Quality

Aubrey Organics sets itself apart from the majority of the skin and beauty industry by taking a unique and painstaking approach to product freshness. All of the company's products are produced by hand on a daily basis, in tiny batches of no more than 50 gallons. The products are then shipped directly to customers and local distributors with absolutely no warehousing. By significantly minimizing the time that passes between production and eventual application, Aubrey Organics is able to optimally preserve the potency and effectiveness of their products. While this type of shipping logistics model is undoubtedly expensive, it's just one example of how Aubrey Organics prioritizes customer satisfaction over its bottom line.

The quality of the products sold by Aubrey Organics is evident in the company's history. In 1994, they became the very first skincare product manufacturer to receive organic certification from Quality Assurance International. To this day, their factory continues to receive regular inspections by the USDA's National Organic Program. These inspections guarantee that Aubrey Organics lives up to its certification as an organic manufacturer, and further ensures the quality, potency, safety and effectiveness of the company's entire product line.

Aubrey Organics' quality is also readily apparent in the design and content of its website, which includes an extensive Education section to help you choose the right product for your particular condition or concern. A clearly composed matrix allows you to instantly determine the best hydrating mask for oily skin, the best night cream for combination dry skin, or any other condition/product combination you could imagine. Although the company's product line is extensive, you can easily find the most popular products within the Aubrey's Favorites area of the site. After navigating to a product page, you'll find a thorough description including organic certifications, ingredients lists, benefits overviews and customer reviews.

Ingredients

Aubrey Organics maintains an unflinching commitment to using exclusively all-natural ingredients, most of which are certified organic. The company refuses to include artificial ingredients, such as petrochemicals, synthetic emulsifiers, chemical fragrances, dyes and other potentially dangerous additives. Instead of using cancer-causing parabens to preserve their skincare products, the company uses a special blend of antioxidants and grapefruit seed extract which naturally increase product shelf life. Although the company does not claim to possess a completely hypoallergenic product line, items that do include allergens are stated as such, and the Aubrey Organics Vegecol product line contains no allergens whatsoever.

Aubrey Organics understands that some of their potential customers may not be familiar with many of the ingredients used in all-natural skincare products. As such, they've posted a Natural Ingredients Dictionary under the Education portion of their site. Each ingredient is listed by both its common name and its International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) name. By referring to the ingredient dictionary, you'll learn how complex terms such as Simmondsia chinensis simply refer to green tea, for example. The dictionary is incredibly extensive, and each term is followed by a definition that includes information regarding the ingredient's nutrients, traditional uses and why it might be included in a particular skincare product.

In 1967, Aubrey Organics became the first skincare product manufacturer to list all of the ingredients in all of its products. That tradition continues today. Each product page found on the Aubrey Organics website includes a complete list of ingredients, all of which are named by both their common and INCI labels. While this level of transparency has been adopted by many (but not all) organic skin and beauty product manufacturers and retailers, Aubrey Organics deserves credit for being the first to pioneer the concept.

Clinical Studies and Research

Aubrey Organics does not post any clinical studies results pertaining to their finished products on their website, and it isn't clear whether the company conducts clinical trials in the first place. This is acceptable given that very few all-natural organic skin and beauty companies have the resources necessary to conduct clinical testing. At the same time, many of the natural ingredients used in Aubrey Organics' products have been independently tested, and it would be nice to see the results of these studies directly on the company's site.

Aubrey Organics' lack of clinical testing does not indicate a lack of research when it comes to developing and formulating the company's product line. Until his passing in 2011, Aubrey Hampton personally oversaw the formulation of all of the company's products, using his education in organic chemistry as a primary resource. The company carefully selects all of the ingredients used in its products, and sources them from various regions of the world in order to maximize their potency and purity. Each ingredient is thoroughly tested to ensure its compliance with Aubrey Organics' rigid standards before it's used in the formulation of a product.

Over the years, Aubrey Organics has carefully studied natural ingredients from around the world to determine how they could be applied to skincare. This research has allowed Aubrey Organics to be the first company to introduce several new natural ingredients to the mainstream market, including jojoba oil in 1972, evening primrose oil in 1982, blue camomile oil in 1987, natural fruit acids in 1990, Matcha green tea in 1995, blue green algae and sea buckthorn oil in 1999 and organic orange pith juice in 1999. Today, a wide variety of skin and beauty product manufacturers rely on these ingredients as staples of their product formulations. Say goodbye - instantly - to the fine lines and wrinkles that scream "AGE" and experience the confidence that comes from radiant, younger looking skin.

Effectiveness/Testimonials

Each product page found on the Aubrey Organics website includes a Customer Reviews section in which users can post testimonials along with an overall rating between 1 and 5 stars. These testimonials are unedited and posted in their original form, ensuring that each review section is an accurate portrayal of customer satisfaction for the particular product to which it pertains. The star ratings are aggregated and posted as an average score at the top of the review section.

In general, the user testimonials found on the Aubrey Organics site are very positive. One reviewer describes how using the company's moisturizing cream for two years left her with virtually perfect skin, even at 53 years of age. Another reviewer describes how she hasn't had any allergic reactions to the company's products despite being allergic to most skin and beauty products. The reviews do have one shortcoming in that they don't allow users to offer information regarding their current skin conditions or reasons for purchasing the product. This lack of specificity can make it more difficult to determine whether a particular product will correctly address your skincare concern based on your age and existing conditions, among other factors.

Aubrey Organics has developed a high profile in the skin and beauty industry since their founding over 40 years ago, and as such, it's easy to find positive testimonials regarding the company in the mainstream press. These articles and blurbs can be found in the "As Seen In" area of the Aubrey Organics website.

Customer Support

Aubrey Organics is known for offering excellent customer support thanks to a team of knowledgeable, experienced service representatives based at their main office in Tampa, Florida. You can contact Aubrey Organics via toll-free phone by calling 800-282-7394, though the company's website does not list its service hours. Support is also available through standard mail and fax.

Aubrey Organics also offers customer support through an email web form located within the Contact Us page of their website. Curiously, the form states that it could take up to two weeks for Aubrey Organics to respond to email inquiries. This is hardly acceptable given that most online skin and beauty product retailers answer emails within no more than a few business days. The obvious solution is to simply contact the company via phone instead of email, especially if the inquiry is urgent.

Plenty of other customer support features have been built directly into the Aubrey Organics website. As a new user, you'll be able to create an account which allows you to track your past order history. The site also contains an exceptionally comprehensive FAQ section that answers very specific questions pertaining to product ingredients, product expiration dates, organic certifications, ingredient processing and more. Finally, a Store Locator link found on the top of the homepage allows you to search for nearby stores that carry Aubrey Organics products.

Product Return Policy

Aubrey Organics offers a generous return policy that gives you far more time to test a product than the return policies offered by many of the company's competitors, which usually last for 30 to 60 days. If you buy a skincare product directly from the Aubrey Organics website, you'll have a full 6 months to try it before determining whether a return is necessary. If you do return the product, you'll receive a full refund minus the cost of shipping and handling.

If you're seeking to return an Aubrey Organics product that you purchased from one of the company's local retailers, or if you purchased it directly from Aubrey Organics and 6 months have already passed, you'll have one full year from the time of your original purchase to exchange the product. By exchanging the product at a local retailer, you'll save on the cost of shipping the item back to the Aubrey Organics central headquarters.

Customers should note that Aubrey Organics only accepts returns for refunds and exchanges on products that have at least 50% of their contents remaining. This is extremely fair, given that you can use up to half of a product while you're testing it and still be eligible for a 100% refund. Many organic skin and beauty companies only offer partial refunds for used products, if they offer any used-product refunds at all. Be sure to include your name and order number with your return to expedite refund processing. All returns should be packed securely and shipped via a trackable method in order to prevent damage during transit.

Cost

Aubrey Organics is committed to offering the best quality all-natural skincare products at extremely affordable prices. For example, 8 oz. facial cleansing lotions can be had for under $16, while body lotions of the same size cost around $14. A 4 oz. rejuvenating mask costs around $10, and a 1 oz. night cream costs just under $21. These prices, which are already significantly lower than what you'll find at many competing organic skincare sites, can be made even lower by taking advantage of Aubrey Organics' various sales.

Aubrey Organics regularly offers rotating sales and promotions in which popular items are available for up to 50% off. Typically, you'll be limited to purchasing no more than three of these heavily-discounted items. The sales change frequently, so it's important to keep an eye on the Aubrey Organics online product catalog to find the best deals.

Aubrey Organics also offers discounts through its email newsletter. When you sign up for the free newsletter for the first time, you'll receive an automatic discount of 20% off your next order, regardless of the order's value. You'll also receive exclusive web specials and discount coupons that are only available to email newsletter subscribers.

Aubrey Organics calculates shipping costs based on the size and weight of your order, as well as your geographical location. However, the company offers free shipping on all orders over $25. Most organic skincare product companies, if they offer free shipping at all, typically require an order of at least $50.