Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

❓ “Can you answer this question for me?”

Heck yeah we can! Just reply and we'll do our best to help ya out!

🚛 “How long will it take for my order to arrive?”

1 - 4 business days for US packages
14 - 21 business days for international packages (depending on how much of the globe is between us)

🤔 “How can I tell what scent I will like?”

Great question!
We have many options:
1. Take our scent quiz and get 20% off your order
2. Order one of our sample sets
3. Order a Soap of the Month or an Essential Outlaws variety subscription and try 'em all year 'round (at a 25% discount!)
4. Take a guess - with our satisfaction guarantee, any decision is a good one (and how often is that the case?)

💑 “What's the difference between solid cologne and spray cologne?”

I love this question so much I wrote a blog post about it.

🧼 “What's the difference between milled soap and handmade soap?”

You're just asking all my favorite questions, my friend. I knew we would be sympatico from the second you clicked subscribe, and I was not wrong. I also love this question so much I wrote a blog post about it, too.

📞 "I have a phone and it's always with me. Is there a way to get exclusive product updates, order updates, and manage my orders (including subscriptions) on this telephone thing?”

I am so glad you asked, my friend! If you're ready to take this relationship to the text level, so am I! You can sign up for text messages here.

Here are some Qs we've heard over the years:

Q: Where's my stuff?

A: You can always check your order status on your account page (yet another reason signing up for an Outlaw account is so beneficial... the first reason being the Outlaw Gold program, which provides outsized incentives for long-time customers).

We try to ship everything in the quickest possible time (usually the same day, if you order before noon). Sometimes we can't get to it for a few days due to [waves generally at this weird year].

If you ordered something more than a week ago and haven't gotten it, contact us and we'll look into it.

Q: Do you have samples? I'd like to try the products before I buy them.

A: Does a brown bear weigh up to 815 lbs and run up to 31 mph? Yes, yes it does*.

And yes, yes we do. You should peruse our collection of Outlaw Samples here.

However, rest assured that no matter what you order, in whatever size you order it, your order is covered by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you don't love what you ordered, we'll refund your order (including shipping) or offer a replacement item of your choice (if you didn't like the particular scent you ordered).

Your life happiness is our priority.

Q: I ordered something and it's neither my cup of tea nor is it my shot of whiskey. How can I get a refund?

A: Wipe that perspiration from your brow, my friend! Our refunds are absolutely no-sweat! Just visit our return center to get that process started. We'll either exchange or refund your order. Your happiness is our reason for starting this company, so if we're not living up to our mission, we're going to make it right.

Q: Do you send care packages to folks stationed overseas? It seems like my [beloved serviceperson] would really love this.

A: Absolutely we do! If you have their address, you can send them a lovely care package we assembled just for this purpose. It includes our best selling (and most beloved) items, plus a mug that says, "Wake up. Kick Ass. Repeat." Because that's got to be their motto, right?

You can pick up our Active Duty Care Package here.

Q: What do you mean by "Cruelty-Free"?

A: We're Leaping Bunny Certified, and kindness to animals has always been part of our company. We are general animal enthusiasts (dogs in particular), and we don't believe there's any reason to test on animals or use animal products in most of our products.

When we say "Cruelty-Free," we mean that no non-consenting creatures have been harmed in the process of creating our products.

Our solid cologne uses beeswax, but the bees make more.

Q: What do you mean by "Made in the USA"?

A: The FTC has specific rules about what can be stated as "Made in the USA." In summary, "all, or virtually all, of the product must be made in the USA."

We endeavor to maintain honesty and transparency in our business, because we know that is important to you. We have been systematically going through every product and determining the exact percentage of "made in the USA"-ness, to ensure compliance to the letter of the law.

All of our personal care products are assembled in the USA, and many are 100% made in the USA.

Whenever we can, we source our ingredients and materials directly from manufacturers in the USA. Our labels and soap boxes are made in the US. All our co-manufactured products are made in the US.

ALWAYS, without exception, we source our fragrances from reputable companies who manufacture in the USA, because we need the assurance that the fragrances are governed by the FDA, and we need the assurance that the fragrances contain only ingredients compliant with the Whole Foods standards for safety.

Because manufacturing has largely gone overseas, there are some components that just plain aren't made in the USA, anywhere, at any price. Coated enamelware, for example, is not available in the USA.

In other cases, components could potentially be sourced in the US, but at prices that are 2x or 3x the price of domestically made products. We weigh different options when we encounter this situation... for example, we're currently evaluating our spray cologne boxes, and having them made overseas is about 1/3 the cost of having them made domestically. So we're thinking outside the box! We're working on buying larger quantities of our ingredients to get our overall costs down so we can afford the more expensive US-made boxes.

We will always do our best to maintain integrity in our business operations and transparency in our business decisions. You might not always agree with the decisions we make, but we're straight shooters.

Q: Do you have a [military / medical worker / first responder / teacher / commercial driver] discount?

A: We sure as heck do! We've partnered with VerifyPass to offer these discounts.

Q: I love your products! I'm looking for donations for [xyz charity]. Could you donate something for an auction we're having?

A: First, thank you for giving your time to something you feel passionate about. That's awesome. You're making the world better.

Second, we get many requests for donations, gift cards, etc, from many very deserving people doing good work for many outstanding organizations.

Because we are a very small business, we are not able to contribute to any but a handful of carefully curated charitable organizations that we have an existing relationship with (for example, K9s for Warriors).

We wish you the best in your efforts, and do appreciate that you're working on projects that you feel passionate about.

Q: Can I get one subscription box without signing up for a subscription?

A: No, sorry. The only way we can provide the kind of awesome products you find in your subscription box is by buying in bulk and never customizing anything. This means no one-offs.

You can review our most popular subscription box offerings here.

Q: My soap is melting! What's happening?!?

A: This can be one of the most frustrating and horrifying experiences. You get this amazing handmade soap, you adore this amazing handmade soap, you treasure this amazing handmade soap, and ... then this amazing handmade soap starts melting into a mush. :-(

Handmade soap doesn't contain hardeners like commercial soaps, so they need to be treated a little differently. Even among other handmade soaps, our soaps are softer and therefore even more prone to mushing. It's because we use four different kinds of oils, and three of these oils are "soft" oils (liquid at room temperature).  We had to make the hard (soft?) decision to stick with a softer bar because we believe it provides an overall better experience, in exchange for using extremely moisturizing oils.

What does this mean? It means your soap needs to breathe. If you set it down on a flat surface or anywhere solid, air will not flow around the soap and it will goop into the surface. Blech.

If you get a soap dish that allows air flow around your soap, your soap will last for weeks and weeks. Ours last for months in the shower, because we have one of those handy caddy things.

We do happen to sell wood soap dishes that allow for optimal air flow around soaps here. We also include one with every new single soap subscription plan absolutely free. So if you love your handmade soap and want it to live forever, get your soap tray and enjoy its long life. :)

We also have milled soap, which lasts longer because it's made with harder oils and pressed with a mill.

Read about handmade soap vs milled soap in our blog

Q: Have you ever developed an alternate, very badass personality and then kissed the back of your hand and then poured lye on it like in Fight Club?

A: No. Not only would that hurt like a motherflipper (and we're pain averse), it would be a waste of lye. Lye is not easy to come by these days. Also, we're badass in our real personality. Only wussies need alter egos for that stuff.

Q: Can you help me with my business? / You have inspired me and I want to create a business just like yours! I'm not copying you, am I?

A: Oof... Here's the thing... we want you to succeed. We really, really do. We try to help people self-actualize whenever we can. We answer questions, we post blog posts, and we record videos. Just recently, we got back from the Central Soapers Workshop where we gave a workshop on branding and sales.

We are open with our knowledge.

We don't ask much in return, but the only thing we do ask is that you not compete with us. If you start a business and make outlaw-themed soaps and lotions, we're going to be weird about it. We're going to feel sad about it. We're going to feel like helping people is actually hurting ourselves. We're going to become guarded and jaded about sharing knowledge in the future.

You may say that our business model and branding really resonates with you since you love western stuff and camping. You may also say that you would have gone that direction with your business anyways, even without our help. That may be true, and that's the price you pay for getting free advice from us.

If we help you with your business, consider it a non-compete contract with Outlaw Soaps.

This means you won't sell products that smell or look similar to ours, no matter where you are geographically located. You won't take products with our name or replicate business concepts we use.

If someone is asking you for a thing and you know we make it, we'd appreciate it if you would direct them to us. But at the very least, please don't compete with us.

Q: You know, lye is really dangerous. I hope you're wearing safety gear.

A: That's not a question, but we'll let that slide. YES. Lye is very caustic. It is like fire or electricity or gravity or humans in that it is a predictable force, even for as dangerous as it is. If we get it on our skin, we rinse it off. We always, always, always wear safety gear, even when the chance for burn is very slim. We may act like reckless goofballs, but we am very, very serious about safety.

Q: Are you a vegan or vegetarian?

A: No. But we do our best to only eat humanely raised animals.

Q: I got this order in a burlap bag. Isn't this excessive?

A: Sometimes we don't have leftover shipping supplies and so we ship things in burlap. Burlap is biodegradable, reusable, and hella cute. It's also not significantly more expensive than other packaging options.

Q: How did you learn to make handmade soap? / Can you teach me to make handmade soap?

A: We have watched hundreds of internet videos and read hundreds of recipes. If you're really into Soapmaking, the best resource for you is Modern Soapmaking. There's the Soapmaking Forum, Saponifier Magazine, and the Indie Business Network.

There are unlimited places to get great information about handmade soap... and I'm sure one of them is perfect for you!


Have a question that wasn't covered here? Email us!

* HOLY SPEEDY BROWN BEAR, BATMAN! I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THIS... but it's true. I totally looked it up. I think I run about 4 miles per hour, and I don't think my speed would be improved if I put on 750 lbs.

In other words, LOOK OUT FOR BEARS.

As a side note, brown bears generally aren't running after folks like you and me. So, thank God for large miracles.