Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are your products more expensive than some other brands?
A: The short answer is quality ingredients.
When you look at commercial lip balms, for example, they are commonly made up of inexpensive petroleum byproducts and other cheap fillers. Even “natural” products are likely to be mostly inexpensive filler oils like sunflower or other seed oils. That doesn't necessarily make these products bad or unsafe. We just firmly believe that our ingredients are better and worth a couple of extra bucks.
Q: Are your products made in the USA?
A: Yes. All of our products are made in San Diego, California.
Q: Do you do bulk or private label?
A: Sure! We don’t currently have an organized program for either, but we do both on a case-by-case basis. Please email us with your contact info and I’m sure we can come up with something.
Q: You promote natural products, but some of your products include isopropyl alcohol. Isn’t that synthetic?
A: Yes. We certainly prefer to find answers based in nature but have found that isopropyl is the ideal carrier alcohol for both our mask and bug sprays. It is ideal because it kills germs, dissipates quickly, and leaves no residue.
We did test other carriers but found that they left unwanted residues and odors, or had otherwise undesirable outcomes. I can assure you that we do not take the use of synthetics lightly and only do so when they have proven to be the best option.
As a side note: at the time of writing this, those are the only products containing anything synthetic.
All ingredients will always be clearly labeled.
Q: Product A and Product B have a lot of the same ingredients.
A: Yes! You might be surprised how versatile these amazing ingredients truly are. Almost every ingredient we use is a moisturizer, so if you ever find yourself out of 1, try another for a crossover application. It takes a lot of experimentation to fine-tune the ingredients for specific applications. But, in a pinch, feel free to experiment.
Q: Your labels are very busy. Why don’t you use front and back labels like everyone else?
A: Labels are expensive! Depending on the product, some of our labels cost nearly a dollar. That is all cost that has to be passed on to our customers but doesn’t result in any more product. We try our best to keep our non-formula-related costs low so that we can use the best ingredients and still keep our prices reasonable.
Q: What made you start Copa Luxe?
A: We got tired of buying products that are needlessly filled with chemical crap. I did a ton of research and determined that in most cases the only advantage to the hard-to-pronounce, potentially hazardous, and sometimes very strange ingredients is cost. Without big marketing budgets and other large overhead, we are able to offer natural, healthy products at a usually competitive price.
Q: Why are some of the flavors/scents more expensive for the same amount?
A: We do not use fragrance oils or any artificial flavors/scents. We only use real essential oils to flavor/scent our products. Some of these are inexpensive and don’t require a lot. Others, like cherry, are expensive and mild, requiring a bit more cost to achieve the flavor/scent profile we are after.
Q: Can I make similar products at home?
A: Absolutely! But don’t expect to strike gold your first time mining. While we have gotten pretty close early on some recipes, many take a long time and many attempts to fine-tune.
This process is further complicated by variations between vendors and even variations between different lots. Since we use natural ingredients, some variations are to be expected.
If your goal is to save money by making your own, I would caution that it may not be less expensive. However, if you are interested in the processes and creating your own masterpieces, it can be very fun and rewarding.