FAQ
We’ve been making soap for a while, so there are a few questions we’ve answered many, many times!
Does your soap have lye in it?
By the time you're using it, no. But all soap is made through saponification, which is a fancy word for using lye to transform oils into soap. Yep, even that meltable soap base you buy at the craft store was made using lye! It's just that they've already done the oil-and-lye bit for you. We make ours from scratch, so we do that part ourselves.
We're very careful to use only the right amount of lye in our soap so we won't cause any skin irritation (in fact, we use extra oil to be doubly safe—5% more than is needed to use up the lye, called a "superfat"). All reputable soap makers know how to do this. A quick way to weed out the less reputable ones is to ask what their superfat is. If they can't tell you but they claim they made the soap themselves, that's a red flag!
If you have problems with our soap causing skin irritation, that's really not normal. Please reach out right away so we can sort it out with you!
Where do I go for local pickup?
Currently, Tubby Tabby Soaps is a small business, operated out of our home and without a dedicated storefront. That means that when you come pick up your items, you’re stopping by our home. Welcome!
We're located in Beacon Hill in the east end of Ottawa (Gloucester).
Once you place your order, we’ll be in touch with our specific address. 🙂
How long does it take to receive my order?
Because we’re quite a small operation, we don’t move as fast as companies that have staff. It’s just Lia & Eli over here, doing everything from buying soap making supplies to designing packaging, to making soap and even packing and shipping orders. So sometimes it can take up to a week for us to ship your items, and from there it’s in the mail service’s hands.
For local pickup, please allow 24-48 hours for us to pack up your order before you stop by to pick it up. We’ll reach out within 48 hours of your order to coordinate pickup, or else (in rare cases) to let you know we expect a delay.
Will you make me a personalized soap for my [insert life event here]?
We do take custom orders! If you’re having a wedding, shower, birthday or any number of other celebrations, we’re happy to work with you as long as there is time to do so. Soap takes about 6 weeks to make if you want it to be good-quality, and we’re committed to only putting good soap out there. To learn more or to request a custom soap, check out the customs page!
Are your soaps all natural?
We actually have a whole blog post on the question of whether natural soaps are better and where our soaps fit into that question!
Do your shampoo bars actually work?
OK listen, we get it. There’s a large, well-known company that makes shampoo bars and they kind of stink. We’ve heard from lots of you that you’re leery of trying ours because you’ve had a bad experience with shampoo bars from this other brand. And we totally understand where that comes from. But ours are a lot better. Seriously.
The main issue is that this other brand is using Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as their first ingredient, which is cheap and low-quality. Some of our customers have reported that SLS-heavy shampoo bars make their hair feel really dry, and SLS can also irritate the skin because it’s impacting the skin’s natural oil barrier. For this reason, we choose two biodegradable surfactants that are coconut- and/or palm-derived: Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI). They’re gentler and strike a better balance between cleaning and not totally stripping your hair and skin.
We stand behind our shampoo bars 100%. If you don’t already love your Tubby Tabby shampoo bar after 5 washes, simply contact us and we’ll give you a coupon for the value of the shampoo bar, and you can use it to order a different product that you like better.
How do I take advantage of your packaging trade-in program?
In case you weren’t aware, we offer a credit towards your next refill when you return or reuse your tin or jar. Pretty cool, right?
To see which product packaging qualifies and how to get your credit, please visit the packaging trade-in program page for all the details.
Oh no! I picked the wrong shipping option! What do I do?!
No worries! We’re a tiny operation, so real, human eyes will be on your order the whole way through. If we see something fishy, we’ll check in with you before proceeding. And if you’re really worried about it, just send us an email and we’ll be happy to address your concerns before we move ahead with the order. 🙂
Where do you ship to?
Currently, we ship to anywhere in Canada. For all Canadian addresses, orders over $100 enjoy free shipping. Those preferring the flat rate can pay $17 for orders under $100 in value. You can also choose to have your shipping calculated at checkout, in case that's less than $17.