare company using only all-natural, plant based ingredients. At the moment, there are no real natural products that can effectively inhibit the UV (A&B) rays.
There are groups of components, such as zinc, titanium dioxide that can be combined with essential oils that can greatly reduce the amount of exposure. However, most of them like oxybenzone, homosalate and octocrylene, are not classified as safe, as they penetrate the skin and interrupt hormones. We just won’t not use any of those products, since we are committed to an uber clean ingredient deck.
Some more, but scary, information on sunscreens from EWG can be found here: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
An alternative sunblock would is a combination of zinc/TiO2. They don’t absorb into the skin nor do they interrupt your natural hormonal functions. However, this would not be considered a sunscreen per se, but more of a dedicated sunblock, for use when you intend to spend a significant amount of time outdoors. It does not absorb into the skin, and therefore is not ideal for everyday use as it can appear greasy and/or chalky on the skin. At the moment we have no plans to venture outside of our skincare lane.
While retinoid (retinol) can smooth wrinkles and encourage rapid cell turnover to make skin look younger, it can also cause redness, stinging, peeling, and itching. Retinol is also sensitive to the sun, which means it's not great to apply during daylight hours.
I don't like retinol products because they render the skin more sensitive to environmental aggressors like pollution, that cause the kind of oxidative damage that speeds up ageing.
My mission is to create formulas that restore your skin's own natural health and balance with the least amount of product dependence or interference. I want to build up the skin's own integrity, allowing it to fend for itself as the protective organ it is. We forget sometimes that our skin plays an integral role in our body's care, the same as our lungs, heart, or other vital organs.
So what can we use instead?
Our Revitalising Serum. We combined ingredients like vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, and Peptides to encourage cellular rejuvenation and skin luminosity.
They also protect the skin by reinforcing the skin's natural barrier, supporting collagen production and counteracting oxidative damage.
One of my favourite questions - because for everybody who says our products are expensive, we have at least another say how well priced they are! :-)
Like everything, price is relative. Sure Schăf costs more than the drug store products, but if you really compare our ingredient list and percentages of ingredients (because higher concentrations of high-efficacy ingredients means much higher costs) you’ll see that we are actually not that expensive at all.
Most or our competitors, on average, cost more.
Also, the giant skincare companies produce massive quantities and store them, sometimes a year or more, before they get to the shelves. Then they might sit on shelves for months.
To do this they purchase the cheapest raw ingredients (including unnecessary fillers, synthetic preservatives and skin sensitizers) that they can find. Then they brag about containing key ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide and Q10, but use such low concentrations that make them hardly effective - all in order to maximize their profits.
And what do you get? A bunch of extra fillers and crap that are great for shelf life, and great for marketing, but not so great for your skin.
We make small batches. We eliminate all known skin irritants, and use very high concentrations of the very best ingredients your skin needs to calm, clear, heal and protect itself.
And because our products contain such high concentrations of effective ingredients - a little goes a long way.
When it works this well, it’s worth it.
Why yes… yes we do!!
Just recently, we have sourced a new airless pump bottle, which has made a significant improvement. This new pump dispenses 0.4 ml for a full stroke of the pump. Many of our customers have seen a major improvement in this new packaging - it does not expel out the product nearly as violently and also expels a much lower amount - while other still feel they need to be able to dispense even less product per pump.
We are dead set against using packaging that uses an eye dropper to dispense the product, as serums are very sensitive to air can cause instability and significantly affect efficacy.
We believe our current pump disposes the perfect amount for a single application, however, if you want more control, we suggest pressing the pump very slowly and stopping when you feel you’ve dispensed enough product.
Reach out!
Visit our contact page for any information regarding your order! We’re happy to answer questions.
We’re committed to improving the health and appearance of your skin with uncomplicated, irritant-free products that truly perform for women and men, oily or dry skin, and especially for those with sensitive skin.
That’s why we stand behind our products with a 30-day money back guarantee. If you're not satisfied, for any reason, contact us for a full refund. No questions asked and no products returned.
To start a refund, you can contact me directly at peter@schafskincare.com
All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email.
You will receive another notification when your order has shipped.
Free shipping to US & Canada with orders of $70 or more.
Orders shipped Purolator or UPS, and effective January 1, 2021, expected delivery times are between 1-4 business days.
All our shipping materials are recyclable, including our packing peanuts - which are made from starch.
Exciting! We'd love the opportunity to become partners. Please reach out to me with your information so we can get chatting.
Email me: peter@schafskincare.com
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