clark-creations web store FAQ section

Herbs can be confusing - which one is the best to try for you? There is a lot of information on the internet and in books. You'd have to spend a fortune to understand what each one does. Some are very beneficial, while others are not. I use herbs and a matching essential oil to complement each other. I have created the eye pillows, tub teas and tea soaks with this idea in mind. The facial masks have lots of herbs, but no essential oils, as these can be too strong for the delicate skin of the face. If you want to know more about a certain product that contains herbs or essential oils, please write me an email or call me and I'll do my best to give you an accurate consultation. If I don't know the answer, I will get back with you as soon as I can to be sure you are getting the answers you are looking for. **If you find that you are allergic to certain herbs or essential oils, please let me know and I will do my best to replace it in your products. I have written a brochure with research that I have done on herbs and their benefits. I have tried to remove the mystery about what they are and are not. It can be very confusing and I've tried to simplify it for you. Just ask for one with your order and I'll send it to you, or if you aren't sure about ordering just yet, please contact me and I'll send one out in the mail to you at no charge.

Clark Creations believes that saying a company produces "all natural" products, that we should BE "all natural". When I first started doing research on starting a business in this industry, I found that small business owners didn't need to list their ingredients. Why? That is what I asked myself. I feel it is vital to list ingredients for several reasons: 1) If my customers are allergic to certain herbs, spices or essential oils (even fragrances), I think it's essential to list those - I want you to KNOW what is in our products. 2) If I say it's "all natural", I want to PROVE it's all natural. I list the product name in "layman" terms so that you can recognize what the product is made from. (I do not believe in listing ingredients you can't pronounce - or give you long "scientific" verbiage). **The government does not require small business owners to list ingredients on products (yet). There has been some controversy on the subject this past year (2007-present) about adding ingredients to packaging. I feel that it is a proactive stance to list ingredients in each product. I want you to be able to trust what I say and see it listed in terms you can understand. Thank you for putting your trust in Clark Creations, where I strive to give you the best possible service and ingredients.

What are parabens? Parabens are preservatives found in many skin and body care products. Preservatives are what enable your products to have a long shelf life. You can tell if your product has parabens by looking at the ingredient list. You may see one or more of the following: Methylparaben, proplyparaben, isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, sodium butylparaben. As you see, each word ends with "paraben", which makes it easy to pick out. Parabens have been found to mimic estrogen. This, to some is cause to believe that they are a possible trigger for cancer, especially breast cancer. The FDA has come to the conclusion that at this moment, parabens are a safe ingredient in skin care products and that there is no cause of concern. They will continue to do research and alert the public if this changes. At Clark Creations, they are paraben FREE. My products contain preservatives, but do not contain parabens.

I do NOT use Sulfates in any of my products. Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and its close relative Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up". Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants. SLS and SLES are esters of Sulphuric acid - SLS is also known as "Sulfuric acid monododecyl ester sodium salt", however there are over 150 different names by which it is known. Shampoos are among the most frequently reported products to the FDA. Reports include eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and arms and split and fuzzy hair. The main cause of these problems is sodium lauryl sulfate. So why is a dangerous chemical like sodium lauryl sulfate used in our soaps and shampoos? The answer is simple - it is cheap. The sodium lauryl sulfate found in our soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines. In the same way, as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. Perhaps most worryingly, SLS is also absorbed into the body from skin application. Once it has been absorbed, one of the main effects of sodium lauryl sulfate is to mimic the activity of the hormone Oestrogen. This has many health implications and may be responsible for a variety of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms to dropping male fertility and increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where oestrogen levels are known to be involved.

If kept properly sealed and out of direct sunlight, natural salts will last years! Salts that are scented typically last 6-24 months.

Salts contain natural elements from the sea such as pieces of shell, ocean rock, etc.

Yes! Taking sea salt baths every day is actually very beneficial.

YES! Bath salts are safe to use in an indoor jacuzzi so long as they are dissolved completely so that it won't interfere with the mechanics of the jacuzzi. Fine or medium gain is the best choice for jacuzzis. For outdoor hot-tubs and spas - try epsom salts.

I try to get it out as quickly as possible. I am a one-woman show, so everything is made by myself and I don't have any help. I will do my best to get your products out the very next day, however, summer & fall are my busiest times and I will not charge your credit card until I can ship the product(s). Thank you for your understanding.

I just want to let you know that I absolutely LOVE the night cream. I wash my hands a lot, and work with paper all day and my hands get so dry. I naturally have dry skin, but in the winter it gets very bad. I have trouble with my cuticles and knuckles cracking and bleeding. The night cream works great. Not only do I use it on my hands, but it is also great for my sadly neglected elbows and feet. I like it so much I was telling my husband about it. He used it on his hands one night and the next morning his dry, rough hands were fine. Now the only problem I have is that he likes the Night Cream so much, he keeps using it. ~Michelle M., Waterford, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Hi Pam, we were so tickled to get your products and card in the bowl. We certainly weren't expecting that and we are looking forward to taking them on our honeymoon with us! Thank you for thinking of us, that was very kind and thoughtful of you! Thanks again, Liz" ~Waterford, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I like the lip gloss that I tried last year at a craft show here in Clio because it was very smooth and silky feeling." ~ Stacy M., Clio, MI. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I wanted to let you know that so far, I love your products. I used the milk fizzies in the bath (after Scott pointed out that he helped make them!), I had a milk mask on my face while soaking in the tub and I topped it all off after with the vanilla sugar dream cream. Not only was my skin very soft, but when I went to tell my husband good-night, he looked at me and said, "wow, you smell good!" Believe me, I have purchased many products from different stores and I have never gotten a reaction like that one. Usually I have to prompt him with "do you like how I smell?" to which he will say "sure". So thank you very much." ~ Maribeth S., Traverse City, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Pam stands behind her products 100%. The Dream Cream is my product of choice (makes your skin feel as smooth as a baby’s behind). I just ordered several other items & I can’t wait to try them!” ~ Alice S., Waterford, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “...you are so right, I LOVE the Dream Cream. I can not believe that I have been using it and have not developed a rash yet, as I always get a rash when I use lotion for two or more nights in a row. I feel so lucky that I have found you and your products. I have already been recommending you to others.” ~ Jody P., Williamston, MI Host of the Michigan Farm & Garden Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Pam! Wow, I was so touched reading your nice card................................ I am glad that you are doing so well, but I really did not do so much. You did decide on your own afterall, maybe with just a little push from my side. But anyways, it is wonderful that everything is going well, it is work and lots of work, but if one likes it, it does not feel like work. Best wishes for the continued success for the future, Pam! ~Inke B., Ann Arbor, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My son has very sensitive skin, we have had problems with many even organic products before because of the sent & other ingredients. Pam made my son a personal bottle of body powder, special according to my request. I have enjoyed dealing with Pam, she wants to please her customers, her products are great, she is a local business owner OH and I can't forget a truly nice person :-) So why throw your money overseas or to big mega-stores when you can buy locally made organic products from Pam? She can even customize your product according to what YOU want! Clark creations has wonderful products so, give them a try! ~ Marie L. , Clarkston, MI. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I LOVE the lavender room & linen spray and the eye/neck pack! They are both so soothing at the end of the day. As a bonus, while using the eye/neck pack to soothe a recent migraine attack, I found that the natural lavender also helped to ease my stuffy sinuses. Thanks for the great products!" ~D.D., Waterford, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Pam, I just want to say THANK YOU for making such an awesome mosquito repellent! I haven't got one bit since I've used it and they usually love me. I greatly appreciate your efforts and will recommend this to everyone! ~Rachel S., Atlanta, Georgia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Pam, I received your letter in the mail. I have not used Google Checkout before and was unaware that product ratings were public. I thought they were sent to you. I do apologize and feel I cannot use the gift certificate that you mailed me as this mix up was no one's fault. Also, I received a $3.50 credit back on my credit card from Google checkout, so the check is also unneeded. I appreciate your efforts to make this right. I have always been very satisfied with your products and service and hate that I inadvertently left you a negative rating. ~Kaylee R., Houston, TX Hi Pam, I hope this finds you well. I missed you at the Farmer's Market last week! Hope you will be back soon. I love the bug repellant. It smells wonderful and I feel good knowing I'm not putting harsh chemicals on my skin. Best Regards, Colleen K., Milford, MI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Pam, Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I've been SUPER busy! Anyway... you gave me the baby powder scented body butter and the deodorant. I didn't find that the deodorant worked for me. Maybe I wasn't using enough? I donno. Maybe it was because when it cooled it collapsed down a little into the dispenser and created an concave space at the top that hindered applying the right amount. Again, I donno. I LOVED the smell of the body butter. I LOVED that when applied between my fingers or palms it seemed to melt into an oil - like it was a massage oil cream (I actually purchased something like that from Fredrick's of Hollywood, it is labeled as a massage oil bar and it melts like that when applied, it's incredible stuff). It went on kinda oily but seemed to be mostly absorbed by my skin quickly. I found that it didn't completely absorb into my skin but that was a good thing because for the WHOLE day I could feel it on my skin moisturizing it. I haven't found a product out there that works like that and it was GREAT! It didn't seem to come off on my clothes (eg: stain them) which was great too. The body butter was definitely my favourite of the two. Thanks for letting me be one of your testers. :) I'll do it again for you ANY time! Take care, ~Piper C., Commerce Twp., MI. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AWESOME, PAM!!! You're doing excellent! Real head for this business! ~Zoe B., Fenton, MI. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~