We started our sample initiative in 2021 after learning that the beauty, cosmetics and personal care industries produce an estimated 122 billion plastic sample sachets globally every year.

It gives our sellers a way to pass on samples they’ve accumulated and won’t use, while our customers get to choose something new to try with their order.

This month, we ran out of samples for the first time since launching the initiative.

For a little context, earlier this year we moved our sample selection directly into the online cart. This was something I’d wanted to do for a long time because it made the samples easier to find. Since making that change, a lot more customers have been discovering and selecting them (yay!).

We want to keep samples available to as many people as possible, rather than having the entire selection disappear as soon as it is uploaded. So, we’ve adjusted our offer to:

One sample with orders of $25 or more, or two samples with orders of $50 or more.

Each sample goes through our usual assessment process to make sure it is unopened and not expired. It is then individually listed so you can choose one you’ll genuinely want to try. Giving you that choice has always been one of my biggest priorities because we’d much rather see perfectly good samples tried and enjoyed than left sitting in bathroom drawers or thrown away.

The sample initiative isn’t going anywhere. This small change will help us keep it going while giving more customers the opportunity to enjoy a sample with their order.

Thank you for understanding and for helping us keep more circular beauty in motion.

Anastasia x
Founder of Second Skin