These are some of the questions we get most often.  Please read through them before calling with questions. 

The term natural is tossed around very loosely and is abused and overused.  Treasured Locks loosely classifies products as "naturally based", "natural" and "all natural".  All of the products we sell are at least naturally based.  That is, they have some amount of natural ingredients in them.  Most of our products are "natural".  However, they may contain ingredients some consider to be not natural (see Sodium Lauryl Sulfate below).  Some are "all natural".  That is they are natural by any definition.

Natural is really  a relative term.  Once you mix two ingredients together, one could argue the product is not "all natural".  Here's what we mean when we say our products are "natural".  All of our products are based on natural ingredients.   Many do contain enhancements such as preservatives (to prolong shelf life), emulsifiers (to keep the products from separating) and other ingredients to make the products more acceptable to today's consumer and today's lifestyle.  100% natural  or all natural products are usually more difficult to make, more difficult to store and may not be as pleasing to the eye or nose as products that contain some man-made ingredients.  We offer 100% natural products and all natural products.  But, our offerings would be very limited if that was all we offered.  Personally, we use both "natural" and "all natural".  The important thing is to know what is in a product and to avoid those things you may be sensitive to.

We believe that God put many wonderful things on this earth to take care of our bodies inside and out.  Generally, speaking the less refined or manipulated a product the better.  However, we also believe God gave man the ability to improve on his environment and some chemical formulations (especially medicines) are extremely beneficial.  We promote products that we believe are healthy for your body.  We do not sell any products we believe would be harmful.  All things being equal, we prefer natural products over highly refined products.  Even when man tries to recreate nature by manufacturing or refining products (as in the case of multivitamins versus fresh fruits or vegetables) he often damages the delicate trace substances in or leaves things out.  

As we said earlier, our products are natural in varying degrees.  Better Braids/Better Locks (Keystone Laboratories) uses many natural ingredients in their products.  However, they contain significant amounts of man-made ingredients.  As a result, they are less expensive and have a long shelf life.  They are very consistent in appearance from batch to batch and are the types of products most people have become accustomed to.  Nubian Heritage products are considered natural.  They are made from mostly natural, traditional, high quality ingredients from African and other places.  However, they are "updated" to suit the needs of the modern customer.  They are of much higher quality than products you'll find at most retail locations because of the types of and amounts of natural ingredients they include.  They will be consistent in appearance from batch-to-batch and are very reasonably priced.  Black Earth products are natural products.  All of their coloring and fragrances are derived from fruit juices and extracts.  Both Black Earth products and Nubian Heritage's products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (see below).  SLS is a controversial ingredient that people with very sensitive skin may want to avoid.Back to top

Don't be put off by a product just because you see things like the following on the ingredient label.  The FDA requires that cosmetic manufacturers use scientific names  for some very common (and very beneficial) ingredients.  Examples are:  Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Sodium Chloride (Salt),  Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D) 

A label that you and I would write as:

Water, Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil,  Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Witch Hazel, Vitamin E, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin C, Neem Oil, Black Willow Bark Extract

Would be written as:

Aqua, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Vitis Vinifera Oil, Persea Americana Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Hamamelis virginiana, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Azadirachta Indica, Salix Nigra Extract

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This is a very controversial area.  Some people are trying to avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and similar surfactants (sudsing agents) because they've been told these are harmful chemicals that can cause a whole host of health problems.  There are a lot of urban legends floating around about what these chemicals can do to you (everything from causing cancer to kidney damage).  Most of these rumors are not based on any scientific fact. First of all, you should know what Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is.  It is a foaming agent used in shampoos, detergents, toothpastes, etc.  It is naturally derived from coconut oil (a natural ingredient).  You will find it and its derivatives on ingredients labels under many different names.   Pure lauryl sulfate is a coarse powder, and a very good detergent. All soaps and detergents can irritate the eyes, and coarse powders can irritate the skin.   Therefore, rubbing pure lauryl sulfate on your skin would not be a good idea. In its pure form, it is an irritant. However, sodium lauryl sulfate has been used for many years in many different products intended for use on the skin (and even in the mouth) and is generally considered safe.  It's used in most of the "natural" products you'll find because it is a very good foaming agent, has no taste is considered safe by most people and is considered "natural" by many.  Many natural product manufacturers use this ingredient because it has been so widely used for such a long period of time and it does a good job.  

Generally, we feel there is nothing wrong with using sodium lauryl sulfate in the amount it's used in the products we sell.  For those with very sensitive skin, you may want to try to avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  However, there is a lot of bad publicity on the substance (and a lot of just plain wrong information floating around).  Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a by-product of sodium lauryl sulfate and is even milder.  However, for those who insist on avoiding SLS altogether, we do have alternatives for you.  Back to top

Our focus is on the African American market. However, our products are not for African Americans only. We are fully committed to providing for the beauty needs of African Americans. For that reason, all of our products are well suited for black skin and hair care. But, our hair and skin care products are not exclusively for us. African Americans tend to have certain types of hair and skin. The products we sell are developed for those types. Consequently, some of our products just won't be effective for people with certain types of hair. For example, if you have naturally limp, oily hair- our shampoos are not going to work for you and you don't want to add any more oil to your hair. However, if you have dry, damaged, permed or colored hair, our shampoos and conditioners could work very well for you- particularly the shea butter shampoos. We have had many caucasian, asian and other clients who have gotten very good results with our skin and hair care products. Shea butter is beneficial for a variety of skin conditions and a variety of skin types.

We are focused on servicing the often overlooked black community and we have been fortunate enough to find several great black owned companies to work with. However, our products work great on people of all colors and we welcome them all as clients.    Back to top

This is an extremely personal decision.  Personally, I don't use only natural products.  All natural products are likely to be more expensive.  They will be more difficult to find.  And, they may not last as long in your cabinet as a chemically enhanced product.  If you have sensitive skin, it may be very wise to try to avoid some of the ingredients on the list below and the best way to do this is to try to find all natural products.  We believe in giving you choices, informing you about the products we sell and letting you make the best decision for you.  Back to top

We're glad you asked.  Shea Butter is a natural moisturizer derived from the nut of a tree (the Karite tree) that grows exclusively in West Africa.  It is highly prized for its benefits to both hair and skin.  It can treat a variety of skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, stretch marks, etc.  I personally have used it to eliminate an allergic reaction to the sun I've had for the past 10 years or so (every summer).  My sister-in-law and another friend (with different sun sensitivities) have experiences the same thing.  Shea Butter is easily absorbed into the hair and skin and can be used on the face also (it's non-greasy).  For more details, see  http://www.treasuredlocks.com/shebutben.html  Back to top

Right here.  http://www.treasuredlocks.com/links.html

There are several "ingredients to avoid" lists out there.  Here are some of the ingredients we found on those lists and why they're there.  Some of our products do contain ingredients on the "avoid" list.  Why?  Frankly, there are very, very few products that do not contain at least some of these ingredients.  It has been estimated that 99% of cosmetic products contain some form of paraben (a preservative).  If you think that's scary, after looking at this list, look at your toothpaste and deodorant ingredients.

So, avoiding these ingredients is extremely difficult.  If you do find completely natural alternatives, they're probably going to be expensive and may have a short shelf life.  Your choices are going to be limited.  While researching this topic, we found a source with some very harsh warnings.  It could almost make you scared to put anything in your mouth or on your body (including just plain old soap).  The site listed some frequently asked questions, which were mainly "What should I use instead?"  They had almost no answers for anything.  This highlights how difficult it is to completely avoid these ingredients.  And, it's debatable whether you should even try.  Our philosophy is do what you can to avoid high concentrations of these ingredients and look for natural alternatives where available.  

We present this list to you as a guide for your reference.  If you find you're having some of these symptoms and they're unexplained or you think they are just "allergies", you may want to check the ingredients in your cosmetics and hair and skin products.  I saw a news report of a woman whose son was having life threatening symptoms for years.  The doctors could not explain what the problem was.  She began to keep a diary and realized his symptoms were worst on Tuesday (the day after the day she cleaned her house).  She threw out all her commercial cleansers and began using natural alternatives.  Soon, her son's condition cleared up.  This is an extreme case and we are in no way suggesting you throw out all your current products.  However, if you are having a problem, you may want to consider what's in what you're putting on your hair and skin.

Whether you choose to strictly adhere to these lists is, of course,  up to you.  Just be aware that not everyone agrees all these ingredients should be avoided at all costs.  Many of the ingredients are OK in moderation.  Some are almost unavoidable in certain circumstances (like alcohol in waterless scalp cleansers).  If you're allergy prone, you may want to pay particular attention to this list.  For your children, you should pay particular attention to this list as many of these chemicals will have a more detrimental effect in children.  Pregnant women should be careful with some of these ingredients.  The reactions listed to these chemicals are the reactions of people who are highly sensitive or are exposed to highly concentrated doses.  If these ingredients are on the products you use, you want them to be near the end of the listing of the ingredients.  So, with those caveats, here is the list:

Urea (Imidazolidinyl) & DMDM Hydantoin
These are preservatives that release formaldehyde.   Formaldehyde can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions and trigger heart palpitations. Exposure to formaldehyde may cause joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. It can also aggravate coughs and colds, and trigger asthma. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.  Formaldehyde releasing ingredients are very common in nearly all store brands of skin, body, and hair care, antiperspirants, and nail polish.

Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben
Researchers from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry of Brunel University in the United Kingdom have conducted a study and found that the parabens – alkyl hydroxy parabens — alpha hydroxy benzoate (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl-paraben) are weakly estrogenic. In other words, these preservatives have a similar effect in the body of estrogen.  They are used as inhibitors of microbial growth to extend the shelf life of products.

Petrolatum and Mineral Oil
Present in most  lip products; which is ironic because the balms they are in are supposed to protect from the sun and prevent chapping. Petrolatum is mineral oil jelly, and mineral oil can cause problems when used on the skin.  Baby oil is 100% mineral oil.  Mineral oil actually coats the skin interfering with its ability to breathe.  It disrupts the skins natural immune barrier and inhibits its ability to breathe and absorb moisture and nutrition.  It's important that the skin be able to release toxins and mineral oil disrupts this.  It can also cause the skin to age prematurely.

PEGs (PolyEthylene Glycol) and Propylene Glycol
PEGs are used to thicken products.  Propylene Glycol is the active ingredient in automobile antifreeze, this is found in all kinds of personal care products.  Propylene Glycol is known for its ability to penetrate the skin.  

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate
These are used in shampoos for their detergent and foam building abilities. They can cause causes eye irritations and allergic reactions. An American College of Toxicology study also reports: "Both Sodium and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with skin, concentrations should not exceed 1%."  There is concern they may cause problems with developing eyes (in young children).  These are also in toothpaste.

Synthetic Colors
Many synthetic colors are used to make a cosmetic "pretty". They will be labeled as FD C or D C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD C Red No. 6 / D C Green No. 6. Synthetic colors may be cancer causing agents.   According to A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, “....many [pigments] cause skin sensitivity and irritation....and absorption [of certain colors] can cause depletion of oxygen in the body, and death”. In Home Safe Home, author Debra Lynn Dadd says that “....colors that can be used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics....are made from coal tar. There is a great deal of controversy about their use, because animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.”  The really irritating thing about synthetic colors is they are completely unnecessary except we expect certain colors in products.  If we'd stop buying these artificially colored products, the manufacturers would be more than happy to not have to use the colorings.

Synthetic  Fragrances
Most deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, skin care, body care, and baby products contain fragrance. Many of the compounds in fragrances are carcinogenic or otherwise toxic. “Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of many (we've seen numbers ranging from 200 to 4,000) separate ingredients. Most, or all, of them are synthetic. Symptoms reported to the FDA have included headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and allergic skin irritation.

DEA, MEA, TEA (diethanolamine, monoethanolamine, and triethanolmine)
These are hormone-disrupting chemicals known to form nitrates and nitrosamines, often in conjunction with other chemicals present in a product, e.g., Cocamide DEA, or Lauramide DEA. They are almost always in products that foam; bubble bath, body wash, shampoo, soap, facial cleanser. A Federal government study says that DEA and DEA-based detergents have been shown to greatly increase the risk of cancer, especially liver and kidney cancer…."Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser. TEA can cause allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin.

Isopropyl Alcohol
As a solvent and denaturant (a poisonous substance that changes another substance's natural qualities), alcohol is found in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotions, after-shave lotions, fragrances, and many other cosmetics and personal care products. A petroleum-derived substance, it is also used in antifreeze and as a solvent in shellac and diluted essential oils. According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, ingestion or inhalation of the vapor may cause headaches, flushing dizziness, mental depressions, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia, and coma.

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How do I get coupons? / How do I save money?

Our store is based on an every day value proposition.  What that means is we do not artificially jack up prices just so we can offer "discounts".   From time-to-time we will offer specials and even issue electronic coupons.  But rather than have "sales" all of the time we strive to provide you with the best prices every day.  The way to stay abreast of sales and coupons is to subscribe to our newletter and/or our blog.

Many of our regular clients have already figured out the best way to save money with us.  Volume discounts are available on many of our products starting at as few as (3) of an item.  Also, by making orders over $60.00, you get free ground shipping (subject to change).  That is up to a $7.95 value- just in shipping.  By buying wisely, you can save significant percentages. Let's look at an example (prices and free shipping level are subject to change.  But, this is a good example):

East African Shea Butter- Reference Price- $40.00 for a 2 ounce jar.  Our price- $18.00 for a 2 ounce jar.  Your cost delivered for one jar- $23.95 (including $5.95 shipping).  Volume pricing is $12.00/jar

If you were to buy (5) jars, you would pay no shipping your cost per jar is down to $12.00 from $23.95.  This is a savings of over 50% from our list price (including shipping).

Why don't you have a paper catalog?

We have made the decision to be an Internet store rather than a catalog or mail order company for several reasons.  As a dynamic, growing company, catalogs present a limitation as to  how often we can change our product offerings.  We add products on weekly or monthly basis.  Any catalog we printed would most likely be obsolete by the time we received got it to you.  Also, catalogs are very expensive to produce. By keeping our costs low, we can pass this savings along to you.  The Internet is the least expensive and most up-to-date catalog possible.

How can I pay?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards.  You can also pay with a money order.  We do not accept personal checks.  We can provide the best level of service to you if you use a credit card or debit card.  This also protects you the consumer in the case of any disputes with a vendor.  We encourage you, if at all possible, please place  your order on the Internet.  This assures the right information is entered and gives you automatic confirmation of your order and e-mail updates of the status.  If you feel more comfortable calling your order in, please feel free to do so. If you get our voicemail, please leave a number where we can reach you.  Please do not leave credit card numbers on anyone's (including ours) voicemail.   Back to top

Can I phone in an order?

Sure you can.  Please call 1.888.675.7161.  Outside of the U.S. or in Cincinnati (513)-759-2206.  For accuracy and speed, it is better that you enter your order on the Internet though.  We have a limited number of people to answer telephones. And, to assure addresses and spelling are correct, it is best for you to enter your own order so that you can proof it for accuracy.  You know your personal information better than we do.  Our hours are 8am to 5pm Eastern time.  For your security, please do not leave credit card numbers on any voicemail.  If we do not answer, please leave your name and number and we will call you back as soon as possible.    Back to top

How long will it take before my order is shipped?

Our stated policy is to ship within 2-3 business days of receipt of an order.  This does not include weekends or holidays. We attempt to keep all items in stock.  Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are out of stock on an item. If something is not in stock and there will be a significant delay, we will notify you.   Back to top

How long before I receive my order?

This depends on the type of delivery service you choose.  Please see the Shipping Options for information on how long it should take to receive an order.  Please do not forget to include the 2-3 days for the order to be processed.  Generally speaking, ground orders to address within the Continental United States should arrive in 10 calendar days or less.  If you have not received your order within a week of placing it and have not heard from us, please contact us.   We immediately acknowledge all orders by email.  If you do not get this email, it means either you did not enter your email address correctly, your email system blocked our message as possible spam or your email mailbox was full.  You should receive another email from us within a couple of days with either your shipping information or an expected ship date.


How long do I have to cancel an order?

You have until we ship to cancel your order. In many cases, that is not long. We often ship within hours of receiving your order.  Once we have shipped, the order will be subject to a 15% re-stocking fee. If you refuse shipment on an order, you will be responsible for the shipping charges you, the shipping charges back to us plus the restocking fee.  Back to top

What's your return policy?

Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction.  We screen products for quality before we offer them for sale.  If you receive a product that is not working for you, we ask that you attempt to use the product properly.  It might take some time to learn the right amount of product to use or frequency to get the absolute best results for you.  However, it's impossible for every product to work for every person.  If a product just isn't working for you, please call or e-mail us and let us know the specific problem.  Perhaps we can help.  But, our policy is to not accept returns of opened and/or used items.  We reserve the right to refuse issuing a credit for returns of any product that is not defective or any item returned without authorization.  We reserve the right to charge a 15% restocking fee for items that are returned. Generally, we will accept the return of unopened items within 30 days of purchase.  Please call to receive a return authorization before returning any product. Back to top

The procedure is:

Things you should be aware of:

Why don’t you offer a money back guarantee?
Have you ever noticed that the more outrageous the claims a product makes the more likely it is to offer a “money back” guarantee? Many companies offer this “guarantee” because they know it will entice otherwise skeptical people to try their product. They count on the increased sales to cover the claims for the money they inevitably will have to refund.  Not many products work for every person in the world.  This is especially true when it comes to personal care products.  Others' strategy is to offer a claim of money back and then make it simply too difficult to get your money back in hopes you'll give up and go away.  We prefer the straight forward approach.  We offer you enough information to make a completely informed decision.  We cannot guarantee that our product will work for everyone.  So we don't. We feel that offering a money back guarantee would imply the product will work for everyone, under every circumstance. We do not want to entice people with outrageous claims. We are confident that our products, along with proper maintenance of your hair and the absence of a medical condition, will work in conjunction with your body to produce the fastest growing and best hair possible for you. But, because everyone has a different genetic makeup and you must take proper care of your hair and body, in addition to using our products, we cannot predict exactly what your results will be. No product can honestly claim to grow hair on anyone. Even the powerful drugs, Minoxidil and Propecia do not work for everyone. While we could certainly sell more product by making a money back claim, we don’t think it’s honest to do so.


Can I eat your products?

Absolutely not. While many of our products do smell good enough to eat. Please remember that they are for external use only.  Any product can be dangerous if not used as directed. Some of our products are toxic, if eaten.  If you have any questions about the use of our products, please contact us or the manufacturer.  We are not responsible for damages caused by the misuse of any of the products we sell.   Back to top

International Orders

Please see our International Shipping Policy
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Sales Tax

Sales tax will be added to all orders with a ship to address within the State of Ohio. This will be calculated as you check out. Back to top

Why was I charged twice?

First, we need to say we have never charged a customer twice for an order.   However, we occasionally get this question from debit card customers and particularly  from International customers using debit cards.  Our system is designed so that we cannot charge twice for the same order.  However, there is something that happens that might make it appear that way, for a few days.

When you place your order, we authorize your card for the amount of the order plus shipping (if any). No money is taken from your account at that time.  But, your bank or credit card company sets money aside.  This is called an authorization.  But, we have not charged you for anything at that time.  In the case of a debit card, this appears like they are taking money out of your account. But, the money does not come to us!  This happens when you use a debit card at many gas stations, hotels or anywhere else where an authorization is issued in anticipation of a charge being done later.  This is standard practice for Internet orders.  You should not be charged at the time the order is placed. 

If any changes are made to your order that change the anticipated total, the initial authorization is not used.  This could occur if you add or subtract items or the shipping method changes (due to your error or request).  Your bank  (or credit card company) will issue a second authorization for the new total.  That amount is then taken from your account.  After a few days, the banks will release the initial authorization and the funds ends up back in your account.  Treasured Locks has no control over this process and does not ever see these funds.

Can I mail in an order?

We do have a mail order form for those of you who are uncomfortable entering your personal information on the Internet.  We discourage mail orders though because the process is slow and unreliable.  If we never receive your order, we have no way of knowing you placed one.  The mail service takes a while to get the order to us.  And, we prioritize Internet orders above mail in orders.  If you'd like to mail an order though, we will be happy to accept it.  The mail order form is available via a link at the bottom of every page of the website.  Please fill it in completely and be sure to include the proper payment.  We do not accept personal checks.  Money orders or Credit Cards only, please.

Are your products available in stores?  Are your products available in my area?

We are thrilled that the word is spreading about Treasured Locks and are happy that so many of you want to buy our products.  But, generally speaking, they are not available in your neighborhood stores (thus the reason for our website).   Some of the products we represent are available through other retailers and might be available in a store near you.  But, we have no way of knowing which stores would carry them in your area.  Our own brands (Treasured Locks, Ajuvèn and HumiNature) are, for the time being, only available through our websites.  As we grow, we'd love to broaden our distribution to include a store near you.  But, for now, please order over the Internet.  We provide very reasonable, or free, shipping and excellent turn-around times. If you'd like to see our products in your local salon, have them contact us about becoming a retailer for Treasured Locks.

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