FAQs
What makes Black Altar soap different?
Our soap is made by hand in small batches by a soapmaker with twenty years in. The result is a firm bar with a rich lather, a clean rinse, and no plastic bottle pretending to be necessary.
Why three bars instead of one?
Your skin is not the same on a heavy day as it is on an easy one, and a single bar cannot match all of it without shorting one side. A rotation gives each kind of day its own bar. Your daily bar handles the everyday clean, your scrub bar brings texture for active days and days that leave build-up behind, and your soothe bar decides how you step out.
How do I know which bars are mine?
The quiz matches you to one of four rotations based on how your skin actually behaves. If you would rather choose by feel, the set builder lets you pick any three bars yourself.
How is it made?
By hand in small batches, by a soapmaker with twenty years in. Hot lye and warm oils, poured in a slab and left with a rough top. Combining oils with lye starts a reaction called saponification, and once the bar has cured, no active lye remains. What is left is soap, naturally occurring glycerin, and the oils and botanicals we chose for the formula.
Why does glycerin matter?
Glycerin helps attract moisture to the skin. Many commercial bars remove it. We keep it in, because skin can tell when a formula has been stripped too hard.
Do you use fragrance?
Some bars are scented and some are not. Every scent we use is 100% plant based, either essential oils or verified natural fragrance oils, and we never use synthetic fragrance. Silky Shea and Earth Salt have no scent at all, and every product page lists what is inside so you can choose with your skin in mind.
Are your ingredients natural?
We use plant oils, butters, clays, botanicals, and minerals with a bias toward organic ingredients where they make sense. We do not use a word like natural as a magic trick. We list ingredients clearly, because clear is better than vague, and the ingredients codex explains what each one actually does.
Do you use palm oil?
When we use palm, we use sustainable palm sourced with care. Palm can make a better bar, but only if the sourcing is taken seriously. We do not use it casually.
Do you test on animals?
No. We do not test on animals.
Is your soap good for sensitive skin?
Many customers with sensitive skin use our bars comfortably, but skin is personal. Start with an unscented or gentler bar, patch test first, and stop using anything that irritates you. If you are not sure where to start, email us and we will help you choose.
How long does one bar last?
Usually three to five weeks with daily use. Keep it out of standing water between showers. A draining soap dish makes a real difference.
Will the bars look exactly like the photos?
No two pours are identical. Color, swirl, and texture can shift slightly from batch to batch. The formula stays intentional, and the surface gets to be alive.
Do you make anything besides soap?
We make a body oil for after the shower, and Sierra makes ceramic soap dishes by hand. Gift cards are there for when you would rather let someone choose for themselves.
Who actually makes the soap?
Sky formulates the bars, and she is the person who taught us to make soap in the first place. Every batch is hand poured to her spec by a partner soapmaker with twenty years of craft behind him, and he is Rainforest Alliance certified.
What does shipping cost?
Shipping is a flat $5 anywhere in the United States, and it is free on orders of $42 and up with no code needed. Other carrier options show at checkout if you want something different.
When will my order ship?
We pack most orders within one business day, except weekends and holidays. Standard delivery in the United States usually takes 3 to 7 business days once the carrier has it, and you will get tracking as soon as it ships.
Do you ship outside the United States?
We ship to Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. International rates are calculated at checkout based on where it is going, and the flat rate and free shipping threshold above apply to orders inside the United States.
What if it is not right for my skin?
Love it or we will refund you. You have 30 days to reach out, and we will either suggest a better fit or refund your order, with no restocking fees. Email summon@blackaltar.co with your order number and what happened.
How do subscriptions work?
You choose your bars and how often they arrive, so your soap shows up before you reach the sliver stage. The discount never expires and it grows on your third and sixth orders with codes we email you, and you can pause, swap bars, or cancel at any time. The subscribe page has the details.
Can I use a discount code on a gift card?
No, discount codes never apply to gift cards, because the card is already the gift. Gift cards are digital and arrive by email, either to you or straight to the person you are giving it to on the date you choose.
Do you give back?
For every ten bars we sell, we donate one to Bethlehem Inn, a shelter here in Bend, Oregon. A hot shower with real soap gives back more than most of us remember.
