(Updates in bold are from June 2012 update those in red are from September 2012 update)
I've been following a new company, The Honest Company, for a while now. It's basically an all natural-eco-friendly company started by Jessica Alba and Chris Gavigan. Their products boast to be the best and after reading about them, we decided to give it a try.
We signed up for Honest Company's subscription on their opening day and have been using their products for almost
I was a little disappointed to find that you can't just buy individual products, but since there were several I liked, it wasn't bad. So... you decide you want to try the products and you go sign up for a $4.95 trial. The trial includes travel/sample sizes of shampoo, lotion, hand soap, laundry detergent, and healing balm. You can also sign up for a trial of diapers and they send you 7 - more or less enough for one day. The company is in California and I'm in VA - I got my package in two days once shipped (so three or four total, very fast considering I ordered the first day they opened).
Honest has added ordering for individual products - yay! Shipping is a little high, but overall not bad.
Honest now allows those who have a subscription bundle to add products (up to 3 per month) to their bundle for the individual price. We are adding a product next month. Excited for this!
When you order the trial, you provide your credit card. If you don't cancel within 7 days of receiving the trial, you'll be charged $36.95 each month for the Family Essentials Bundle (the five items, but you get to pick other items once your first bundle is delivered), and $70 for the diaper bundle (you get four packs of diapers, definitely enough for a month if you use disposables).
I actually caught a great Zulily deal for $52 for both bundles so we did that and ordered before our trial was over. Before I get started with my thoughts on each item, I want to just share that I've called customer service several times about different things and they are fantastic. Seriously the best customer services I have, hands down, ever experienced. I don't know how they did it, but each one of their girls is amazing. I think I've talked to four different people now. My favorite was a girl who said, 'Oh I see you're in VA, I went to JMU...' We started talking and I casually asked if they got to hang out with Jessica Alba and she said yes and talked about how down to earth and nice she is. So cool, right?!
We received several months bundles and then I realized we were pretty stocked and decided to call Honest and have them push back our next delivery date. The day I called, our bundle was already processing to ship - I decided to call anyway and they were able to stop it. Amazing customer service!! They are so, so nice and the program is actually a lot more flexible than they advertise. Once you're a customer, you really do get the feeling that you're part of their family. I've always felt very valued when I call and considering $40/month isn't a lot, it's really nice to feel that way from a company that is growing so quickly. I love how flexible and down to earth they are.
Now, you can control when your bundles ship. It used to be that you had only seven days earlier or after about the 30th day in your cycle. It's been updated so you can adjust it however you like. We have been getting deliveries about every other month. It's just what works with our family's consumption. I love that I don't have to call each time.
So as I mentioned, the first month you get the automatic bundle that includes each full size of the trial items. I called though to see if they'd shipped our first bundle out because I wanted to see if they'd swap the laundry detergent for the multi-purpose cleaner. She said they couldn't do that b/c the bundle had shipped but offered to send me two free products. So, I got the cleaner and another hand soap (it's amazing). Free. And it came three days later. I called again just this week to cancel the diaper bundle because we still have every single pack and the person accidentally canceled both bundles. She set it back up (but I can't edit it now until after it ships, bummer) and offered to send me two more trial kits (I asked :)) since she goofed. So sweet.
Ok... now my thoughts:
-Shampoo: (It's also body wash but I prefer Dove soap.) I didn't care for the smell initially because it reminded me of the polish that my dentist uses (orange creme), but then I used it a couple times and ohmygosh, my hair was SO soft. Seriously, so so soft. After I used it for a few days, I got over the smell and now love it. The shampoo is my favorite. My only complaint is that you only get something like 6.5 oz while most comparable shampoos are closer to 10 or 12 oz.
-Lotion: Another love. It says it's fragrance free, but it's not really. It may not have any additives to make it smell, but it does have a very light scent (think rose oil) that is so fresh and amazing. I keep this on top of the shower so I can use it while still damp. I wish the lotion was in a tube rather than a bottle.
-Healing Balm: I have used it on Oliver's bottom once and on very dry skin once. I really haven't used it enough to say much. I'm sure it's better than petroleum. We've used the healing balm for various things and I love it. Dry skin, diaper area, chapped lips - you name it. I love that it's petroleum free.
-Laundry Detergent: I really want to like this. It's super concentrated (70 loads in each bottle) and I used half of it along with half Tide and had to rinse the load twice because of all the suds. Oops. I just need my clothes to smell fresh, but this detergent does clean well. If it had a smell, I would totally switch. Because it's such a good deal in the bundle, I still order this from time to time. I like it for random loads that aren't necessarily clothing or towels. Every now and then I'll use it on towels if I know I plan to use a fabric softener b/c then the softener smells so I still have the 'freshness.'
-Hand Soap: Love this too. It's lemon scented and delicious. We have two bottles and keep one in the kitchen and one in our bathroom.
-Multi-Purpose Cleaner: This is good too. My favorite thing about it is its light grapefruit scent (shocking since I don't like grapefruit as a food) and that it cleans my flat top stove with no streaks whatsoever. It's a winner.
-Sunscreen: We like Honest sunscreen a lot. It is very, very thick. Beware! Chandler forgot once and looked like a ghost. :) It's not as strong as I'd prefer and I feel like I have to stay on top of re-application, but so far none of us have been burned while using it. Definitely be careful when using near clothing - we have one spot on a dark shirt, but it's light and not too noticeable. The only other sunscreen we use is Badger brand because it's SPF 30.
-Automatic Dishwasher Liquid Soap: Don't like at all. The several times we've used it our dishes have not come out clean :( Not sure if it's just our washer type (Kenmore) or the soap. We are back to big box brand for the dishwasher.
-Dish Soap: The best comparison for Honest's dish soap is 7th Generation. I don't really have a lot to say about it... it's good. It doesn't have a scent. I think I've made it clear that I'd prefer a scent, but only because it make washing things by hand a little more fun. We use this and like it as much as you can like dish soap!
-Bug Spray: Really, really liked this! It was a new product launched late summer. It's a lot like California Baby. We used it on all of us and never had a problem with bugs. I'm hopeful that it will keep until next Spring.
-Hair Conditioning Mist: Think spray detangler for your hair. I use it on my one-year old's hair in the morning and after naps. It works the same way Johnson and Johnson's detangler works but smells like Honest's shampoo. Yum!
-Diapers/Wipes: We have used only a handful but as far as disposable diapers are concerned, I love them. They are more absorbent than Earth's Best and 7the Generation. I think they are most comparable to an overnight diaper, but without the extra padding. I love the prints they come in - so cute. We ordered the skull and cross bone print and the anchor print. The wipes come with the bundle. I'll be honest, they're just okay. They are similar to other 'natural' wipes in that they are thin. I prefer Huggies wipes or cloth wipes. They're just thicker. We keep these in each bathroom and in the car for miscellaneous use.
We got the diaper bundle in January and because we mainly use cloth, it lasted us 6 months. I will order again, but am waiting until Oliver is in a solid size 4 because he definitely won't be a size 3 for another 6 months and a 4 is still a little too big right now.
I would LOVE if you could add a pack of diapers to the family bundle.
I'm not a huge fan of the wipes, they're a little too thin for my liking - but I do like the concept and I keep a pack on the back of each toilet for adult use. I also keep a pack in the car for wiping dirty hands and faces.
Overall, I'm really impressed with The Honest Company. If I could make changes I would make the shampoo and lotion in a tube rather than a bottle and I'd prefer to have different bundle options. For example, the only options now are monthly and you get a set number of products (5). It would be nice to have options for that, 3-product bundle, 5-product bundle - and then have an option to add a product to that if you only needed one more.
Right now the only option is to subscribe for two bundles, which is silly. They are awesome in that you can order one month and then cancel. Then wait a month and subscribe again... that's annoying though. They need to set up different options for people and I think they will. I've been keeping up with them on Facebook and they've had a lot of great feedback like this from other people. A great example are the number of people who, like us, cloth diaper and only use a handful of disposables at a time. Having a quarterly diaper bundle would be great for that situation.
See above for my comments on their monthly service, but you don't have to cancel and re-start, just log into your account and adjust the date of your next deliver.you can simply call them and they'll just not send a bundle during the month(s) you don't need it. They rock like that :)
We will keep the Family Essentials bundle subscription indefinitely. Even Chandler likes it. :)
Aftersix nine months of using products from the Honest Company - we are still very pleased and like the product and the company very much. I would encourage you to try it if you prefer a more natural product. We check EWG.org for just about everything and Honest has consistently rated very well. We're impressed!
Honest recently started a referral program. For every friend you refer you get $10 credit. Here's my referral link http://honest.com/19383 if you feel led to join right now :) xo
-Lotion: Another love. It says it's fragrance free, but it's not really. It may not have any additives to make it smell, but it does have a very light scent (think rose oil) that is so fresh and amazing. I keep this on top of the shower so I can use it while still damp. I wish the lotion was in a tube rather than a bottle.
-Healing Balm: I have used it on Oliver's bottom once and on very dry skin once. I really haven't used it enough to say much. I'm sure it's better than petroleum. We've used the healing balm for various things and I love it. Dry skin, diaper area, chapped lips - you name it. I love that it's petroleum free.
-Laundry Detergent: I really want to like this. It's super concentrated (70 loads in each bottle) and I used half of it along with half Tide and had to rinse the load twice because of all the suds. Oops. I just need my clothes to smell fresh, but this detergent does clean well. If it had a smell, I would totally switch. Because it's such a good deal in the bundle, I still order this from time to time. I like it for random loads that aren't necessarily clothing or towels. Every now and then I'll use it on towels if I know I plan to use a fabric softener b/c then the softener smells so I still have the 'freshness.'
-Hand Soap: Love this too. It's lemon scented and delicious. We have two bottles and keep one in the kitchen and one in our bathroom.
-Multi-Purpose Cleaner: This is good too. My favorite thing about it is its light grapefruit scent (shocking since I don't like grapefruit as a food) and that it cleans my flat top stove with no streaks whatsoever. It's a winner.
-Sunscreen: We like Honest sunscreen a lot. It is very, very thick. Beware! Chandler forgot once and looked like a ghost. :) It's not as strong as I'd prefer and I feel like I have to stay on top of re-application, but so far none of us have been burned while using it. Definitely be careful when using near clothing - we have one spot on a dark shirt, but it's light and not too noticeable. The only other sunscreen we use is Badger brand because it's SPF 30.
-Automatic Dishwasher Liquid Soap: Don't like at all. The several times we've used it our dishes have not come out clean :( Not sure if it's just our washer type (Kenmore) or the soap. We are back to big box brand for the dishwasher.
-Dish Soap: The best comparison for Honest's dish soap is 7th Generation. I don't really have a lot to say about it... it's good. It doesn't have a scent. I think I've made it clear that I'd prefer a scent, but only because it make washing things by hand a little more fun. We use this and like it as much as you can like dish soap!
-Bug Spray: Really, really liked this! It was a new product launched late summer. It's a lot like California Baby. We used it on all of us and never had a problem with bugs. I'm hopeful that it will keep until next Spring.
-Hair Conditioning Mist: Think spray detangler for your hair. I use it on my one-year old's hair in the morning and after naps. It works the same way Johnson and Johnson's detangler works but smells like Honest's shampoo. Yum!
-Diapers/Wipes: We have used only a handful but as far as disposable diapers are concerned, I love them. They are more absorbent than Earth's Best and 7the Generation. I think they are most comparable to an overnight diaper, but without the extra padding. I love the prints they come in - so cute. We ordered the skull and cross bone print and the anchor print. The wipes come with the bundle. I'll be honest, they're just okay. They are similar to other 'natural' wipes in that they are thin. I prefer Huggies wipes or cloth wipes. They're just thicker. We keep these in each bathroom and in the car for miscellaneous use.
We got the diaper bundle in January and because we mainly use cloth, it lasted us 6 months. I will order again, but am waiting until Oliver is in a solid size 4 because he definitely won't be a size 3 for another 6 months and a 4 is still a little too big right now.
I would LOVE if you could add a pack of diapers to the family bundle.
I'm not a huge fan of the wipes, they're a little too thin for my liking - but I do like the concept and I keep a pack on the back of each toilet for adult use. I also keep a pack in the car for wiping dirty hands and faces.
Overall, I'm really impressed with The Honest Company. If I could make changes I would make the shampoo and lotion in a tube rather than a bottle and I'd prefer to have different bundle options. For example, the only options now are monthly and you get a set number of products (5). It would be nice to have options for that, 3-product bundle, 5-product bundle - and then have an option to add a product to that if you only needed one more.
Right now the only option is to subscribe for two bundles, which is silly. They are awesome in that you can order one month and then cancel. Then wait a month and subscribe again... that's annoying though. They need to set up different options for people and I think they will. I've been keeping up with them on Facebook and they've had a lot of great feedback like this from other people. A great example are the number of people who, like us, cloth diaper and only use a handful of disposables at a time. Having a quarterly diaper bundle would be great for that situation.
See above for my comments on their monthly service, but you don't have to cancel and re-start, just log into your account and adjust the date of your next deliver.
We will keep the Family Essentials bundle subscription indefinitely. Even Chandler likes it. :)
After
Honest recently started a referral program. For every friend you refer you get $10 credit. Here's my referral link http://honest.com/19383 if you feel led to join right now :) xo
(Disclaimer: I did not receive any of these items free. I simply thought it would be helpful to write a review since the company is new and people were probably curious about the products.)
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