Yes, our products are “clean” in ways that have been recently defined – for example, they’re paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free, synthetic-fragrance-and-dye-free and silicone-free.

We’re so glad that you’re checking out this answer, though, because we think this question and answer require context

At Sift, we try to avoid weighty terms without having clear definitions, and we think that the word “clean” can in certain scenarios be a bit unclear. This doesn’t mean that other brands who call themselves “clean” are in the wrong! It just means that we don’t want to use that term without sharing the definition that we’re speaking to.

We aren’t excited about using vague terms, making you feel scared, nor calling other products out in the world “dirty.” We’d rather tell you about the incredible ingredients that are in our products. Afterall, when it comes to the family history behind Sift, our aunties never explained a recipe by saying which ingredients they did not use.

WIth that said, we do know that many folks have very valid and fair reasons for avoiding specific ingredients, so we always share ingredient lists, formula details and more for each of our products. Many organizations and companies are explicit about their standards of “clean” now, and we similarly value being clear about how we formulate. If you have personal restrictions, preferences, or questions, just write in to us at care@withsift.com or @withsift on most social media, and we’re happy to give you more specifics.

We credit Ayurvedic medicine for so many of the teachings behind our products and overall viewpoints on how to care for ourselves. Our family’s recipes and values come from our culture where Ayurveda is deeply rooted.

Though we ourselves are not Ayurvedic doctors, we are grateful to have and to continue to learn from certified Ayurvedic practitioners – as well as cosmetic chemists – as we build our products with intention.

If you are an Ayurvedic practitioner and you’re reading this, hi! We would love to share your information / your favorite resources with our Sift community that’s interested in learning more about Ayurveda, if that’s something you’d like too. Please send us a note at care@withsift.com.

We waited over five years to send our first Sift product out into the universe, holding on tight to our values to create the kind of personal care that we crave.

As we look ahead, we can’t wait for all that awaits: products that you ask for, clinical efficacy testing, packaging innovations, new formulation technology and broader personal care.

We’d love to hear from you along this journey. To share your feedback, stories, questions and more, please reach out to us at @WithSift or care@withsift.com

Yes! Gulabi is vegan (only non-animal and non-animal-derived ingredients) and cruelty-free (neither we nor our manufacturing partners test on animals).

Product safety testing is not only hugely important to Sift, but it is a regulatory requirement in the United States. In other words, product safety is a standard that brands need to meet, and we take the rules seriously.

Gulabi underwent complete stability tests and compatibility tests, and has and continues to undergo microbial testing to make sure that our preservative system holds up over time and with every single batch made. Gulabi has gone through additional clinical safety tests to ensure its safety on your skin. A certified third party conducted a Human Repeat Insult Patch Test (HRIPT) and a dermatologist reviewed the testing as well. Even though we were told that it was not industry practice, we ensured that people of color were included amongst the subjects being tested – after all, this mask was formulated with all of us in mind.

And, before any formulation is finalized, a team of experts deep-dives into individual ingredient safety documentation (including the concentration of that ingredient) within the process as well.

Up next, we hope to perform product efficacy clinical trials beyond the hundreds of trials of the mask during our product development journey.

Beyond testing, Gulabi also underwent certification processes to meet the claims below.

No – we do not use any essential oils in this mask.

Oils that we included, like almond or rosehip oil, are fixed carrier oils, meaning that they are sourced from the fatty part of the seed (nuts, seeds, etc) and thus don’t carry the same sensitive-skin risks that essential oils.

We did not add any synthetic or artificial fragrances to Gulabi. That does not mean that Gulabi is scentless! The ingredients in the mask have their own scents that together create a beautifully rosy, herbal, nostalgic fragrance.

Where does the smell come from? The rosy hint comes from the aromatic rose extract that we use for its skin conditioning properties. The herbal notes we smell come from the rose clay, the camphor and the turmeric extract. Each of these ingredients do powerful work to make the mask most effective, and we love that they also add to the care-filled overall experience of using Gulabi.

Wake up your skin by cleansing your face and patting it dry with a towel.

Apply a generous dollop of Gulabi to your face in a thick, luscious layer, avoiding the eye and lip areas.

Relax for 5 minutes, make a warm beverage, stop and smell the roses, call an auntie, you do you.

Then, using plenty of lukewarm water, gently massage the mask with the pads of your fingers, feeling the petals sweep the skin. Rinse the mask off completely.

Follow up with your favorite moisturizer and sun protection, always.

Even though the ingredients and their concentrations in this mask are nice and gentle, we recommend starting with Gulabi once a week – slow and steady with exfoliation, always. Read more here.

We recommend using enough to paint a thick layer over your skin. The layer should be thick enough where you aren’t seeing your skin show through – too thin of a layer can lead to water evaporation, and we want to keep all that goodness inside.

Many people associate masks with that statue-can’t-move-my-lips-or-I’ll-crack kind of feeling, but the truth is, we never want to make our skin hurt! When a clay mask is fully dried out on the skin, it can lead to water evaporation – we’d prefer that all that hydration stays in.

So even with all the soothing ingredients in Gulabi, we recommend keeping the time short – five minutes ish – since we always believe in treating our skin gently.

If you’re anything like us, when you think of a turmeric mask, you might also think of the haldi-tinged skin, nails, or any clothing that gets in the way. Kind of nostalgic, no?

But nostalgia aside, don’t worry, with the turmeric extract that we have chosen, those kinds of stains aren’t a concern.

Since the mask is that lovely terra cotta, dusty rose hue, you might see it on your towel or linens if you don’t fully wash it off your skin first. Take extra care to rinse your skin thoroughly after use, and pop any clothing with remnants of the mask in the laundry as you normally would.

Our mask was formulated without the use of ingredients that are advised-against in pregnancy and feeding, but it’s still important to check with your doctor before using it just in case.

Fun fact: our founder used this mask through not one but two pregnancies and feeding journeys (she jokes that Gulabi had a longer gestation period than two humans did).

We currently ship across the United States. We can’t wait to bring Sift to more places soon!

US shipping is free for all orders over $75 USD.

You will be emailed a tracking number as soon as your order is shipped out, so keep a lookout in your inbox.

We offer US Standard Shipping which typically takes 5-7 business days from the time you place an order to when you receive it. We’ll do our best to meet that timeline, as we’re eager for you to get your hands on your special delivery.

Please check out our policy here. If you have questions about returns, feel free to email us at care@withsift.com.

We love this question! You’ll see an option to add a gift note when you go through the checkout process.

Email us at care@withsift.com and we will do our best to accommodate your order changes!

Questions, feedback, concerns, a hello – we want to hear from you! The best way to reach us is care@withsift.com. You can also pop over to our DMs @WithSift.

When it comes to sustainability, we’ll come right out and say it: creating more products to put out into the world is not the most sustainable practice.

That’s why at Sift, we’ll never say we’re perfectly sustainable. But! We are doing everything in our power to go about creating in the most sustainable way we can.

Remove the cap from the tube and discard it. (*manifests aluminum cap in the future*)

If you’ve used the tube key to squeeze out every drop, there should hardly be any paste left inside. Some recycling facilities are particular about rinsing aluminum out, though, so if you want to be extra safe, unfold the tube, cut the end of the tube opposite the opening and rinse with water. Please wear gloves if you’re cutting aluminum.

Untuck both ends of the carton and flatten before recycling.

Remove the clear sticker from the box and unfold the cardboard pieces. Or! Save the box to wrap a gift in – we might be biased, but she’s cute.

Chabee, our copper squeeze key, is meant to be reused! Slide it off and keep it for your next tube (Gulabi, toothpaste, you name it).

We get it, recycling isn’t always the simplest process. We only hope to make it easier in the future, so stay tuned for packaging innovations, a recycling program, and more.

We price our products with the goal of growing Sift in a sustainable way. When we say sustainable, we mean that we want to keep making choices that are right for Sifters – we never want to be forced to compromise on the formula, ingredients, packaging, or the Sift experience because of how we priced our products. Our pricing is a reflection of us ensuring that we can continue to bring you our standard of Sift.

The costs behind our Gulabi mask, for example, include some of the obvious costs: the product itself (raw ingredients, fill and assembly, packaging, testing), packaging (tubes, cartons, mailer boxes), shipping and handling (ingredients, testing product, the bulk order, and to the fulfillment center) and payment processing. There are also so many additional costs that we ourselves did not fully appreciate until we dove in: research and development for Gulabi’s formula, design, marketing, trademark, rent, contractors’ pay, insurance and more.

Ultimately, we commit to costs that allow us to bring you experiences that meet the Sift standard.