Questions

Frequently asked

If the answer is not here, ask us. Every message answered within one business day.

Orders and payment

What will appear on my card statement?: VALUE SKIN CO. That is the only thing charges from this store ever show as. If a line looks unfamiliar, please contact us before your bank — we can find the order and refund it the same day if it should not have been made.
Will I be charged again? Is there a subscription?: No. Everything on this store is a one-time purchase. There is no subscription, no auto-renewal, no membership, no free trial and no stored card that can be charged a second time. If you ever see a second charge from us that you did not place, it is a mistake and we will refund it the day you tell us.
How are my card details handled?: The card number, expiry and security code are typed into an encrypted field hosted by our payment provider, which is certified to PCI DSS Level 1. Those details never reach this website — what comes back to us is a token, plus the card brand and last four digits. We also support 3-D Secure, so your bank may ask you to confirm the payment. The full payment-security policy.
Why do you ask for a billing address as well as a shipping address?: The billing address is the one registered to your card, and your bank checks it against what they hold. It protects you more than it protects us: a card being used without its owner’s knowledge usually fails that check. If the parcel is going somewhere else, enter that separately as the shipping address — putting the shipping address in the billing field is the most common reason a good card gets declined.
Can I change or cancel an order?: Yes, at any point before it ships, for a full refund. Orders placed before 1:00pm MT on a business day usually go out the same day, so telephone rather than email if it is tight.

The load scale

What does the number on the carton mean?: It is how much one use of that product asks of your skin barrier, on a scale of 0 to 5. A cleanser or a moisturiser is 0. A daily niacinamide is 1. A retinoid is 4. The strongest thing we make, the weekly acid mask, is 5. Add up your week and keep it under 12. The scale in full.
Is the load scale a medical or industry standard?: No. It is our own scale, invented so a routine can be added up, and it is not validated by anyone but us. It rates a formula, never a person, and it says nothing about how well a product works — the Recovery Cream is a 0 and it is one of the most useful things in the catalog.
What happens if I go over the weekly budget?: Usually nothing dramatic, and then gradually something: tightness, stinging where nothing used to sting, flaking, a look of redness that does not settle. The fix is to drop to nothing but load 0 products until skin is comfortable, then add one thing back — not to buy something else.
Which products can I use every day?: Everything rated 0 — both cleansers, all three moisturisers, the hydrating serum, the eye cream and both sunscreens — plus the load 1 and 2 actives for most skin. Anything rated 3 or above is a few nights a week at most, and the product page says how many.

Shipping and returns

What does shipping cost and how long does it take?: $5.95 standard, free on orders over $65, arriving in 3–5 business days after dispatch. Express is $15.00 and arrives in 1–2 business days. Every order ships with tracking.
Do you ship outside the United States?: Not at the moment. We ship anywhere in the United States including Alaska, Hawaii and APO/FPO addresses, but we cannot ship internationally or to a freight forwarder.
Can I return something?: Anything unopened, within 45 days of delivery, for any reason. An opened product too, if it caused a reaction or arrived faulty — send a photograph and keep the product; we replace it or refund you. The full returns policy.
Where do I post a return to?: Nowhere — that is deliberate. Email orders@valueskinco.com with your order number and we send a prepaid label, so there is no address to find and no postage for you to pay.
How long does a refund take?: We issue it within 5 business days of the return reaching us, and we email you when it goes. After that it is with your card issuer — usually a further 3 to 5 business days, occasionally a full billing cycle.

Products

Is anything fragranced?: No. Nothing in the catalog contains parfum, essential oils or masking fragrance. Some formulas have a faint smell of their own ingredients — the azelaic cream in particular — and that is the formula rather than an added scent.
Where do I start if I have never used actives?: The Quiet Week: a cleanser, niacinamide, a moisturiser and a sunscreen. It totals 7 of the weekly 12 run every day, nothing in it needs building up to, and it is a complete routine rather than a starter kit you are meant to outgrow.
Are these products tested on animals?: No, and we do not sell in any market that requires animal testing as a condition of import.
Can I use these while pregnant?: Both retinaldehyde serums are not for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and the salicylic acid liquid should be discussed with a clinician first. Those cautions are on each product page. For anything else, ask your clinician — we are not able to give medical advice, and we would rather say so than guess.