Returns & Refund Policy

Effective date: 01 July 2026 Last updated: 16 July 2026

Your skin's comfort is the whole point of what we make. If a formula doesn't sit right with you — the fit isn't right, or something went wrong along the way — we've built a return process that's simple, fair, and fast to act on. No hoops, no fine-print traps.

Our 30-Day Return Window

You have 30 days from the date your order is delivered to request a return, exchange, or refund on any item purchased directly from thevalensey.com.

For context: EU consumer law guarantees a minimum 14-day right of withdrawal on most online purchases. We give you more than double that — 30 full days — because we'd rather you take the time to actually try a product than rush a decision.

There are two different paths depending on why you're returning something, and they work differently. Read the one that applies to you.

Path 1 — Change of Mind

You ordered something, it arrived fine, but it's just not the one for you.

Condition required: the product must be unopened, unused, and in its original packaging, with any protective seal intact.

This isn't an arbitrary rule — it's a standard hygiene requirement for cosmetics recognised under EU consumer law (Consumer Rights Directive, Article 16(e)), which allows sealed cosmetic and personal-care goods to be excluded from the right of withdrawal once the seal is broken, for health and hygiene protection. Once a moisturiser or serum has been opened, we can't verify it hasn't been altered, contaminated, or compromised — so we can't return it to inventory, and in fairness, we wouldn't want to pass an opened product on to another customer either.

• Return shipping cost: the responsibility of the customer.
• Refund: processed to your original payment method once your returned item passes inspection.

Path 2 — Something's Wrong: Damage, Defects, or a Reaction

This covers a different situation entirely — the product arrived damaged, was faulty, wasn't what you ordered, or your skin reacted badly to it. You do not need to keep the item sealed for this path, and in many cases, you don't need to return the item at all.

Contact us at contact@thevalensey.com immediately with your order number, a short description of what happened, and — where relevant — a photo (of damage, or of the reaction, if you're comfortable sharing one). We move quickly on these.

Our approach, in order of preference:

1. Replacement first. If a product arrived damaged, incorrect, or defective, our first move is to send you a corrected replacement at no cost to you — usually the fastest way to get you back to your routine.
2. Refund, if you'd rather not replace it. If you experienced a skin reaction, decided you don't want a replacement, or the item is out of stock, we'll process a full refund instead.
3. No return shipment required in most cases. For damaged, defective, or reaction-related issues, we typically don't ask you to send the item back — the cost and hassle of shipping a compromised product isn't something we'll pass on to you. If we do need it returned (for quality-control or ingredient-safety investigation), we'll cover that return shipping cost in full.

Statutory conformity rights (the EU's minimum 2-year guarantee on goods that don't match their description, or your local equivalent consumer-protection guarantee) apply regardless of what's written here — this policy adds to your legal rights, it never subtracts from them.

How to Initiate Any Return

1. Email us. Send your order number and the reason for return to contact@thevalensey.com, or use our Contact page.
2. We confirm the path. We'll tell you within 1–2 business days whether it's a Change of Mind return (Path 1) or a resolution case (Path 2), and give you the correct return address — this varies by your region, since orders are fulfilled from different facilities depending on where you're located.
3. You ship it back (Path 1 only). Pack the item securely in its original packaging. We recommend a tracked shipping method, since we can't issue a refund for a return that never arrives.
4. We inspect. Once received, our quality team checks the returned item against the criteria above.
5. You're refunded. Refunds are issued to your original payment method within 5–7 business days of the item passing inspection. Your bank or card provider may take a few additional business days to reflect the refund in your statement — that part is outside our control.

Customs & Duties on Returns

• Within the EU/Schengen Area: no customs declarations or duties apply to returns moving between member states — it's a single internal market, so your return crosses no customs border.
• From outside the EU (including the UK, US, Canada, and other international orders): you are responsible for any customs paperwork and duties associated with shipping a Change of Mind return back to us. We recommend marking the package as "Returned Goods" to help minimise import charges on our end, where your local customs authority permits it.
• Damage, defect, or reaction returns (Path 2): where we've asked you to ship an item back for quality investigation, any customs costs associated with that specific return are covered by us, not you.

What's Not Covered

• Items marked Final Sale at the time of purchase.
• Gift cards.
• Products returned more than 30 days after delivery, outside of statutory legal exceptions.
• Change of Mind returns on opened, used, or unsealed items (Path 2 exceptions above still apply if the issue was ours).

Refused or Undeliverable Packages

If a package is refused at delivery or returned to us as undeliverable due to an incorrect address provided at checkout, we'll contact you to arrange reshipment (at your cost) or a refund minus original shipping costs, once the parcel is back in our possession.

Your Statutory Rights

Nothing in this policy limits, replaces, or reduces any right you're entitled to under mandatory consumer protection law in your country of residence, including the EU Consumer Rights Directive, the EU Sales of Goods Directive, the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, or equivalent U.S. state-level consumer protection statutes. Where this policy is more generous than the legal minimum, the more generous term applies.

Questions?

We'd rather solve it directly than have you guess. Reach us any time at contact@thevalensey.com or via our Contact page.

Valen Sey 133 R. Kalantos g., Kaunas, Lithuania