A patch test is a way for you to test your skin and body care products for potential sensitivities and allergic reactions. If you think you might have a reaction to an ingredient in a product, you can follow these simple steps at home to find out:

1. Schedule your patch test a day or two ahead of any events.

2. Choose an area on your skin that will be out of the way of clothing and makeup for around 24 hours. If you’re testing a body product, choose an area on your body (we like the inside of the forearm), and if it’s a face product, choose an area on the face (we like under the jawline or behind the earlobe on the neck).

3. Start with clean hands and gently cleanse the area of skin you’re going to test the product on with warm water and soap to make sure no other ingredients contaminate the test.

4. Apply a small amount of the product to the clean, dry area and cover it with a bandaid.

5. Wait 24 hours before removing the bandaid. If you feel any itching, burning, or any irritation at all, immediately remove the bandaid and gently but thoroughly cleanse the area with warm water and cleanser.

6. You should be able to tell if you’ve had a reaction to an ingredient. The skin will be pink but will fade within an hour or two if you’re sensitive to an ingredient. If the redness takes several hours to fade you may have a mild allergy. If your skin is red, raised, or bumpy you may have a severe allergy, in which case it would not be a bad idea to talk to your doctor or see a dermatologist if this does not fade within a day or two.

At Wild Hazel, you’ll hear us talk about “jojo” like it’s an old friend — because it is. “Jojo” is our nickname for jojoba oil, a golden liquid extracted from the seeds of the jojoba shrub (native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico).

Here’s the fun part: the name Wild Hazel is actually another way of saying jojoba. The plant’s scientific name — Simmondsia chinensis — has sometimes been nicknamed “wild hazel” in older texts, and we loved the way it felt earthy, a little mysterious, and tied to our star ingredient.

Why are we so obsessed? Among its many perks, jojoba oil is remarkably similar to our skin’s own natural sebum. That means it absorbs beautifully, balances oil production, and leaves skin soft without feeling greasy. It’s one of the most versatile, skin-loving oils on the planet — and it plays a starring role in many of our products.

Want to know all the ways jojoba can work its magic? We have a mini-dive post here, and a deep-dive post for you right here.

All of our products at Wild Hazel are made from cruelty-free and vegan ingredients.

They are never tested on animals and we only buy and use ingredients that are cruelty-free from their origin.

At Wild Hazel, we actively work to find the cleanest ingredients and will buy organic, ECOCERT certified, wild crafted, and fair trade whenever possible.

Our products are plant and nature-derived, and are created to be as gentle and nourishing to the skin as possible, containing no fillers or unsafe chemicals or ingredients. The foundation of the majority of our products are hypoallergenic, such as jojoba oil and squalane, and many others are considered near hypoallergenic. If you suspect you have a sensitivity to a specific ingredient, please conduct a patch test first, on a small area of your skin to test for a reaction.

Non-toxic ingredients are largely plant-derived and don't contain pesticides and harsh chemicals that can strip, burn, dry out your skin, cause skin disorders, or cause accelerated aging. We take non-toxic and clean ingredients seriously at Wild Hazel and make sure our products are 100% safe for our customers.

We are a fluid, continually improving small business and ingredients may change at any time. For current ingredients, check product packaging.

Wild Hazel products do on rare occasion contain sythesized ingredients which are non-toxic, clean, and 100% safe. Our products are, however, free of synthetic preservatives, fillers, and fragrances.

Wild Hazel products are produced in Seattle, WA. We do our best to source all our ingredients, materials, and packaging supplies locally. And when it's not an option, we're always keeping our eyes open for opportunities to source closer to home.

Some Wild Hazel products contain essential oils and naturally derived acids that may not be safe for use during pregnancy and breast feeding. Read the precautions section of each product before purchasing.

Pregnant women should always speak with their physician or homeopathic expert about the products they use.

EcoCert is an organic certfication and inspection body established in France in 1991. With activity in over 80 countries it has become one of the largest organic certification organizations in the world and one of the best known labels in the field of standardization regarding natural cosmetics. The 'Natural and organic cosmetic label' has a minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.