1. Why don't you ship to _____?
In order to ship internationally, a cosmetic company needs to comply with regulations specific to a country/region. Some of these countries require a resident representative, specific packaging, licenses, etc. which is far beyond what we can accommodate currently. We won't respond to any inquiries asking us to make special exceptions - sorry! Despite what many people think, it is not about shipping costs.

We know many customers who send packages to friends & family in countries we ship to, who then forward packages to them in countries we don't ship to. Similarly, many customers use mail forwarding services to purchase our products from places like the UK/EU that we don't ship directly to. We are not liable for any damages, losses, customs paperwork, fees, etc. that may be incurred as of this process. 

2. Why can't I check out in US dollars?
We charge in Canadian dollars as we are a Canadian company. Your credit card/PayPal/bank will automatically convert this into a USD charge when you pay. No special action required. A $100CAD purchase on our website will automatically show up as around $70USD on your credit card statement if you are from the USA, as the dollars are not equal 1 to 1. If you have questions regarding this, please look up currency conversion on your favourite search engine!

3. Is your mica sourced ethically, and are you vegan/cruelty free?
Yep - child labour free, fare waged sourced mica only. All of our products are vegan and not tested on animals.

4. Do you have retailers?
No, you can only purchase our products online via our website. We also do not do wholesale.

5. Do you offer samples, first time purchase coupons, etc.?
We do not. However, you are more than welcome to email us to ask for recommendations tailored to your specific skin tone, skin type, makeup preferences, etc. to ensure you pick up products best suited for you. We kindly ask that you do not contact us to ask for discounts. We also don't offer newsletter signup coupons, and we do not do that "You forgot to checkout - here is a coupon to use for your abandoned cart" stuff either.

6. I can't find my order confirmation or any shipping notifications in my inbox
Sometimes email domains can filter out our automated emails, but sometimes customers will also accidentally put in email addresses wrong (eg. gnail.com instead of gmail.com) at checkout. Just shoot us an email at info@phytosurgence.com with your name, address, date, and info that would help us identify your order and we'll look into it for you. 

7. What is the shelf life of your products?
12 months once opened, and up to 24 months unopened. Yes many people use makeup beyond their suggested shelf life, but please use your best judgement. Keep in mind - products age regardless of whether they are opened and whether you use them regularly or not. Everyone uses makeup and skincare at a different rate - some may finish a product before the ideal shelf life, some may not. Even though we use preservatives, they do not make products last infinitely. 

8. I've noticed some small crystals develop on the surface of my old bronzer and blush that I haven't used in a while, is this normal?
This is a totally safe & harmless phenomenon called wax blooming that can occur in products that are older and/or not used regularly. It can even happen during transit where temperatures are not controlled. It is easily fixed by swirling your fingers on the surface for a few seconds until it melts down. If you have long nails or dexterity issues, a few seconds using a hair dryer on the surface will fix it too. It is not mold - mold doesn't melt away with heat. As mentioned above, we use broad spectrum preservatives in our makeup which inhibits mold growth.

It can happen to many balm-type formulas if they left untouched, where the waxes, butters, and stiffeners in the product soften and harden repeatedly over time from temperature changes in the environment, causing them to form small crystal structures on the surface. Examples: keeping products in a bathroom where it gets hot during showers but cold at night, or living in an area where summers get really hot and winters really cold. 

9. I've noticed my blush & eyeshadows are filled at different levels, can you explain this?
Yes! Two things contribute to this. #1: We currently cycle through ~4 different kinds of jars. When we make an order from our jar supplier for our shadows & blush, they provide us what they have available at the time. The outer dimensions of the jars are always consistent, but it is the inner dimensions that may vary. Some of the jars we use are wider and deeper than others on the inside, so 4g (the standard/advertised amount) of product looks different in each variation of the jar. 

#2: We pour by hand. So there are always small variations in how much we fill something because we aren't machines. If we ever overfill a jar by accident, we will still sell and send it out because we don't think any customer will complain about receiving more product. However, if something is underfilled, we will not sell it. So you might receive something and think "Hmm it's not as full as the other one I got" - but it will have at least 4g of product in there!