Are Auntie Clara’s soaps organic?
All genuine soap is the result of a chemical reaction called saponification. During saponification sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (both inorganic substances) react with oil to form soap and glycerine. Because it is the result of a superimposed chemical reaction soap is not organic by strict definition even if it is made with organic ingredients. We do use organic ingredients in our production but our products do not have organic certification.
Are Auntie Clara’s soaps 100% natural?
Auntie Clara’s soaps don’t grow on trees. Instead they are all carefully planned, designed, formulated and made by us. Consequently they are all proudly (wo)manmade rather than 100% natural even if they are made from natural ingredients. All our soaps are genuine soaps made from natural oils and lye. We do not offer any products made with synthetic detergents.
Are Auntie Clara’s soaps vegan?
Browsing through our products you will find the category ‘vegan-friendly’. All soaps in this category are purely plant based without any animal derived ingredients or additives. However, we are not vegan and we cannot guarantee that e.g. the plant oils we use are 100% free from normal insect, arachnid or gastropod contamination. Thus we prefer to use the term ‘vegan-friendly’.
Will the soap I get look exactly like the soap in your picture?
We work hard to keep the pictures and descriptions in the shop updated and representative of the soap as it looks in real life. But since our soaps are handmade they may show natural variation in appearance.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes we do. We will ship to any country that the South African Post Office will send mail to.
When my order is shipped, is it insured?
Unless a customer requests and pays for insurance on their order the shipment is NOT insured. Sales are strictly ex works; once a shipment has been been despatched and provided with a tracking number by the South African Post Office, a courier or forwarding company, we do not assume responsibility for its wereabouts.
My country has unreliable mail service. Will you still mail soap to me?
If you have reason to doubt the reliability of your local postal services we would suggest that you contact us to discuss insurance and courier options.
Can I pay by credit card?
Yes you can. We take payment via the secure payment processing service PayFast and we accept MasterCard and Visa.
Can I pay by PayPal?
No. Unfortunately PayPal does not support the South African Rand (ZAR or R) as a payment currency. As soon as PayPal amends its policy in this respect we will consider accepting payments via PayPal.
What is PayFast?
PayFast is a secure payment processing service which you can read more about here. On PayFast you can pay by EFT from a South African bank account or by MasterCard or Visa internationally.
How do I get my order faster, by paying with EFT from my South African bank account or by paying with a credit card?
Credit Card payments take longer to clear than PayFast EFTs so paying by EFT will get you your order faster.
How long will it take for my order to reach me?
We despatch shipments as soon as the customer’s payment has cleared on our account. If you are in South Africa and the order is couriered to you, it will reach you the following working day. International shipments usually take between two and three weeks to arrive.
Can I have my order mailed to an address in South Africa?
In our experience the South African Post Office is more efficient working with international than domestic shipments. While our local post office is very reliable, the degree of efficiency and integrity varies around the country. For that reason we choose to use couriers rather than the Post Office for domestic shipping in South Africa.
Can I arrange for my order to be collected by a courier company of my choice?
Yes. Sales are strictly ex works and if you prefer to arrange for alternative means of shipping you are very welcome. Currently the local pickup option on the checkout page is only available to South African shoppers, but international shoppers are welcome to contact us if they would like to make their own arrangements for shipping. However, we will limit our involvement with such third parties to setting up an appointment for the pickup at our premises. We will not be involved in any monetary transactions with third parties. Please also note that local pickup is strictly by appointment only.
Can I order soap from Auntie Clara’s for my shop in Europe?
If you are interested in wholesale pricing, terms and conditions, you are very welcome to contact us. Note that if you are a retailer in the EU and you wish to import our products from South Africa you will need to register the products on the European Union Cosmetic Products Notification Portal and the products will need to be (re-)labeled to comply with EU labelling regulations.
Is there a minimum order?
No minimum order, but the minimum international shipping fee covers six 100g bars. You are welcome to buy just one bar if you prefer, but if you are located outside of South Africa the minimum shipment will fit 6 bars so you might as well buy 6 bars 🙂
I’ve ordered ten bars. Can’t I just add another bar to my shipment?
Yes you can, but since an extra bar will add to the weight of the shipment your shipping fee will also increase.
Your prices seem to be quoted in the currency ZAR or R. I’m not familiar with that currency; how do I know what the value is in my local currency?
ZAR stands for South African Rand which is our local trading currency in South Africa. On each shop page you will find a currency converter widget. With the currency converter you can enter a value in one currency and convert it to another currency.
Shipping seems expensive. Can I have a discount?
No. We make no profit at all on shipping. Our streamlined shipping fees are determined by the South African Post Office and couriers – we cannot influence their pricing.
Your soap looks wonderful. Do you mind sharing the recipe?
We don’t share soap recipes. However, our blog posts cover various aspects of our soapmaking. You are very welcome to follow our experiments and tutorials on Auntie Clara’s complimentary blog.
Will you teach me how to make soap?
Currently our business model does not include instruction and soap classes. If you are interested in tutorials related to soapmaking you are very welcome to browse through Auntie Clara’s complimentary blog posts.