FAQ

Our formulas are designed for the majority of common skin types. We offer skincare customized for:

• Dry skin
• Normal skin
• Oily skin
• Combination skin
• Skin stressed by pollutants or irritants
• Sensitive skin
• Acne-prone skin
  
  

For skin conditions that typically require medical care, such as extreme eczema or rosacea, we recommend you seek extended care from a medical professional. If you have any questions about the skin types we address, please feel free to contact us at support@pureculturebeauty.com.

Ready to get your custom skincare? Get started here.

Our skincare is formulated to help you make progress toward your personal skin goals. You’ll tell us your top priorities in your skin analysis so that our skin experts can optimize your formulas. And when your priorities change, we’ll change your routine, too.

The skin concerns we currently work on include:

• Dark spots & uneven tone
• Fine lines & wrinkles
• Breakouts & clogged pores
• Dry skin & rough patches
• Firmness & elasticity
• Redness & irritation
• Pore size & skin texture
• Oil & shine control
  
  

If you'd like to learn more about the types of ingredients we use for each skin goal, click here.

In addition to the skin goals you choose to work on, our formulas go above and beyond with universally beneficial ingredients. We always include microbiome-friendly, functional ingredients to help boost overall skin health. 

Ready to start working on your skin goals? Click here to get your custom skincare.

Our formulas prioritize skin health to help naturally combat aging, irritation and other damage, rather than settling for short term solutions.

Our custom formulas have an optimal pH and are made with ingredients to rebalance your microflora and build a healthy skin barrier. That’s because to us, the most important indicators of skin health are a thriving microbiome and a strong, effective skin barrier:

• Your skin barrier is part of the top layer of your skin. When it’s in good shape, it effectively retains moisture, naturally exfoliates and protects against irritants, allergens, pollutants and sun damage.
• The microbiome is your first line of defense against pollutants that can damage the skin barrier. You need various good bacteria strains present to keep your microbiome functioning effectively, and the byproducts of beneficial microflora also help strengthen your skin barrier.

Everyone is different; you may notice a change in your skin as early as two weeks, but it may take up to eight weeks. Because we are focused on working on long term skin benefits, it is normal not to see any instant results.

For best results, please follow the usage recommendations. If you have questions about your results, please reach out to us at support@pureculturebeauty.com.  

Our skincare products are overall safe to use, but the best way to be sure is to contact our skin experts at support@pureculturebeauty.com.

Every Pure Culture custom skincare kit starts with an at-home test kit, and includes your choice of prepaid custom formulas: serum only, cleanser and serum, serum and moisturizer, or a 3-step routine of cleanser, serum and moisturizer.

For best results, our holy grail is the 3-step routine. Skincare does not need to be complicated, but it does need a few basic steps and we believe the minimum is to cleanse, treat and hydrate. If we feel your skin needs more, we may recommend additional steps to your routine such as a toner, spot treatment or additional serum. 

We understand that you might not be ready to start with a 3-step routine, so we also offer the custom serum and two-product sets to provide flexibility with your existing routine. 

To gain comprehensive insight into your unique skin needs, the formulas we personalize for you start with a two-part skin analysis:

1. The skin profile includes a series of questions about your skin goals, lifestyle and environment. Whether you live near an ocean or the mountains, rigorously exercise, or work at home in front of a computer screen, we take it all into account.
2. The at-home skin test will ship directly to you, so you can easily measure your skin type, condition and barrier health from the comfort of home. It is a quick test that uses paper strips pressed onto your cheeks and forehead, and you’ll input the results into your Pure Culture account (no need to send anything back to us in the mail!).
   
   

We’ve been in the skincare industry long enough to know that the one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. That’s why we’ve flipped the industry’s standard - instead of starting with a product, we start with YOU.

The key to effective products is understanding what your skin really needs, which is why we created the at-home skin test to learn about your skin. Along with the information shared in your skin profile questionnaire, your skin test allows us to choose ingredients that help you reach your skin goals, achieve a healthy barrier, and build a flourishing microbiome.

Still curious why self-reporting isn’t enough? Well, part of what we test for (barrier health and skin condition) are immeasurable to the naked eye. We also test for skin type, because we’ve found that only 25% of our customers correctly identify their skin type. Many of these people have historically used the wrong type of products for years, and the skin test allows us to change their skincare narratives with formulas that finally support their skin needs.

The skin analysis takes about 15-20 minutes, from start to finish. There’s no need to mail anything back to us - just log your results in your Pure Culture account.

The skin profile is a questionnaire on our website, and we’ll mail the skin test kit directly to you to complete at home when you are ready. Here’s how the timing breaks down:

1. Skin profile: Plan on 5-10 minutes to complete your skin profile on your website account. If it’s easier for your schedule, you can complete the skin profile before the at-home skin test is delivered.
2. At home skin test: Reserve about 10 minutes for your at-home skin test. For best results, we recommend doing the at-home skin test first thing in the morning, before you wash your face or apply products.

As soon as you complete both parts of your skin analysis, we’ll analyze the data to customize your skincare formulas and routine. You’ll get to review the benefits and ingredients of your formulas in your Pure Culture account right away.

The products you purchased along with your skin test will get customized and ship automatically. You may receive some additional custom formula recommendations too, which you may add to your cart and purchase separately at any time.

Our lifestyles and skin are ever-evolving, which means your formulas may need refinement over time. We will check in regularly to see how you’re doing, but please reach out anytime at support@pureculturebeauty.com when something changes with your skin or lifestyle. You may need to re-test if your skin condition has changed, or update your profile to reflect a life event such as moving to a new climate.

Skincare is an art and a science. We believe we have the science down, but there are sometimes unforeseen variables.

Our purpose is to provide clean, custom skincare for everyone and as part of that mission, we offer a one-time reformulation. If you have any concerns about your results, please email us at support@pureculturebeauty.com and we’ll work together to refine your formulas.

Our strict definition of clean has resulted in banning over 2,700 specific ingredients due to safety, sustainability, ethics and sourcing concerns. For comparison, the US FDA has banned fewer than 50 ingredients and the European Union has banned approximately 1,300.

Our approach to clean beauty is 4-fold. These aren’t just checkboxes to us - they’re commitments that guide our decision making at every level of our business:

1. Safety: Did you know that your skin has the potential to absorb products into your bloodstream? Your skin is directly related to your overall wellness, which means we would never risk any ingredients that are known to be harmful.
2. Sustainability: We only source ingredients and materials that are made in a sustainable way. Our formulas are designed by skin experts in San Francisco and Toronto, and customized in environmentally-friendly labs.
3. Natural ingredients: Our ingredients come from nature, and transparency in ingredients is paramount for us.
4. Ethical sources: We only use cruelty-free ingredients and materials that come from trusted partners with fair labor conditions and wages.

To learn more about the ingredients we use, click here. 

Our products are 100% free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and mineral oil, along with over 2,700 other ingredients that do not meet our stringent clean ingredient standards. For context, the EU has banned about 1,300 ingredients and the US FDA has banned less than 50. We are also vegan and cruelty free. 

Our ingredient standards are non-negotiable: 

Many skincare products use the following ingredients, but here's why we've chosen to exclude them from Pure Culture's formulas:

• No silicones: Silicones sit on top of the skin’s surface, and do not biodegrade after you wash them off. That’s why we instead use sustainable ingredients that absorb into your skin to maintain moisture from within. Our favorites are healthy, hydrating emollients like olive, squalane and pomegranate oil. These lightweight, effective moisturizers can be used year-round and work hard to help improve your overall skin health.
• No colorants: All of our formulas have beautifully different hues, but these colors are natural from the ingredients we use.

Pure Culture is a cruelty-free company and we do not test our ingredients or finished formulas on animals. Our skincare is also vegan; our formulas are made from naturally sourced, plant derived ingredients and contain no animal by-products.

Yes, our custom formulations are available without added fragrance. You will have the option to select fragrance free or fragranced with essential oils during your skin analysis.

Please note that fragrance free means that we do not add any fragrance to your formulas, but they may still have a detectable scent. This scent comes from the active ingredients, which we use at high concentrated levels for performance.

Our custom formulas are safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. We always recommend checking with your doctor if you have specific concerns or questions.

Similar to your gut, your skin needs an optimum level of good bacteria to look and feel its best. That’s why our skincare is microbiome-friendly to help support healthy, glowing skin.

We include both prebiotics and postbiotics in our formulas:

• Prebiotics are food for the good bacteria, which stimulates their growth and keeps them active.
• Postbiotics are the favorable byproducts created by the microflora that help nourish and strengthen our skin barrier.

Learn more about our ingredients here. 

We use recyclable packaging for everything we produce, from the paper for our at-home skin tests to our gorgeous glass bottles. As always, check with your local recycling facility to ensure these materials are recyclable in your neighborhood:

• Our glass bottles have recyclable plastic closures, and are reusable if you wish to repurpose them.
• Our cleanser tube and lids are made from biodegradable sugarcane.
• Our paper stock is all FSC certified, and our envelopes and boxes are designed to be reused.

We are working toward becoming sustainable beyond just recyclability, and being more choiceful with our paper stock helps us get closer. All of our paper and card stock is Forest Stewardship council (FSC) certified. Our shipping boxes are made from recycled corrugate, and meant to be reused. We treat as much of our packaging as possible as a renewable resource, maintaining a positive carbon footprint by planting three trees for every one that we use.

For more information about FSC, click here. 

Our co-founder Victor Casale is also a co-founder of Pact Group, a non-profit working to lead the circular economy through packaging reuse and recycling solutions. As a member of Pact, Pure Culture is dedicated to keeping products and services in use for longer to reduce environmental impact and protect precious natural resources.

For more information about Pact and recycling through Pact, click here. 

Our custom serum and skincare set ship in two parts:

1. Your first delivery will be an at-home skin test, which usually takes about 2-4 business days.
2. After you finish your skin profile and at-home skin test, your custom formulas should be delivered to your doorstep within 7-10 business days.
   
   

Hand sanitizer orders typically take 2-4 business days, and skincare re-orders usually arrive within 7-10 business days.

Please note that due to Covid, shipping times may take a bit longer than usual.

Pure Culture Beauty is currently available within the United States and Canada.

Try checking any hidden areas at your delivery location, since your shipping carrier may have left your package where it's not easily visible for security. If you still can't find it, don't fret. Carriers sometimes mark packages as "delivered" before they've dropped off. Please contact your carrier directly if it's been more than two hours since you received the delivery notification.

We're confident we can help you find a solution for skincare that works. Please contact us at support@pureculturebeauty.com within 30 days for a one-time reformulation or refund. 

Our skincare is always a one-time purchase with no subscription needed. We understand that everyone uses their products at different rates, and that subscriptions can be intimidating. You have the option to reorder any time you’re ready.

Nope - only one promo code per order, please.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Paypal, Google Pay and Pure Culture gift cards.

We do not store any payment information.

Absolutely! We customize formulas to each person's skin so it's the perfect unique gift. We offer a gift-ready skin test kit and once your recipient enters their results, we'll automatically ship them their custom formulas.

Each gift kit includes a skin test kit and a unique redemption code. To get started, please redeem your code and create an account here. After that, you'll be able to submit your skin test results and we'll automatically ship the formulas included with your gift kit at no cost!

Our custom skincare gift kits do not expire. We'll be here to get you started when you're ready.

Inside the kit you purchased from the retailer, you'll find a unique activation code which you can redeem here to get started.

After you redeem your code and activate your account, you will be able to start your skin analysis. If you have any questions about how to redeem your code, email us at support@pureculturebeauty.com. 

You'll need to activate your account and complete your skin analysis before we can customize your formulas. Here's how it works:

1. Click here to redeem your unique code and activate your account.
2. Test your skin at home and log your results in your account — no need to mail anything back.
3. Once you complete your skin analysis, we'll customize your skincare and autoship the formulas you purchased as part of your kit.

Nope, shipping is included with your original purchase. Once you complete your skin analysis, we’ll prepare your prepaid formulas and ship them directly to you at no additional cost.

Yes, we are Target Clean and surpass the requirements with our strict standards for clean, sustainable products. Click here to learn more about our ingredients. 

No matter where it's most convenient for you to purchase your starter kit, our skin experts formulate from the same selection of active ingredients and formula technologies to support your skin goals. To learn more about the ingredients we use for each skin goal, click here. 

Every Pure Culture starter kit will include an at-home test, and your choice of prepaid custom formulas — custom serum only, custom cleanser & serum, custom serum & moisturizer, or a 3-step routine with a custom cleanser, serum & moisturizer.

To reorder your custom formulas, you can either:

1. Purchase a new kit from a retailer and activate it here. You'll be prompted to log in and confirm whether you'd like to re-test your skin or receive a refill of the same formulas. 
2. Or, purchase directly from your existing pureculturebeauty.com account by logging in here.