FAQs

1. INGREDIENTS

a) Do Natural Spa Factory products contain nuts?

Many of our products do contain nuts and we have the full ingredient listings for every one of our products available on the product pages. If a consumer has an allergy or sensitive to specific ingredients, it is their responsibility to check the ingredients and deem their suitability. We can not confirm that our products have been made in a nut-free environment and therefore do not class any of our products as “nut-free”.

b) Why is there alcohol in your products?
Alcohol is great for helping to preserve the products.

c) You use talc in your face mask. It has had a lot of negative press. Is yours safe?
Yes. Talc is a natural mineral that isn’t itself naturally dangerous or harmful. The recent issues in the press concern talc that hasn’t been mined carefully enough from its natural source. Our talc is mined safely and undergoes rigorous testing to ensure there’s zero harmful contamination.

d) Why do your fig and vanilla products sometimes look different?
Because we like to keep them as natural as possible. We make these products in smaller batches and as we don’t use certain antimicrobials like MI and MCI, other factors like ingredients and temperature can affect how the products looks. Everything we send out always fall within our levels of acceptance and quality. They make look slightly different, but they all meet our stringent levels of quality.

e) What do you use to attach the wick of your candles to the base?
Candle wax

f) Why does the candle wick turn black? Does this mean there are chemicals in the candle?
No. Our candle wicks are made of natural linen. It’s impossible for things not to turn black when they have burnt. However, our candles don’t soot and create black smoke, which is a tell-tale sign of synthetic wicks or ingredients.

g) Are your diffusers natural?
They use synthetic fragrance. It’s incredibly difficult to create a diffuser with an aroma that genuinely lasts without looking to science. Natural diffusers don’t tend to last as long or smell as strong.

2. PRACTICAL

a) What do rasul muds do?
Our rasul mud contains finely ground minerals that are hand harvested from the Austrian Alps. They draw out impurities and remove dead skin cells to cleanse and detox the skin.

Deeply calming and soothing, this mud is also renowned for its calming effect on psoriasis, eczema and other irritable skin complaints. Skin is left feeling soft and plumped. When used as a hair mask, hair follicles are strengthened and texture will be silky soft.

b) How should we use the rasul muds?
Rasul muds are traditionally used in a rasul chamber in a spa. You can also use the white rasul mud in a facial, and all muds can be used as a body wrap or mask, or in a dry float.

3. OPERATIONAL

a) Can you explain your delivery costs?
First and foremost, we’re a trade business and provide bulk orders directly for spas, hotels and salon owners. Although accepting orders under £300 isn’t really a viable business proposition for us, we want to make sure that smaller businesses have access to our products too. Which is why we have to charge a higher rate on those smaller orders.

We’d rather be transparent about delivery costs instead of hiding them in product prices and expecting all customers to cover them. This way, you know what you’re paying for. You’re in control of your RRPs and treatment prices, and as you know, consumers will pay a ‘little’ extra for quality, provenance and fresher skincare that’s as natural as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

At £300, our delivery charges drop by over 60%, and if you’re a partner spending £1,000 per month delivery is completely free. Plus, our retail site also offers free delivery over £75.

b) What's the shelf life of your products?
All products last for a minimum of one year after opening, unless advised otherwise.

c) How should we store your products?
Storing products in a cool, dark area in airtight packaging is essential and will ensure longevity. Dry product and powders have a longer shelf life.

d) How is your gold range so cheap?
It’s true, our Gold Collection is remarkably well priced in comparison to other gold and caviar skincare ranges in the spa market. This is because:

Our products go straight from us to you. We don’t work with distributors, agents, shipping companies, third-party marketing agencies: everything we do is fully controlled by us, so we don’t have a chain of people to pay.
One of our core beliefs is to make skincare available to everybody. This includes using a sensible pricing structure that makes high-end, luxury skincare more easily accessible. Sure, we could charge £250. But we don’t.

e) Can the oil-based scrubs be used in a rasul?
Yes. Just make sure guests are warned that the oil scrubs are slippery under foot, especially in a steamy environment.

f) Why don't your face masks come in large sizes for professional use?
We’ve found that masks in individual portions allow better control over usage in treatments, and minimise over use and waste. However, the Illuminate Peel-Off Face Mask, Illuminate Cream mask, Superfruit and Bamboo Face Polishes.

g) Can you provide me with treatment protocols?
We firmly believe that you are the professionals. You have the best understanding of what your clients are looking for. We’re happy to suggest certain protocol and procedure, but we find that over prescribing has an impact on therapists’ passion and skills. They know best how to deliver treatments that are bespoke to a client’s needs.

4. HEALTH & SAFETY

a) Can my therapist use the products if they’re pregnant?
Only products listed as ‘safe for pregnancy use’ have been tested for use during pregnancy. There are several options here:

Firstly, consult your insurance provider
If they’re happy to, the therapist can perform the procedure with gloves on
Therapists perform treatments but only with pregnancy-safe products

b) What products are nut free?
Many of our nut free products are listed on our price list. However, we cannot guarantee any of our products are made in a nut/nut oil free zone.

c) Can my therapist perform treatments if they have a nut allergy?
Firstly, always seek medical advice.

There are very few cases of nut allergies being triggered by applying a product to the skin that may contain nut oil traces. The severity of the allergy should be considered, and a patch test is always a possibility if the therapist does NOT have a severe allergy. But in the first instance, please consult a medical professional.

d) One of my therapists had a skin react to your products. What now?
We very rarely hear of reactions to our skincare products. If this does happen, the following points should be considered.

Are they repeatedly scooping products like scrubs out of bowls? This could be too abrasive on the hands if doing so repeatedly.
Were there any breakages or tears on the skin beforehand?
What other products are the therapists using? Have you completed patch tests of all potential products?
If there is persistent irritation, the therapist needs to visit a medical professional for best advice.
Look at the INCI listing. There could be certain essential oils that the therapist could be more sensitive to.
Don’t use the product that is causing the reaction.
If using a scrub, a glove under a mitt could be used as a barrier.
Some essential oils, including jasmine, lemon grass, clove, may change and ylang ylang, are more linked to contact dermatitis than others. If a therapist is experiencing skin sensitivities as a result of using products, try to minimise contact with these essential oils first and foremost. They are in the Invigorating Oil, Calming Oil, and Lime & Lemongrass Scrub.

It’s important to fill in the adverse reaction form if any irritation is reported. Please also request, before making any comment:
Product name
Batch number
How long they have had the products
How long the product has been open
How often the therapist uses the product
Request an image of the irritated area

5. CORE VALUES AND COMPANY ETHOS

a) Do you use synthetic fragrance?
We do use synthetic aromas in some of our products. But of course, not everything natural is safe. Synthetic fragrances can be more stable and are extremely safe to use for the majority of people including during pregnancy, on teen skin, and with a variety of skin sensitivities.

b) Where are your products made?
We make most of our products in the UK. We do go further afield (Europe only) sometimes, to hunt down specialist processes for some of the facial ranges, like Gold and Illuminate.

c) Are your products made in Bath?
We make some products in Bath, but we also work in some top-secret locations in the UK too.

d) What makes you an eco-friendly brand?
Wherever possible we believe in less packaging, recycling, upcycling and avoiding single-use plastic.

e) Why are some products in plastic and some in glass?
We try to use glass as much as possible for recycling reasons. It’s not always possible, though. The scrubs look great in glass jars, but if you dropped one in the shower, you’d have broken glass and bare feet. Not a good combination. So, we decided a light weight pouch might be better. The same goes for the treatment room. It would be dangerous for therapists and clients to be handling glass bottles with hands covered in massage oil.

The texture of some of the products doesn't work well in glass either; for example, the gel cleansers are in the plastic airless dispensers to ensure that the product is well preserved, but also to ensure that the we can get the product out in a mess-free, waste-free way.

f) Some of your products use spring pumps. Are these recyclable?
No. You can carefully remove the spring if you wish. A disc top lid is available on request if you don’t want a pump.

g) Which products are vegan friendly?
Check the ‘vegan friendly’ tab on the retail website. Since 2018, all new products are vegan friendly.

h) Are your products cruelty free?
Yes. We firmly support cruelty-free skincare. None of our products are tested on animals at all.

i) What do you mean by ‘gender neutral’?
We've been creating gender-neutral skincare since 2009. Over the past few years, there has been a shift in consumer focus in a non-binary direction. But for us it's much more than a trend. We really believe that gender-based product labelling and the subsequent marketing is outdated. For us, it's about celebrating individuality and Skincare For Every Body.