FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions

Ordered on weekdays before 4:30 PM, shipped the same day from the Netherlands. Shipping via PostNL, by bike where possible.

Unopened items can be returned within 14 days to Food for Skin BV - De Trompet 1217, 1967 DA Heemskerk, the Netherlands. Return shipping costs are at the buyer's expense. The money will be refunded within 8 working days after receipt and inspection of the products.

For hygiene reasons, we unfortunately cannot accept returns of used products. If you are not satisfied, please contact us at hello@foodforskin.care and we will surely find a solution.

Food for Skin ships to selected European countries. Below 70 euros, shipping costs are 4.95 euros. We still cover part of the costs ourselves, as shipping actually costs us around 8 euros.

Our shipping partners are PostNL and Cycloon bicycle courier. Our fulfilment partner is Sipack in Heemskerk. We formulate and produce in the Netherlands, and two products in Italy. All our products are shipped from our fulfilment centre in Heemskerk.

Trial sets fit through the letterbox and are delivered by PostNL by bike/walking cart. In bicycle courier cities, packages will always be delivered by bike.

A bottle with a pump reduces the risk of bacteria. However, our cream cannot go into a glass bottle like the one we use for the cleanser, for example, because at least 25% would remain in the bottle and that would be a waste. An airless dispenser would be great, but those are largely made of plastic.. which we are not a fan of either. So it is a deliberate choice for us to go with the glass jar.

The cream has been specially made and optimised for this, so the product can be used safely and hygienically for 6 months after opening.

The black UV-protective glass helps extend the product's shelf life. The Tomato Base Cream keeps for 36 months after production.

Dry skin, oily skin or other skin is the result of a disturbed skin balance. We therefore prefer to talk about a skin condition at that moment. This is a different skin philosophy than what we have learned over the past decades. We do not believe in fighting skin problems, but in nourishing the skin so that it stays in balance and the skin barrier remains optimal.

Foaming cleansers contain soap. Soap can dry out the skin. An oil is super mild on skin and eye make-up, keeps the pH value intact and also has nourishing properties. Your skin won't feel tight after cleansing with an oil. The oil is easy to remove with a warm, damp cloth. Gently massage over the face.

After using the oil cleanser, a toner is unnecessary. A toner normally restores the pH value, but with the Carrot Cleanser this is not needed. That saves you another product!

Yes! Food for Skin is suitable for everyone (from around 18 years old), regardless of age, gender, skin type or skin colour.

For children and teenagers, we advise using nothing or as little as possible.

The Tomato Base Cream and Carrot Cleanser are for all ages and skin types. The 3 serums (Cucumber, Pumpkin, Avocado) are recommended by age category, because the skin has different needs at these ages (up to 40, 40-55 and 55+). But these ages are indicative. It is also important to look at your skin condition.

The Cucumber Serum works well for restless, red skin. The serum is soothing and calming.

The Pumpkin Serum helps skin renewal, makes it smooth and soft and supports the skin's elasticity.

The Avocado Serum is very nourishing, supports the moisture balance and is suitable for extremely dry skin.

For children and teenagers, we advise using nothing or as little as possible.

A natural scent with an invigorating effect has been added to the Tomato Base Cream and Carrot Cleanser, but in the serums we deliberately chose not to add a natural scent, so they can also be applied around the eyes and are super mild products. The serums smell like the ingredients smell, often described as 'earthy'. Mix it with a little Tomato Base Cream if you do want a scent experience, or the scent will fade within a few minutes.

The essential oils cardamom, myrrh and lemongrass have been added to our Tomato Base Cream and Carrot Cleanser. Besides scent, these oils have other lovely qualities, for both your mind and your skin.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a real pick-me-up thanks to its spicy lemon aroma. It dispels listlessness and despondency and gives strength when you feel weak. It has a strengthening, cooling and clarifying effect on your skin.

Myrrh

Myrrh oil cares for the skin and has a soothing effect. In warm weather, myrrh has a slightly cooling effect on the skin. It is also calming and relaxing.

Cardamom

Cardamom has a purifying effect. It gives refreshing energy, calms frayed nerves and helps you cope better with tension. It strengthens your mental concentration and clears blockages.

All ingredients are 100% of natural origin. Click on the relevant product in the shop to read all ingredients in plain English and in the INCI (the official product naming).

Unfortunately, the law requires us to list all INCIs on the back. We would have preferred plain language. Then you could have read that all ingredients are in principle edible - we're not saying everything tastes good :-).

No, we don't add microplastics. Our formulas are 100% of natural origin (Tomato Base Cream: 99.93%), and plastics have no place in that. You can check this yourself with the Plastic Soup Foundation's PlasticFreeFuture app: take a photo of the ingredient list and you'll see straight away whether it contains microplastic ingredients.

On 11 November 2020, Food for Skin received the 'Zero Plastics' designation from the Plastic Soup Foundation, after a check of our ingredients.

Food for Skin is:

• rich in natural bioactives
• full of antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids
• pure, powerful and waterless
• 100% of natural origin
• largely organic
• vegan and cruelty-free
• locally produced
• recyclably packaged

Food for Skin contains no:

• added microplastics
• parabens
• perfume
• sulphates
• mineral oils
• synthetic fragrances
• GMO
• nano particles
• bisphenol
• drying alcohol (such as alcohol denat.)
• SLES/SLS
• palm oil
• water as a cheap filler

Whenever we have the choice of certified organic, we go for it! Currently, our products are largely organic.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible. For many farmers, organic certification is too expensive. If there is no certificate, we do check whether they produce according to organic guidelines. All ingredients are tested in the lab and only cosmetically approved ingredients may be used.

Your skin is your largest organ and contains millions of living cells that want to be 'fed' with the most powerful things nature has to offer. Vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that make your microbes very happy.

We also use nuts and plant seeds. Seeds and nuts hold the heart of the fruit and therefore contain the most powerful, pure ingredients.

From production, our products keep for at least 30-36 months. By the time of sale, a few months will have passed, but you can assume the products you receive will keep for at least 1 more year. After opening, 6 months. The SPF can be used up to 12 months after opening (after that, the factor also decreases!).

Absolutely! All Food for Skin products are vegan and cruelty-free.

Cruelty-free means no animal testing is carried out on our products or ingredients.

Although not all our products carry an official 'cruelty free' logo, we can demonstrate for each ingredient that it is cruelty-free. If we don't have that guarantee, we simply don't include the ingredient in our formulas.

We also deliberately choose not to be China-approved. In the past, animal testing was mandatory there for many cosmetics. Since 2021, the rules have been relaxed, so animal testing is no longer standard for some products. However, this is not completely ruled out in all cases. That is why we avoid this market, so we can fully guarantee our cruelty-free promise.

We work with ingredients of 100% natural origin. Nature is not a machine, so a scent or colour may vary slightly per production batch. However, safety and effectiveness are always constant.

A trial set lasts about three weeks. Your skin renews itself every three to four weeks. So it's important to really use the products for three weeks to see results.

The Regular size set contains 50ml Carrot Cleanser, 50ml Tomato Base Cream and a 30ml Serum of your choice. Our customers use this for an average of 2-3 months.

The Maxi size set contains 100ml Carrot Cleanser, 100ml Tomato Base Cream and a 60ml Serum of your choice. Our customers use this for an average of 4-6 months.

Yes, our products are carefully tested and developed in accordance with applicable EU legislation. That means they have been found safe and comply with all cosmetic regulations. We produce according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), which stands for high quality and hygiene standards.

As for proven effectiveness: we base our formulas on extensive literature studies of ingredients whose effect on the skin is scientifically substantiated. At the moment, we do not conduct clinical efficacy studies on the end products ourselves.

In addition, our products are 100% vegan and developed with care for people, animals and the environment.

Our products are gently formulated and 100% of natural origin (Tomato Base Cream: 99.93%), without synthetic fragrance. Many customers with sensitive skin tell us their skin becomes calmer. Still, every skin reacts differently, and natural ingredients can cause a reaction too. The Tomato Base Cream and the Carrot Cleanser contain a low percentage of essential oil; the serums are free from essential oils.

That is why we recommend testing a new product on a small patch of skin for a few days first, for example in the crook of your elbow. Read more about the Cucumber set for sensitive skin.

Yes. Our products are mild and the oils we use are non-comedogenic. They are skincare products, not an acne treatment. If you have severe or painful acne, or if you use prescription products, consult your GP or dermatologist. In How to get rid of acne? you can read more about causes and care.

Many customers with rosacea or eczema tell us their skin becomes calmer with our mild products. Still, every skin is different and even a mild formula can cause a reaction. Our products are skincare, not a treatment. So test a new product on a small patch of skin first, and if you are in doubt or have a flare-up, consult your GP or dermatologist. Also read how to restore your skin barrier.

Yes, you can. Our products are mild and 100% of natural origin, without retinoids, salicylic acid or added fragrance. That makes them a good fit for a simple routine during your pregnancy. Every skin reacts differently; if you are in doubt, consult your midwife. In our guide on skincare during pregnancy, you can read which ingredients are best avoided and when to consult your midwife.

When you switch to Food for Skin, your skin may need some time to adjust. Especially if you used stronger products before, you may notice in the first weeks that your skin feels a bit drier or that you get a few pimples. Don't give up! This is exactly the period when many people quit, while your skin needs time to adapt. Your skin renews itself roughly every 3 to 4 weeks, so use the products for at least 3 weeks; a trial set is just enough for that.

In the meantime, you can dab the Cucumber Serum locally on a pimple. If you get redness, itching or a burning sensation, stop and get in touch with us.

All our products have been assessed by a safety assessor and notified in the European cosmetics database (CPNP), as EU legislation requires. But: if you know you are sensitive to one of the ingredients or to essential oils (these are not in the serums, Apple Peeling, Rocket Eye Cream, SPF - they are in the Tomato Base Cream, Carrot Cleanser, Olive Body Bar, Elderberry Body Bar and Shower Oil), always do a test on the inside of your elbow for at least 1 week or consult your dermatologist.

Yes! People with dry skin may not produce enough sebum, while people with oily skin produce too much.

Using oils can help keep the sebum composition in balance. Just pay close attention to which oils.

Our oils are carefully selected: we deliberately choose non-comedogenic oils. The oils are cold pressed, preserving valuable nutrients. Oil contains unsaturated fatty acids. The more unsaturated fatty acids, the faster the oil absorbs into the skin. For dry and rough skin, we recommend an oil with many unsaturated fatty acids (Avocado Serum), and for oily skin the opposite (Cucumber Serum). Our Pumpkin Serum sits in between.

Children's skin is still developing, so we recommend using as few products as possible. If a teenager gets blemishes, a mild cleanser such as the Carrot Cleanser is a good start: it cleanses without drying out the skin. You can dab the Cucumber Serum locally on a pimple. With severe acne, it is wise to consult your GP. At Food for Skin, we believe in 'less is more'.

The glass packaging of all products is made of Miron ultraviolet glass. This dark glass prevents light from reaching the product, which benefits its shelf life. Thanks in part to this glass, the natural product, without chemical preservatives, keeps longer and your product is protected against unwanted intruders.

The pumps and caps are made of PP plastic. We searched very hard for a more environmentally friendly alternative, but due to the use of oils, we currently can't seem to find another solution. The good news is that PP is now easily recyclable. So dispose of the cap/pump separately with plastic waste.

We hope to offer an alternative in the form of a one-time delivery of the pump and shipping reorders with aluminium caps. We're working hard on that!

Food for Skin is still looking for alternatives. Do you have an idea? Email it to hello@foodforskin.care.

At Food for Skin, we try to produce as sustainably as possible and create as little waste as possible. Boxes around a product add no value at all, other than looking nice. Normally, they are thrown away immediately. We think that's a waste, so we've chosen to put all information on the packaging itself, making an extra box unnecessary.

A bottle with a pump reduces the risk of bacteria. However, a cream cannot go into a glass bottle like the one we use for the cleanser, for example, because at least 25% would remain in the bottle and that would be a waste. An airless dispenser would be great, but those are largely made of plastic, which we are not a fan of either. So it is a deliberate choice for us to go with the glass jar. The cream has been specially made and optimised for this, so the product can be used safely for at least 6 months after opening.

No, we don't have sachets, because:

1. Most importantly, to see results you need to use the products for at least three weeks, because by then the skin has renewed itself and you only really see the results. A sachet for one or two days says nothing about long-term results.
2. Samples are very polluting because the material is not recyclable.

That's why we have trial sets, so your skin can adjust over 3 weeks and you can properly assess the results.

All our suppliers are European. They know where the ingredients come from and under what conditions they were obtained. We try to source the ingredients from as close by as possible, but this is not yet possible in all cases. It is our goal though!

About 90% of our ingredients come from Europe. For some ingredients it is not possible. The Kakadu plum, for example, only grows in Australia and our shea butter comes from Africa.

In those cases, we always look at CO2 compensation and whether it is a social enterprise, local organisation or wild harvest.

Read here per ingredient where it comes from and whether it is organic and upcycled.

Old bottles and jars can be recycled at Droppie! Read more here.

No Droppie nearby? Then put the glass jars and bottles in the glass container and the pumps with plastic or residual waste (depending on your municipality).

Our protective filling material may look like plastic, but it isn't! The filling material is made from corn starch and is fully biodegradable. In the bin, organic waste bin or in the sink, the flakes disappear by themselves.

Currently, around 20% of our ingredients are obtained from residual or by-product streams. For example, our tomato seed oil comes from tomato seeds left over at a pasta sauce factory. These are taken to a cosmetic lab, where they make the most beautiful oils from them. Waste becomes a new product, that's called upcycling (added value). We don't do this process ourselves, but buy the oils from the supplier who masters this process.

We are always working hard to increase the percentage of upcycling and to source as many ingredients as possible from valorisation in the Netherlands. Stay tuned!

Almost all products are produced in the Netherlands. Nice and close to home. With fantastic partners called Han'Made and Rebel Nature. They have a beautiful laboratory, take care of all the required tests and produce our products. Nature Bar and SoapFarm make our body bars.

The Apple Peeling and Rocket Eye Cream are produced in Italy at RF Cosmetics, with beautiful, high-quality ingredients from that region.

Food for Skin is B Corp, Zero Plastics Inside and we produce everything according to Natrue certification rules. All our products are tested in laboratories according to official EU legislation. Our sunscreen has the 'Friend of the Sea' certificate.

Not a certification but recognition: we won gold twice at the 2021 Dutch Beauty Awards and were nominated for 2023.

We accept various gift cards, such as:

BeautyCadeau kaart
Beauty en More Cadeau
DE Cadeaukaart
Fashioncheque Beauty
Good4fun
Gift for Good
Het Duurzame Cadeau
Ohmygood giftcard
VVV Cadeaukaart
Winkelcheque / Beauty & Fashion Cadeaukaart
YourGift