Buy Oils, Balms and Bars
What the main types of cosmetics actually are, how to patch test a new one, and what to check before you buy.
The Cosmetics category on DoorToShop covers skincare, haircare and body care from local stores — cleansing bars and soaps, face scrubs and masks, face oils, balms and hair oils. Most of it comes in small sizes from small producers, which is a different shopping experience from a supermarket shelf: fewer standard formats, less printed on the label, and a person you can actually ask.
This page is a plain guide to the formats and to the two or three things worth checking before you order. It is not advice about what any product will do for your skin — that depends on you, which is what the patch test below is for.
In the Cosmetics Category Now
A sample of what is listed — prices and availability update live, and each card shows the store selling it. The text under each item is the seller's own description. Open a listing for photographs, ingredients and size.
Turmeric Honey and Shea Soap
$12.00
Rukhsar craft
Handmade Rice Soap
$12.00
Rukhsar craft
Kawakawa Balm
$25.00
Rukhsar craft
2 in 1 Rice Face Scrub and Mask
$20.00
Rukhsar craft
Turmeric Face Oil Brighten & Hydrate
$30.00
Rukhsar craft
Rosemary Hair Oil
$25.00
Rukhsar craft
Product descriptions above are the sellers' own words, reproduced as written. They are not endorsed or verified by DoorToShop, and nothing in them is medical advice — see the note at the end of this page.
The Main Types, and What Each One Is
Format is the practical difference between these: how you apply it, how much you use, and how you store it.
Cleansing bars and soaps
A solid bar used with water: wet it, work up a lather, rinse off. No bottle and nothing to spill, which makes it the easiest format to travel with. Keep it on a draining dish rather than sitting in water, or it will soften and go through much faster.
Scrubs and masks
Applied to damp skin, left on or worked over the surface for a short time, then rinsed off. Both are occasional-use formats rather than daily ones — the listing or the maker will say how often. Sold in jars and pots, so use clean dry hands or a spatula.
Face oils
A liquid applied in drops, usually a few at a time, and left on rather than rinsed. Sold in small bottles — 30ml is common — often with a dropper or pipette, which is why the price per bottle looks different from a cream. A little goes a long way, so check the millilitres before comparing prices.
Balms
Solid or semi-solid at room temperature and softening with body heat. Scooped or rubbed from a tin or jar and applied thinly to a small area rather than spread over a large one. Keep them out of direct sun and away from heat, or they melt and reset grainy.
Hair oils
Applied to hair, scalp or both, in drops or by massaging through. Some are meant to be rinsed out after a while and some are left in, and those are very different routines — check the listing, because the bottles look identical.
Patch Test Anything New
Skin is individual, so the only reliable way to find out whether something suits you is to try a little of it somewhere that does not matter. It takes a day and costs nothing.
Pick a small, hidden spot.
The inside of your forearm or just behind the ear. Somewhere you will not mind if it reacts, and somewhere you will actually notice if it does.
Apply a small amount and leave it.
Use the product the way it is meant to be used — rinse-off products rinsed off, leave-on products left on. Do not cover it up.
Wait 24 hours before deciding.
Reactions are often not immediate. Doing this the night before you plan to use something properly costs you nothing.
Introduce one new product at a time.
If you start three new things in the same week and your skin objects, you have no way of knowing which one to stop. Space them out.
Stop using it if your skin reacts, and see a health professional if it does not settle.
A pharmacist or doctor is the right person for anything beyond mild, brief irritation — not the product listing and not this page.
Worth Checking Before You Buy
- Ask for the full ingredient list if the listing does not show one. It is the only reliable way to avoid something you already know does not suit you.
- Check the size in millilitres or grams. Small bottles are normal in this category, and price per bottle tells you very little on its own.
- Ask how long it keeps once opened, and whether it needs refrigerating. Products made in small batches with few preservatives often have a shorter life than a supermarket equivalent.
- Check whether it is rinsed off or left on. It changes how much you use and how long a bottle lasts.
- Keep oils and balms out of heat and direct sunlight, and close them properly. Both spoil faster than people expect on a sunny windowsill.
- Treat a listing that describes treating a medical condition as marketing copy. Cosmetics are sold for cleansing and appearance; for anything medical, talk to a pharmacist or doctor.
Cosmetics are sold for cleansing and appearance. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and no product listed in this category is a substitute for seeing a pharmacist or doctor.
How to Order
Browse.
Browse the Cosmetics category on DoorToShop. Each listing shows the local store that has it.
Ask what the listing does not tell you.
Ingredients, size and how long it keeps once opened are worth confirming before you order. Contact the store from its page.
Add to cart.
DoorToShop is a multi-merchant marketplace, so you can add items from several local stores to the same order.
Check out.
Pay securely by card or net banking. There is no minimum order value.
Receive your order.
The store dispatches the next business day and courier delivery typically takes 1–3 business days. Track your order on the web or in the DoorToShop app.
Delivery is $5 as a base fee, with free delivery on orders above $69, and there is no minimum order value. Enter your postcode at checkout to confirm delivery coverage for your address, or read how DoorToShop works.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cosmetics
What is in the Cosmetics category on DoorToShop?
Skincare, haircare and body care from local stores — cleansing bars and soaps, face scrubs and masks, face oils, balms and hair oils. Listings change as stores add and sell stock, so the category page is always the current picture.
How do I patch test a new product?
Apply a small amount to a hidden spot such as the inside of your forearm or behind the ear, use it the way the product is meant to be used, and leave it for 24 hours before deciding. Introduce one new product at a time, so that if your skin objects you know which one to stop. Stop using anything your skin reacts to, and see a pharmacist or doctor if it does not settle.
What is the difference between a face oil and a balm?
Texture and how much area they cover. A face oil is liquid, applied in drops and left on, and usually comes in a small bottle with a dropper. A balm is solid or semi-solid at room temperature, softens with body heat, comes in a tin or jar, and is applied thinly to a small area rather than spread over a large one.
Are handmade or natural cosmetics better than mass-produced ones?
"Natural" is not a regulated term in New Zealand, so it tells you nothing reliable on its own — a plant extract is not automatically gentler than a synthetic one, and neither is automatically better for you. Judge a product on its ingredient list, the size, how long it keeps, and how your own skin responds to a patch test.
Do cosmetics treat skin conditions?
Cosmetics are sold for cleansing and appearance, not to treat, prevent or cure anything. Where a product listing describes treating a condition, treat that as the seller's marketing copy. For anything medical, a pharmacist or doctor is the right person to ask.
How long do these products keep?
It varies, and small-batch products with few preservatives often keep for less time than a supermarket equivalent. Ask the store how long the product lasts once opened and whether it needs to be kept cool, and store oils and balms away from heat and direct sunlight.
Can I see the full ingredient list before I buy?
Ask the store if the listing does not show one. It is a normal question and the only reliable way to avoid an ingredient you already know does not suit you.
How fast is delivery?
Orders are dispatched by the store the next business day and typically arrive within 1 to 3 business days by courier. Enter your postcode at checkout to confirm delivery coverage for your address.
How much does delivery cost?
The base delivery fee is $5 NZD, with free delivery on orders above $69 — the exact amount is confirmed at checkout. There is no minimum order value.
Can I return a cosmetic product?
Returns are handled by the store that sold it, and for hygiene reasons stores usually cannot take back an opened cosmetic that is not faulty. That does not affect your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 if a product is faulty, not as described, or not of acceptable quality. Contact DoorToShop support if you need help reaching the store.