FAQ's
General
Heck yeah! All of our formulations are designed with skin sensitivities in mind. To keep our products as gentle as possible, we use a small amount of multiple things instead of a lot of just one thing. This may make for a long ingredient list on the label, but we believe it’s the best way to avoid irritation as many people can find different things irritating when they’re used in large doses. That being said, some people can have allergies to specific ingredients at any amount, so we still recommend conducting a patch test before use.
The beauty of skincare made with clean ingredients is that
it doesn’t discriminate; anyone can use it! Our entire range is safe for all
ages and skin types, and that include pregnant and breastfeeding women.
However, the following products contain a small amount of essential oils, which
some like to avoid during pregnancy. We like to be completely transparent and
empower women to use their super mum powers to make decisions that they’re
comfortable with.
- Aroma Balm
- Bergamot Deodorant
- Patchouli Deodorant
- Cleansing Hemp & Olive Body Bar
- Outdoor Spray
- Oil Cleanser
While we don’t have any products in our range specifically targeted to rosacea, we can recommend a few that will be suitable for using on your skin.
Face Oil: helps to promote healthy skin due to its content of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamins.
Oil Cleanser: is great for a nourishing and deep cleanse. It also contains essential oils which are known to soothe and nourish the skin. Some like to follow with the classic Cleanser for a 'clean' after feel.
As for a moisturiser, we recommend our classic Moisturiser. It is one of our most hydrating and thickest moisturisers, and the plant-based oils help to restore the skin’s vitality. It is quite thick, but you’ll find it sinks into the skin quite nicely.
If you've been a part of the tribe for a while, you may have noticed that things look a little (or a lot) different around here. We underwent some big changes, and decided to strip everything back - packaging, processes, products…the lot!
Unfortunately, we had to wave goodbye to some of our original products to make space for new and exciting ones. While change is hard, we’re excited for what’s to come and think you will be too. If you can’t find your favourite A bit Hippy product on our website, give us a call - it might just have a new, cool new name you don’t recognise.
The amount of product in the tubes is based on the weight of the product itself, so some tubes may have more than others depending on the product. It may sound a bit odd but we have to ensure there is some air and room in the tube, otherwise the product will explode out of the seal under any sort of pressure.
For the la-la-locals. Shop refills & save (up to) 30%!
Are you a Burleigh beach go-er? What about a Currumbin Salt Mill coffee addict? For all of our Gold Coast (and surrounds) babes, you can completely cut down on your plastic consumption by refilling your existing A bit Hippy empties! And no, this isn't a sweet dream!
Come down to the A bit Hippy HQ at 56 Dover Drive, Burleigh Heads, don't forget your empties and pump up (a sweat and) a real good saving with our Shampoo, Conditioner and Cleanser refill stations!
Uh-huh, Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm we'll be here ready and waiting to help you top up your bottles, save a buck and chat about all things skincare.
My oh my, we had no idea our toothpaste was such a tribe staple! While we appreciate the love, we know we can raise the bar and do better. Our Product Development team is working hard behind the scenes on a new formula that’s better and tastier than ever before. Don’t wait up though, this may take a while (they’re perfectionists).
We love to see the tribe growing. Email us at info@abithippy.com.au for everything you need to become a stockist.
You can find us in select Priceline Pharmacies, Wholelife and other independent Health Food Stores across Australia. Use our handy stockist locator to find your closest store!
Story time! Before our rebrand, all of our products were packaged in white, recyclable plastic that we obtained from off-cuts from other factories. Now, forecasting is like predicting the future, it's no easy feat! And we maaaay, have overordered on our 1L pump bottles - especially with a rebrand coming around the corner. Once we sold through the existing stock and launched our new look, we were left with a few remaining 1L pump bottles.
We had 2 options. We could either throw them out, which is what A LOT of companies do, or slap on our oh-so-aesthetic new stone paper labels, fill them up with your fave formulas and pop them on the website. We're pleased to confirm that we didn't consider option 1 for even a second, not only being extremely wasteful and bad for the environment, it's just not what we're about. We'd like to label ourselves as the resourceful kind. So, in the spirit of making the best out of every situation, we'll be selling these through until we're out of white bottles and will then order our new green ones to match the rest of the range! Stay tuned!
Reformulations
This new and improved formula is a lil' green (other shampoos are green with envy). That's Chlorella extract, one of the only plant-based sources of active B12 to promote strong, healthy hair growth.
We also decided to strip back the formula by removing a number of ingredients we didn't find crucial to the formula. But don't fret, we won't strip your scalp or hair!
Say goodbye to Silicone and synthetic fragrances. We've packed our new Conditioner with Panthenol (Vitamin B5), to give hair long-lasting moisture and a Guar Bean derivative to build hair strength for less breakage.
Kinda boring, kinda scientific, totally nourishing on your hair and scalp!
Never laughed over a lip balm? There's a first time for everything! Did you know, original Lip Balm didn't actually contain Pomegranate? (Yep, cringe!)
That's because Pomegranate Oil has an earthy scent and is golden yellow. Not what you'd expect, right? Nevertheless, we fixed things up, replacing Blackberry for Pomegranate, for obvious reasons!
This natural elixir will change your scent to make spending time out and about in nature easier and much more enjoyable.
We refined our formula and swatted away some ingredients we no longer found necessary to include. Don't forget to KISS - Keep it simple, stupid!
Sustainability
Being sustainable is a big claim that we don’t take lightly, so we’ve made a few big changes around here to move towards greater environmental sustainability. This includes changes to what our products and packaging are made of, where they come from, and even updates to our practices and processes. For more detailed information on what we’ve done, where we’re going, and what we’re committed to do, check out our sustainability page!
When we decided to give A bit Hippy a (metaphoric) facelift, housing our products in packaging that’s gentle on the environment was not only important to us, but also important to you, our ABH Tribe. You make us so proud! As with everything in life, we’re not perfect and always looking to improve. Currently, most of our packaging is 100% recyclable, but for the bits that aren’t, below is a guide on how to handle all the components of our packaging properly to increase recyclability and help avoid unnecessary components ending up in landfill.
Pump tops and oil droppers - creatively repurpose these or pop them in the bin, for now…
Since these tops contain a metal spring (pump top) or glass (dropper), if these tops are left attached to the rest of the packaging, it makes the entire piece unrecyclable due to the mixture of different materials. Recycling facilities will not sort, separate and unscrew the tops (as it costs too much), so the result is the entire bottle will end up in the landfill.
Plastic bottles, lip balm containers & deodorant caps - these can be recycled.
Once all pump and dropper tops have been removed and disposed of (see FAQ above), the remaining pieces are 100% plastic, so they can either be repurposed or recycled.
Labels - When products are being recycled, they go through a process to have labels removed so you don’t need to take them off beforehand.
And just so you know, all of our labels are made from stone! Yes, that’s right, they’re made of ground up stones (as in rocks, boulders and pebbles).
Plastic tubes - these can be recycled.
We’ve managed to change all of our plastic tubes over to plastic made from sugarcane, reducing the carbon footprint of manufacturing.
Bamboo lids - recycle the bamboo and the plastic inner.
We’ve reduced the amount of plastic used in our lids by switching a portion of them to bamboo. The plastic inside the bamboo lid is sugarcane plastic.
Cardboard packaging - you guessed it! If it’s made of cardboard, it goes in the recycle bin.
This includes our new Dry Shampoo container, which is now made of paper so it’s completely biodegradable and easily recyclable. To make sure it was actually biodegradable, we didn’t coat it with any plastic protectant, so it’ll absorb moisture and break down if it gets wet.
All of the packaging we use to ship our products to you are fully recyclable and we make them out of recycled materials when and where possible. We make sure your products don’t get damaged on their way to you by using recycled brown paper to keep them cosy and secure in the box. Our boxes are even taped up with recyclable paper tape so that you don’t need to take it off the box when recycling because it won’t disrupt the recycling process.
With everything, there is inevitably an element of waste when it comes to skincare packaging. Sustainability is on the tip of everyone's tongue, and something we’re working at to continually improve how we manage our ingredient sourcing, production and end-use waste. Expect to see many updates and changes from us in this area.
While our bottles are made from plastic, we’ve sourced some new materials for our packaging:
- Our plastic tubes are made from sugarcane, a low carbon alternative.
- A portion of our lids are now made of bamboo. The rest is made of sugarcane plastic.
- The labels on our bottles are stone paper, made from ground stone.
- Shipping boxes and packaging are all cardboard which is easily recycled.
- We use recyclable paper tape to pack up our customer orders.
When it comes to skincare, bacterial contamination is our first concern. To best avoid this, the inner layer of our packaging (the bit that actually touches the product) has to be made of a new and completely sterile material i.e new plastic. This is why we can’t use recycled plastic.
We could use glass packaging, however, it isn’t the most practical for use in the shower or bathroom, and it takes more energy and resources to produce. It’s also a heavier material which comes with an increase in shipping costs and probability of breakage in transit; the postal service isn’t always kind and gentle to parcels. On top of that, sadly the glass recycling industry in Australia is practically non-existent.
For more detailed information on what we’ve done, where we’re going, and what we've committed to do, check out our sustainability page! We’re doing the best we can whilst also remaining open to improving our footprint. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!
Because we are a non-confirming bunch and believe all skincare should be cruelty free and vegan… all of our products are vegan and cruelty free, but we haven’t paid for the piece of paper. Our top priority is making sure our customers have access to the most natural and ethical skincare solutions, at the most affordable prices, and as a small business, extra costs such as certifications can really add up! We hope you can find it in your heart to trust us when we say we are vegan and cruelty free as we care for all creatures of this planet – if it gives you further peace of mind, all our products are made in Australia and tested by our staff and manufacturers, not animals. 💚
Ingredients
Great question! This is where we get a little nerdy. While all our products are made with natural, clean ingredients, not all of them are certified as organic. When it comes to produce, organic certification ensures it’s free of pesticides and not genetically modified. However, when it comes to skincare ingredients, it’s a little more complicated. Ingredients are often refined to draw out pure oils and other cosmetic grade ingredients. During this process, impurities and unwanted components are also filtered out, making them free of things like pesticides regardless. Cosmetic grade ingredients must always meet purity standards, no matter if they’re certified or not.
So, instead of worrying about organic certification and the piece of paper that comes with it, we decided instead to focus our energy on sourcing and using only clean ingredients that are gentle on the skin, healthy for our bodies and easy on the planet.
None of our products contain Palm Oil as such. The thing with Palm Oil is you also have to be aware of its derivatives, and that becomes a very very tricky topic. Virtually every brand of moisturiser uses Cetearyl Alcohol. This is a fatty alcohol that looks like wax, and it can be made from any plant sources that are high in fatty acids. This includes Coconut, Soy or Palm Oil.
Most Cetearyl Alcohol is “RSPO Certified”, but this does not guarantee it was not made from new Palm Oil plantations. We do use this in our Blemish Cream, Face Moisturiser, Conditioner, Moisturiser and Outdoor Spray. Although, our ingredient sources are of very high quality and have said they aren't Palm Oil based, but rather are Coconut, we like to be super transparent, so you can make the choice.
We make all our products here in Australia. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for all our ingredients to be sourced within Australia – although we do try! We would absolutely love to be able to do this, however, many plants that we derive our ingredients from, such as Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil, simply do not grow in Australia. For example, we can only get the Tamanu Oil in our Rescue Oil from the specific Tamanu fruit tree in the Pacific Islands.
Face
The best bubble and foam maker is an ingredient called Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS), but it can be drying, irritating and can also coat your hair, so we steer clear! Instead, we use plant-derived, gentle cleansers.
Our moisturisers are made with ingredients that are derived from nature, so they can vary in colour between batches and overtime. It’s nothing to worry about and will work as normal. However, if you’re concerned, feel free to get in touch with a picture and we will let you know if it’s within a normal range.
We do acknowledge that this tube holds less product for the same price. Following the rebrand, we had to make the hard business decision to implement a small price increase to help us expand the range and brand, which was a first for us. We’ve also upgraded our tubes, bottles and labels to become more sustainable and eco-friendlier, so unfortunately this also comes with a cost. It’s still the same great product, that’s non-toxic and Aussie made.
The pH of the micro exfoliant is 5.8, which sits in the 5.0 - 6.0 balance for human skin.
It is correct that Salicylic Acid works best around 3.0 - 4.0. A formulation that promotes a harsher chemical exfoliation would need to be in this 3.0 - 4.0 range, optimal for the Salicylic Acid.
However, this product relies more on the gentle physical exfoliation, to loosen and remove dead skin cells. This exfoliation comes from the coarse-ish ingredients such as the Rice Bran Powder and therefore not necessary to sit in the 3.0 - 4.0 range. Rice Bran Powder has a very delicate physical structure so it's gentle on the skin, and contains antioxidant-rich, moisturising proteins.
So, you don’t like to spend much time or have too many products on your skin… we’ve got you covered with 3 key essentials.
1. Wash: Begin with a clean base using our Cleanser.
2. Moisturise: Our classic Moisturiser is suitable for your face and body.
3. Treatment: At night, add one extra step to further nourish your face. Take your pick from our Face Oil to address any hydration or ageing concerns, Rescue Oil if you have any breakouts or irritations. We also recommend exfoliating 2 - 3 nights a week with Exfoliant if you want a deep clean or your skin is feeling a little textured.
We have several products that will help to control blemishes and oil production while nourishing the skin. They will also help to fight bacteria and prevent further breakouts. Our products are packed full of repairing ingredients derived from plants like seed oils and antioxidants, which have antibacterial properties.
Wash: Our Oil Cleanser is great for providing a very deep cleanse, clearing the skin of impurities along with makeup and sunscreen. The plant-based oils in this one help to clear the skin of bad bacteria and replace it with nourishing, clean oils. When breaking out, you may feel you want to avoid oils, however it isn't actually the enemy - good oils are very beneficial for maintaining healthy skin.
Some like to follow with the classic Cleanser to remove any oil residue. This one is a very gentle, low-irritant cleanser that you can use all over the face and body.
Exfoliate: Exfoliating to remove dead skin and unclog the pores is an integral part of reducing blemishes. We have our specially formulated Powder Exfoliant, which is suitable to use daily and you can even leave on for a few minutes like a face mask.
Moisturise: Our Blemish Cream works to soothe the skin and keep it healthy by using high quality, powerful antioxidants. The formulation helps to prevent excess oils on the skin becoming rancid, which in turn can cause breakouts. This one also has anti-ageing benefits, which help to prevent scarring - a double win! We suggest applying this morning and night consistently to see the best results.
Treatment: But a blemish routine isn’t complete without our highly recommended Rescue Oil for troubled, blemish-prone skin. Made with Tamanu seed oil, our rescue oil works to heal blemishes, reduce redness and keep your skin hydrated. We feel it works well with the Blemish Cream in the evenings; you can mix them together, or apply the oil after your moisturiser.
Our products are completely clean and can be used all over the face and body without clogging pores. We do suggest performing a patch test with all of our products just to ensure no reaction occurs to the natural ingredients before applying all over.
We believe that anti-ageing ingredients should be used by all ages, so this is an ideal everyday routine for anyone!
Morning
Wash: Cleanse with our classic Cleanser (this Cleanser doubles as a body wash too!)
Moisturise: Massage some Face Cream into your face, neck and décolletage.
Treatment: Oil can penetrate moisturiser ingredients but not the other way around, so your third step is to apply our Face Oil.
Aftercare: Follow with your regular sunscreen/make-up routine.
Evening
Wash: First clean your face with our Oil Cleanser to help remove all the dirt and impurities from your day including make-up. Follow-up with our classic Cleanser to make sure you get all that make-up off. (You can skip this step if you don’t feel the need)
Exfoliate: With wet hands add a puff of Powder Exfoliant, turning it into a paste and massage onto your face (we like to do this daily, but it’s up to you)
Moisturise: Massage the Night Cream into your face, neck and décolletage.
Treatment: End with a few drops of Face Oil and let it all sink in while you relax into your evening.
There is a total of 95% Rosehip Oil & 5% Vitamin C & E in our Face Oil.
Body
In short, yes. All clear Zinc products on the market are now classed as ‘nanoparticles’ but there are different sizes. Nanoparticles have previously had a bad rap but the classification of nanoparticles has changed so they will not cause harm. Our sunscreen is made using a standard Zinc Oxide with a median particle size of approximately 0.31 microns (this is 310 nanometres), with all particles between 0.25 microns and 0.35 microns. This means that the Zinc Oxide is nearly invisible when applied to the skin (win) yet still offers both broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection and none is absorbed into the bloodstream.
There are two main types of sunscreens. Firstly, natural sunscreens that use Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide as a physical barrier that reflect UVA and UVB away. The second type is "UV Filters" that absorb high energy UV radiation and emit low energy radiation. These are always synthetic, which is why we choose to use Zinc Oxide to provide natural sun protection.
Aroma Balm is purely Shea Butter and a blend of essential oils. In cold scenarios, Shea Butter tends to go hard and clump together.
As Shea Butter reaches body temperature it will spread evenly. So, it won’t impact your use of the product. We will always encourage a natural product to be completely natural instead of having to add more unnecessary ingredients just so it looks “better”.
On the other hand, when it reaches high temperatures, it can melt. If you’ve received your product melted and it’s escaped from the tin, send us a picture and we’ll send you a new one or refund you. If it hasn’t escaped the tin, rest assured it will settle back into balm form soon. Just keep it out of direct sunlight or places that get hot like in your car.
We use a very light dose of essential oils in this Moisturiser, because we think it smells nice, but also because it helps mask the smell of Hops - which is part of our preservation method. Over time, the scent of essential oils will decrease, which means the scent of your moisturiser may change if you don’t use it very frequently. Or you may not like the scent of Geranium.
If you’re unhappy with your moisturiser, please get in touch with us and we can arrange an exchange for you to try something else, such as our Soothing Moisturiser instead.
We still have our previous Eczema Cream formula, just with a different name and without the cost of a TGA certification. Because of this, we can’t say that it will help your eczema anymore, but we can say it’s suitable for eczema-prone skin and has the same great formula.
Our old Eczema Cream (now named Soothing Lotion) is packed full of ingredients to assist skin when it’s feeling a little irritated. That also extends to other things our customers commonly struggle with such as shaving rash and chafe, and it’s also a great post-laser hair removal cream if you’re into that.
While we strongly believe that everyone should be free to smell any way they like, we understand you may wish to ‘try before you buy’ when it comes to selecting a Deodorant scent. And while technology is great, we don’t yet have a scratch and sniff app to add to our website, sorry! So, as we wait for Silicon Valley to sort that out, an old school description will have to do…
Bergamot - Notes of bitter orange, lavender, lemon and lime. Fresh and zesty, if you want to get specific. This one is definitely ideal for the gym and summer barbecues.
Patchouli - Notes of Patchouli, Rosewood & a dash of Citrus. Floral and understated, we recommend this one if you want your perfume to be the star of the show (on that note, have you tried our Aroma Balm?)
In short, both are delicious. So, why choose? Give yourself some options and get ‘em both!
When you first receive a roll-on product, sometimes you may notice the roller ball is a little stiff or won't move at all. This often happens because of the very cold temperatures our products are either stored in, or transported in. Air freight can get below 0 degree sometimes! Getting your roller ball working is easy: simply run the top of your product (with the roller ball) under very warm water. This will loosen the ball and get things 'rolling' again.
If you live in a place with fluctuating temperatures, or just very cold winters, you may have to do this every so often!
Hair
When it comes to hair care, marketing teams across the globe have made it more confusing than it ever needed to be. Did you know, the difference between shampoos designed specifically for dry or oily hair is just a small tweak in the amount of cleansing ingredients they add in?
We wanted to make our Shampoo suitable for everyone, so we didn’t make our formula with a large amount of cleansers. If you have oily hair and need a bit more cleansing action, we simply recommend a double wash. This will help to remove excess oils, but remember a little oil is important to help keep your scalp healthy and your hair strong; no one likes split ends.
Between wet washes you can use our Dry Shampoo. The natural powders will soak up any excess oils, refresh your roots and also add a bit of volume. Talk about a triple threat! If you have any other questions or just wish to gossip about hair, we’re just a phone call away!
The best bubble and foam maker is Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), but it can be drying, irritating and can also coat your hair, so we steer clear! Instead we use plant-derived, gentle cleansers.
Yes, our Shampoo is perfectly fine to use on coloured hair and won’t cause the colour to fade. The main ingredient you need to look out for to avoid colour stripping is SLS, and of course all our products are free from this.