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| One Hand Washes the Other (OHWTO) has something for everyone! |
The latin phrase, "one hand washes the other" essentially means that cooperation benefits both parties. Becca's one-lady shop One Hand Washes the Other (OHWTO) specializes in vegan-friendly bath and body products. Her perfumes, soaps, and other lovely smellies are made in small batches, and there's such a variety that you'll probably be a little overwhelmed by the catalog of stock and private fragrances.
Becca initially began selling bath and body products on Etsy alongside jewelry and other accessories, but they ended up becoming so popular that she branched off in 2009 and made her own site specifically for them. As for the vegan-friendly offerings, OHWTO's site says, "I NEVER test on animals- all my products are 100% cruelty-free, down to the kind of sugar I use in my sugar scrubs, and are only ever tested on willing human subjects :)"
One Hand Washes the Other (OHWTO)
OHWTO offers a little bit of something for everyone. Their mantra is "OHWTO loves you and wants you to smell nice!" They specialize in bath and body products with an emphasis on hand-blended fragrances and vegan ingredients. Their catalog is vast and ever-changing, so it pays to keep up-to-date and check back often!
Packaging and Products
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| OHWTO knows how to ship things in style |
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| A nice touch of branding |
I'm such a sucker for cute, thoughtful packaging. Leak-prone products (such as "Snayk Oyl" sprays and perfume oils) are tightly sealed, and everything is clearly labeled. You'll most likely receive a precious little yellow envelope, complete with a custom wax seal, filled with goofy stickers and your order receipt. Don't be surprised if you receive some free samples tucked inside your order as well!
OHWTO has a "private" and "stock" list of fragrances to choose from. You can purchase a soap, solid scent, perfume oil, or sprayable Snayk Oyl featuring any of these fragrances. Private stock fragrances are hand-blended, whereas stock fragrances are "single note, or designer dupe, or sometimes supplier-exclusives which I thought were nice enough to sell on their own." You can purchase samples vials of private stock fragrances for $2.50 USD, but not regular stock fragrances. Full-sized perfume oils come in 5mL amber glass bottles with a euro dropper.
OHWTO was my first experience with "solid" scents. They're basically like lip balm or chapstick, except instead of on your lips you can swipe it across your pulse points (or wherever else you want). Solid scents come in 0.15 oz oval tubes. These are great if you just want a nice smelling pick-me-up on the go and don't want to deal with the potential mess from an oil spill in your bag!
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| Full sized oil, "Snayk Oyl" spray, solid fragrance and a sample vial |
Selection
Dauntingly large and regularly rotating, it's very, very easy to get lost on OHWTO's list of fragrances and other products (black magic soaps? scrubs? facial moisturizers? If it's a bath and body product, they probably have it). The nice thing about OHWTO is that it doesn't fall into any one categorical niche - there's a fragrance for every preference, whether you prefer light and airy or smoky and masculine. They also produce seasonal collections and limited fragrances depending on the time of year in addition to their regular catalog.
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| OHWTO's handmade soap sample |
Samples
OHWTO's "mini sizes" is a page that showcases certain products you can try small sizes before springing for the full size. Among these samples are their facial moisturizer "National Treasure," a miniature Snayk Oyl spray, their "Black Magic" scrub and cream soap, or a sample vial from their private stock collection. OHWTO is quite generous in their samples, so don't be surprised if a small solid scent or soap pops up in your order when it arrives.
Cost
Perfume Oil
- Sample (Private Stock): $2.50 USD for a 1mL vial
- Full (Private Stock): $10 USD for 5mL euro dropper bottle
- Full (Stock): $8.50 USD for 9-10mL rollerball bottle
Solid Fragrances
- Full (Private Stock): $5.50 USD for 0.15oz oval tube
- Full (Stock): $4.75 USD for 0.15oz oval tube
- Sample: $2.50 for 5mL spray bottle
- $8.00 USD 2oz spray bottle
- $15.00 USD for 4oz spray bottle
Customer Service
I have no direct interactions with OHWTO, but they were quick about answering questions on their Facebook page.
TAT
Disappointingly slow, but I suppose that's what you can expect when things are hand-blended in small batches and it's a small shop. Their current TAT on their website is 10-14 business days. My last order was received in 16 business days, although some products (like Snayk Oyl) can take longer to fill.
Shipping
According to the website, "Shipping rates include the cost of postage and packaging, which includes the cost of mailers, boxes, bubble wrap, and the like." It's pretty difficult to find a basic shipping cost description on their site, but the Terms and Conditions page is worth a read (especially seeing that they do custom orders for parties or weddings).
Personal Thoughts
I've only made two purchases through OHWTO so far, but they've both been positive (albeit slow) experiences. I've been spoiled by the fast TAT from other indie companies, so waiting almost a month for my packages has been such a tease! I also find their website frustratingly cryptic to navigate, as items that are out-of-stock often still display, there are no clear shipping rates, it lacks an "about us" page (but still has a guestbook you can sign), and even combing through the product catalogs can get hairy. It could probably use a complete site-architectural-overhaul, but it's not so broken that you can't shop and get what you want.
Despite these shortcomings, the fragrances offered by OHWTO are unique, fun, and high quality. They last a long time, the packaging is great, and the variety is extremely appealing. Also, despite the long wait time, you know the product you're receiving hasn't been sitting on a shelf growing stale and old. There's a good balance between the "unique" and "expected" fragrances, so whether you're a daredevil or just looking for a cozy, familiar scent, I'd give OHWTO a try!
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