FAQ

At Common Heir, we formulate with intention and with the safety of both your beautiful faces and our beautiful planet in mind. This means, we carefully curate each ingredient in our formulations to be efficacious, good for all, and sourced and manufactured with respect for the environment.

You won’t find any of the “big bads” in our formulations, take a peek at our restricted list.

• Silicones
• PEGs
• Phthalates
• Parabens or Japanese Honeysuckle (naturally occurring parabens)
• Mineral Oil
• Synthetic Fragrance
• Animal by-products
• Non-RSPO palm or coconut derived ingredients
• Ethanolamines (DEA/ TEA/MEA/ETA)
• EDTAs
• BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)/BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
• SLS/SLES (Sulfates)
• Formaldehyde
• Hydroquinone
• Petrolatum/Paraffin and/or PAH (Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon) presence
• Triclosan, Triclocarban
• Heavy Metals
• Pesticides
• Nanoparticles (<100m)
• Talc
• Benzene, Benzoic Acid
• Perfluorinated compound (PFASs or PFCs)
• Aluminium-based ingredients
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

At Common Heir we don’t believe in greenwashing, the practice used to make products appear environmentally friendly or “all-natural” for public perception. We will never employ vague language like “all-natural” when describing our products. Our ingredients are naturally-derived (i.e. plant-based and found naturally occurring in well… nature, such as marshmallow root) and of clean origin (take isoamyl laurate, for example).

Most clean and natural ingredients undergo various processes to make these materials suitable for cosmetic use. Can you slice open a sugar beet and voila, have isoamyl laurate at your fingertips? Nope, but the material is derived from, you guessed it — sugar beet.

Yes, we formulate with you and the planet in mind always. At Common Heir, we define toxic as any ingredients known to be harmful to the human body, and those that are known toxins/pollutants to our waterways, airways, and environment. We avoid materials that are carcinogenic, known hormone disruptors, and those that are banned by the EU and FDA.

Do a deep dive into our commitment to clean here.

Our formulas do not contain any animal by-products and are certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. The Vitamin C Serum does contain a small amount of soy and could potentially contain trace amounts of gluten.

Our Vitamin E oil, with it’s excellent stability boost to the formula as well as extra antioxidant protection for your skin, is suspended in soy with a soy concentration in the Vitamin C Serum at ⩽ 0.001%.

Our silicone replacement, isoamyl laurate, can potentially include trace amounts of wheat and barley from the extraction process to ready the material for cosmetic use.

Absolutely! Our gentle yet effective form of Vitamin C makes it ideal for everyday use. We recommend using it once a day, morning or night, for optimal results. We also highly recommend that you also use SPF as part of your routine when using any form of Vitamin C for added protection. Participants in our clinical study report visible improvement in skin tone and texture in as little as 4 weeks with daily use, and it's also great for brightening maintenance!

While she’s gentle, she is potent and you should avoid layering with AHAs and BHAs when using the serum. Not to worry, you can still use those products, just in your nighttime routine instead. Bonus: Fans of the serum (and 98% of our clinical study participants) say it layers like a dream underneath makeup.

Users saw visible improvement in skin tone, texture, and a smoother complexion within 4 weeks given daily use. Check out more about our results here.

Yes! We wanted a universal formula that offered brightening for all. We also opted for THD (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) over traditional L-ascorbic acid (traditional form of Vitamin C in skincare) so that the formula would be gentle yet still have maintain maximum efficacy, because no one actually wants to experience the burning and stinging that can come with L-ascorbic acid. THD is also stable and known to penetrate the skin at a deeper level than L-ascorbic acid; in return, offering all the skin benefits without the same stability and limited lifespan concerns.

• Leaping Bunny Certified as cruelty-free
• All palm- and/or coconut-derived ingredients are RSPO- (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil) certified
• Our capsules are tested to be readily biodegradable by OECD 301F standards

Our favorite method of disposal is to melt them in hot water. Place empty capsules in a heat-safe vessel (glass jars work great for this) and add enough boiling water to fully submerge them. Wait 15-20 minutes and it’s safe to pour down the sink.

For those of us able to compost, our capsules are compostable.

In the event the capsule does end up in your trash, don’t stress. They are readily biodegradable (which means they break down quickly, and not over centuries) and will not degrade into micro-plastics. Your plastic-free skincare experience, delivered.

Our world-first capsules are manufactured in Korea and packaged and distributed in the US.

We formulated our products with safety as a top priority, although if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, we do not recommend using retinol (a form of Vitamin A) in your skincare routine. Like most questions in life and beauty, your mileage may vary when it comes to usage. The ideal cadence will depend on your skin, its sensitivity, and your previous relationship with retinol. We always recommend patch-testing first before introducing a new product into your routine, and/or speak with your dermatologist. Because retinol is a powerful active that supercharges your skin’s natural nightly renewal process, you’re likely to see benefits from consistent use over time. For your first-ever experience with retinol, if you have sensitive skin, or if you’ve had irritation from retinol in the past, start with a patch test. Then, try applying retinol once a week. Build up to two to three times a week. Then, every other night. Retinol pros may work up to nightly use.

We recommend working retinol into your evening rituals for a few reasons: Used before bed, retinol best complements your skin’s natural nightly renewal process to help you experience all the benefits this super active has to offer — without added irritation or decreased efficacy under the sun. Another reason we love retinol best as a nightcap is that it increases skin’s sensitivity to the sun, even when applied in the evening. Consider that extra incentive to layer SPF on daily. Just like retinol’s benefits bloom in the eve, save your morning skincare slots for actives that help skin shine during the day, like Vitamin C. And as always when introducing new actives into your lineup, make sure they play nice. For best results with retinol and Vitamin C, for example, use them separately, at night and in the morning, respectively.

While we always recommend talking to your dermatologist to help you best answer this question, we formulated and tested our Retinol Serum with different skin types, including sensitive and melanin-rich skin. In clinicals, we included trials on a range skin types and skin colors. Our 0.2% Retinol Serum’s formula also passed and received non-irritating claims in HRIPT (Human Repeat Insult Patch Test) Testing.

We don’t recommend using retinol when pregnant or while breastfeeding. Check with your doctor to confirm when it’s safe to begin using retinol in your rituals again.

With reparative and renewing benefits, retinol is a favorite active for many, though some may experience irritation or breakouts as it speeds up cellular turnover to renew damaged cells and smoothe skin. We suggest checking with your doctor or dermatologist (especially if your skin is sensitive to new products) and starting retinol use first with a patch test. From there, move to once a week, working up to every other day without sensitivity. When introducing any new skincare products, take inventory of everything else you’re using, especially actives as certain pairings can counteract benefits or cause irritation. With retinol, avoid layering with benzoyl peroxide, AHA/BHA acids, or Vitamin C within the same routine.

Focusing on fitting retinol into your nighttime rituals, we recommend applying onto clean skin after cleansing (or toning, for those of you who love a good toner or essence.) Our Retinol Serum is formulated with squalane and algae oil to protect and nourish skin through the renewal process, though you can follow it with a moisturizer if you prefer. Avoid layering retinol with benzoyl peroxide, AHA/BHA acids, or Vitamin C, which you can save instead for your morning skincare routine.

Through thoughtful formulation and testing, our hope is that our Retinol Serum gives you the benefits without irritation. Retinol is a favorite active based on its powers to repair and renew, meaning it enhances your natural cellular turnover to shed dead and dull skin. A high concentration of retinol in the wrong formula can irritate skin or cause breakouts as that dead skin brings everything with it to the surface. This purge can be similar to what you may experience with a facial. While everyone’s skin will react uniquely to different products and ingredients, we formulated our serum with the intention to harness retinol’s skin-smoothing superpowers without the super scaries. To do it, we mixed an approachable percentage of retinol with botanicals that boost retinol’s benefits, and squalane and algae oil to nourish skin through the renewal process.

Heard horror stories about retinol? We had too. That’s why we formulated our Retinol Serum to strike a beautiful balance between approachable and powerful. It has a gentle 0.2% retinoid active and botanicals that boost the active’s skin-smoothing, detoxing, reparative benefits. Squalane and algae oil balance the formula to nourish skin as it goes through the renewal process. In clinical trials, we tested gentleness as it pertains to retinol on various skin types and skin colors. While it was our intention in formulation to create a gentle retinol serum, your skin is unique. We disclose all ingredients for our products so you can also understand your skin’s sensitivity to different ingredients.

Yes, we offer free standard ground shipping through USPS.

We ship within the United States. We are currently not available internationally at this time, but hope to expand our mission soon.

We hope to be able to do so in the future.

Automatic tracking updates will be sent to the email used at checkout! Please note — be sure to check your spam folders as sometimes things can get lost in there. If you've created an account, you can also login here to track the status of your orders.

For other updates or questions, reach out to us at hello@commonheir.com.

No, we are not able to accommodate expedited shipping at this time. All shipping timelines are communicated during checkout before placing an order. We want to be as thoughtful about our carbon impact as we can, and things like expedited shipping can contribute larger carbon emissions than our selected shipping option. With any other questions, be sure to email us at hello@commonheir.com.

For purchases on or after August 21st, 2024:
All sales are final sale.

For purchases prior to August 21st, 2024, we must receive an email from the customer by August 31, 2024 in order to honor our old refund policy:

Please send us your order number and email used at checkout to hello@commonheir.com and we will start the refund process.

If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.

For purchases on or after August 21st, 2024:

All sales are final sale. No returns will be accepted. Exchanges can be considered on a case-by-case basis if the customer contacts hello@commonheir.com before August 31, 2024. Exchanges will only be made with proof that the product arrived damaged during shipping.

Please include your order number and email used at checkout when you reach out to us at hello@commonheir.com

For purchases prior to August 21st, 2024, we must receive an email from the customer by August 31, 2024 in order to honor our old return policy.

All sales are final sale. Exchanges can be considered on a case-by-case basis if the customer contacts hello@commonheir.com before August 31, 2024. Exchanges will only be made with proof that the product arrived damaged during shipping.

If you have received a damaged product, we ask that you contact us at hello@commonheir.com with the following information:

Order Number

Full Name

Explanation of Damage/Defect

Photos of Damage/Defect

Please note — damaged orders are no longer eligible for refunds or replacements after 30 days. All product replacement eligibility will be determined at the discretion of Common Heir.