SUBSCRIPTIONS
Of course! This is easily done via our subscription manager:
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
Select “Delivery Schedule” in the menu on the left
You should now be able to see all your future scheduled shipments
Hit the “Skip” button to skip a shipment
If you change your mind, you can now hit “Unskip” to revert to the original shipment date.
Your changes will be saved automatically, without having to hit a confirmation button
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
Select “Delivery Schedule” in the menu on the left
You should now be able to see all your future scheduled shipments
Hit the “Skip” button to skip a shipment
Hit the “Edit” button to edit your subscription
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
Click on the “Apply Discount Code” below the your active subscriptions
Fill in your discount code in the drop down box and hit “Save” to confirm
The discount code will now be applied to the next automatic subscription shipment.
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
Click the “+Add Product” link below your active subscriptions
Search for or select the product you would like to add to your subscriptions
Select the quantity, delivery schedule, address and next charge date for the product
Hit the “Add Product” button to confirm your selection.
You can select “Subscriptions” in the menu on the left to return to your subscription manager.
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
In the menu on the left, select “Billing Information”
You will see the current card on file - to edit, select “Update card”
You will be directed to a page hosted by ReCharge, our subscription management app, where you can update your payment information
Hit “Update Card” to save your new payment information
You can select “Billing Information” in the menu on the left to return to the billing information page
To edit your billing address, select “Edit” under your current billing address and email
Once you update your information, make sure to hit “Save” at the bottom of the form to confirm your changes.
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
You will be able to view all of your active subscriptions. In the “Actions” column, select “Cancel” for the subscription you would like to cancel
Select a reason from the drop down menu that appears, or add any additional comments you would like us to know
Hit the “Cancel Subscription” button to confirm cancellation
Log into your account
Under the Subscriptions section, select “Manage Subscriptions”
You will be able to view all of your active subscriptions. In the “Actions” column, select “Edit” for the subscription you would like to edit.
Select “Change next charge date” to choose the exact date for the next ship date
A drop down menu will appear - you can either type in the date exactly, or use the two arrows at the right of the box to move dates up or down one date, or bring up a selectable calendar
Hit the “Save” button once you have made your selection
To change delivery frequency, select “Change delivery schedule”
Two drop down menus will appear: a number, and a unit of time (days, weeks and months)
Use the drop down buttons to make your selections, then hit the “Save” button
To see your updated Delivery Schedule, select “Delivery Schedule” in the menu on the left
If you have any questions or would like help with this process, please contact our support team at support@kitavamd.com.
RETURNS & EXCHANGES
We're disappointed to learn our product did not meet your needs, but certainly understand that everyone's skin is unique and our products may not be the best fit for you. We are 100% committed to your happiness and offer a flexible return policy with full refund. To start a return, please reach out to one of our support team members at support@kitavamd.com and they can help you through the return process.
We are so sorry to hear that your product arrived damaged and apologize for any inconvenience. Please reach out to our support team at support@kitavamd.com and a team member will happily work with you to arrange for a new shipment of replacement products.
For returns, please contact the support team member faciliating the return process for you. They will be able to provide you with all of the necessary information for your return as soon as possible. If you haven't initiated a return yet with one of our support team members, please contact us at support@kitavamd.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
KitavaMD will issue a refund within 14 business days of receiving and processing your returned order in our warehouse.
If you need to make a change or cancel an existing order, please contact support@kitavamd.com for assistance.
ACCOUNT INFORMATION & PAYMENTS
Log in to your account and select "Update payment method" to change billing information. All future charges will use the updated payment information.
Log in to your account and select "Change Shipping Address" to enter an updated address. All future shipments will use the updated address.
Once you've logged in to your account, you can view your account information by clicking on the account icon on the top menu bar of each page, or heading here: https://kitavamd.com/account
To create an account, please visit: https://kitavamd.com/account/register
OTC medicines, including our Acne Cleansing Gel, require a prescription to be FSA or HSA eligible. If you have your doctor or dermatologist prescribe you our Acne Skincare Kit, then you may be able to request reimbursement from your plan administrator. Contact your plan administrator or employer for more information on how to provide the appropriate documentation for reimbursement.
It depends on the type of promotion code. The easiest way to figure out if the code can be combined is to just try and add it during checkout. If you have questions about a specific promotion, don't hesitate to send us a note.
We accept all major credit cards and debit cards. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept prepaid gift cards, checks, or money orders.
Afterpay will appear as a payment option for all orders and if it does not contain subscription items for auto-delivery.
To use Afterpay, select the ‘installments by Afterpay’ option at the payments page of the checkout flow. At checkout, you will be billed 1/4th of your order’s total, and will be billed every two weeks, interest-free, until all four payments have been processed.
Have questions? Get in touch with us at support@kitavamd.com
Yes, kitavaMD has partnered with ID.me to provide a 20% discount at checkout to all verified U.S. nurses, first responders, hospital employees, teachers, military, government workers and students.
In your shopping cart on kitavamd.com, click the green ‘Verify with ID.me’ button— located under the ‘Check Out’ button. You'll be redirected to a new page where you select a category (nurse, student, teacher, etc). You'll be prompted to enter information to verify your identity. From there you'll receive a confirmation email (a one-time step to ensure the email is valid & acts as an additional layer of security). Once your information has been verified by ID.me, you'll receive a verification email.
Click here for more information eligibility and application.
SHIPPING & DELIVERY
We completely understand our customers’ concern when they don’t receive an email confirmation for their order. If you have already checked your spam folder with no luck please, feel free to reach out to our customer service team, support@kitavamd.com and we can confirm your order for you. We can also verify email address accuracy in order to insure future emails are received.
Unfortunately, we do not ship outside of the United States Territory, which includes Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and the Minor Outlying Islands. We hope to be able to sell internationally soon.
If you have received a tracking notification stating that your shipment has been delivered and you have not received it, please contact us at support@kitavamd.com and we can help work with the shipping provider to determine the issue. You can also reach out to the shipping provider directly, as they may be able to provide an answer sooner.
Shipping will vary depending on the method you selected during checkout. Our USPS First Class shipping option generally takes 1- 3 business days. For purchases over $50.00, a complimentary 2-Day shipping option is available. For purchases under $50.00, 2-Day shipping can be purchased for $10.00 or you can select the USPS First Class option.
Once your KitavaMD order has shipped, you will receive a Shipment Confirmation email. This email will contain your tracking number as well as a link to track your package.
You can also track an order in your online account. Once your account is setup, you can login to see your order history. From there you’ll be able to view the delivery status for each order in your account. If you still have questions on a particular order, please send us a note.
We offer free USPS First Class shipping on all purchases of $20 or more. For orders of $50.00 or more, we offer free 2-Day shipping and USPS First Class shipping options.
PRODUCT QUESTIONS
For optimal results, we recommend using the products in the following order:
Step 1: Acne Cleanser: Wet your hands with water and then lather the cleanser in your hands until mild foaming begins. Apply to affected areas. For best results, leave on skin for 1-2 minutes prior to washing off. Decrease contact time as needed if dryness occurs.
Step 2: Smoothing cream: Allow skin to dry before applying smoothing cream. Apply a pea sized amount (2 pumps) to the entire face. For best results, we recommended applying the smoothing cream to the whole face - not just as a spot treatment.
Step 3: Spot treatment: Wait at least 2 minutes before applying spot corrector, then apply a thin layer to breakouts.
We recommend applying twice daily (morning and evening). For those with dry or sensitive skin, it may be best to apply once daily at the beginning, and then increase to twice daily as tolerated.
For our Acne Cleansing Gel and Smoothing Facial Cream, the date of expiration is stamped directly on our bottle. For the Tea Tree Spot Treatment, natural preservatives keep the products fresh and the typical shelf life is 12 to 18 months. If you are ever unsure about the age of a product in your possession, the biggest indicators that it has outlasted its shelf life are a drastic change in color or smell.
The KitavaMD system is designed for use twice daily (morning and evening). For those with dry or sensitive skin, it may be best to apply once daily at the beginning, and then increase to twice daily as tolerated.
Gentle skincare products such as moisturizers, non-comedogenic makeup, gentle cleansers and sunscreens are likely fine to use while using the KitavaMD Skincare Kit.
We do not however recommend using any products in combination with our skincare kit that can cause irritation or dryness unless directed by your physician. Examples of these products include but are not limited to: topical retinoids, glycolic acid, lactic acid, vitamin C, exfoliants and astringents. Always best to consult your physician or healthcare provider with any specific questions regarding product usage.
Most subjects in our clinical trial improved as early as 2 weeks, however it is possible for your acne to flare at the beginning of treatment. This is called a "purge." This can happen when acne-treating ingredients increase exfoliation and skin turnover. Don’t panic, this process is temporary, and should improve as you continue to regularly apply your products. Always best to consult your physician or healthcare provider if you are unsure or if you develop unwanted symptoms on your skin.
Yes, all of our products can be used on the body to treat body acne. If you are treating a large surface area, then we generally recommend using our Acne Cleansing Gel. Lather the area and leave it on for 1-2 minutes prior to washing off. In general, your skin on the back is thicker and less sensitive than your face, so it is likely you can leave the cleanser on the area for a longer amount of time prior to rinsing compared to your face.
For best results, it’s important to continue using the Acne Skincare Kit even after your skin clears up, as it will help prevent future breakouts and you will notice better results over time.
In order to both safely and effectively treat acne and support healthy skin, we’ve spent years sourcing the highest quality natural ingredients on the planet. At this time our products are not formulated with any ingredients specific to the island of Kitava.
In the lab, this ingredient can be either naturally derived or synthetically derived and most companies that sell salicylic acid products use a synthetic version. KitavaMD proudly uses salicylic acid, naturally derived from willow bark extract, in our Acne Cleansing Gel, along with other active natural ingredients.
We use phenoxyethanol in a very low concentration (less than 1%) as a preservative because there is not currently a natural alternative available on the market. We believe phenoxyethanol is the best current alternative since other synthetic preservative options contain parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Most of the studies that have found this ingredient to only be harmful are at very high concentrations. In reality, low levels of this ingredient have been shown to be safe, and it's approved for use at a level of up to 1%.
Other organizations that have deemed the use of phenoxyethanol safe to use include:
European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS): under 1.0% concentration
Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW): under 1.0% concentration
Natural Products Association (NPA): under 5.0% concentration
Made Safe: under 1.0% concentration
Environmental Working Group (EWG): score 4/10
GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals: score 2/4 (use, but search for safer chemicals)
Yes, all KitavaMD formulas are 100% vegan.
Yes, KitavaMD formulas are gluten-free.
Yes, our skincare products are 100% cruelty free. We do not test on animals and are certified by Leaping Bunny.
Yes, our founding Board-Certified Dermatologists, Dr. Justin Gordon and Dr. Paru Chaudhari, developed KitavaMD after learning of the need for a safe and effective natural treatment option from their patients struggling with acne. As clinicians, they felt it was important for the products to go through independent clinical testing, and therefore completed an independent clinical trial with an additional unbiased dermatologist to approve and sign off on the results.
KitavaMD products are formulated with vegan, plant-based and non-toxic ingredients. Our products are free of harsh and irritating ingredients such as sulfates/SLS, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, triclosan and artificial dyes.
Unfortunately, there are extremely limited natural alternatives to preservatives and surfactants. Without these ingredients, our products (or anyone other products) would not be safe to use. We hope to eventually find or develop naturally-derived options for these ingredients, and will update our formulas as soon as we can.
We work closely with local manufacturers based in the United States to source only the highest quality ingredients. We source natural compounds whenever possible, allowing our formulas to be composed of up to 99% naturally-derived ingredients.
Your safety is our number one priority. Most acne products and medications have not been studied specifically on pregnant women or nursing mothers (even over the counter medications), so there is no way to ensure their safety. We recommend you discuss the use of KitavaMD, and all other skincare products you may be using, with your physician or obstetrician prior to using.
Mild irritation and dryness is possible whenever starting a new treatment. This is typically a temporary reaction that will often subside after about 4 weeks of use as your skin gets used to the products. For those with sensitive skin, it may be best to apply once daily at the beginning, and then increase to twice daily over time as tolerated. If needed, try a gentle, non-comedogenic moisturizer to help manage irritation. If you are unsure, it's always best to consult your physician or healthcare provider and discontinue use of the product if you experience any significant and persistent irritation.
We do not recommend the use of KitavaMD amongst the following groups of people:
Women that are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive. Simply put, our products have not been tested in this population, and we therefore cannot recommend the use of our products without this information. Please discuss further with your physician prior to using.
Individuals with a known allergy to any of our ingredients.
Prepubescent children. Prior to puberty, children have very sensitive skin. Our products have not been tested in this population, and we therefore do not recommend the use of our products in any young child that has not entered into puberty.
The above recommendations should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Always best to consult your individual physician prior to using.
We are proud to say that none of our clinical trial participants experienced any significant side effects from using the products over the course of our trial. In addition, we elected to put our products through a rigorous testing process called repeat insult patch testing (RIPT), which is the gold standard in testing skin irritation from skin care products. All of our products passed RIPT testing and no significant irritation was found. Individual results may vary. If you are unsure or have concerns, it's always best to consult your physician and discontinue use if you experience any side effects.
Watch our video here: https://vimeo.com/348657679
Or follow these instructions:
Step 1: Fill the bottle with our Acne Cleansing Gel to at least the neck of the bottle. You can unscrew the top of the large bottle to make it easier to fill without spilling.
Step 2: Screw on the cap tightly, and begin using. If you weren’t able to fill it up all the way, it will take a few (or more) pumps to get the bottle primed. If its really low, it may take a lot of pumps!
Step 3: Once the bottle is nearly empty, you’ll see the base at the top of the bottle.
Step 4: To refill it, unscrew the top and use a long narrow tool (like a chopstick) to push the base back to the bottom - then start at Step 1.
Note: Sometimes if the cap comes loose, or the bottle was not filled all the way to the top, the airless pump can lose its vacuum. Just keeping pumping the bottle to re-prime the pump, and it will begin working again.
As the pump is airless, occasionally an air bubble may develop during transportation and may cause a clog. To resolve this issue, turn the product upside down and tap the bottom of the product while simultaneously pressing down on the pump. A bit of force may be required in order to disrupt the air pocket. Repeat a couple of times or until the product begins dispensing.
If this does not work, please contact our support team so that they can help you solve the problem.
KitavaMD is suitable for any teen or adult who struggles with acne-prone skin and mild to moderate acne. KitavaMD was initially developed and formulated for use in high school aged teenagers and adults. Although we anticipate similar results in younger teenagers, it is best to consult with your healthcare provider prior to starting KitavaMD.
The above recommendations should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider.
Unwanted acne breakouts can leave behind dark spots on the skin that can last for many months. This is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and while it is not technically acne scarring, some people think of it that way. While the KitavaMD Acne Skincare Kit is formulated with ingredients to control current and future breakouts, it's also formulated with ingredients including vitamin C and licorice extract, that may help brighten the appearance of these unwanted dark spots left behind from prior blemishes.
KitavaMD is not intended to treat deeper acne scarring, such as ice pick scars, rolling scars or box car scars. For those with deeper scarring or severe pigmentation, we recommend seeing your local board-certified dermatologist to discuss stronger treatment options.
The above recommendations should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Always best to consult your individual physician prior to using.
Not as this time. We hope to have this option in the future.
KitavaMD is designed for the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris (common acne). We recommend those individuals with severe nodulocystic see a board-certified dermatologist to discuss whether stronger treatment options may be appropriate. Deep cystic acne has the potential to scar, so it’s critical to talk with a professional about all of the treatment options to best address your specific condition.
Yes. KitavaMD formulas are proven safe, effective and designed for oily, dry, normal, sensitive, combination and acne-prone skin types. Our Acne Skincare Kit is proven effective to treat those with mild to moderate inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. This ranges from periodic, hormonally triggered blemishes, common pimples and pustules to whiteheads and blackheads.
KitavaMD is designed for any teen or adult who struggles with acne-prone skin and mild to moderate acne including those experiencing hormonally triggered blemishes, pimples, pustules, whiteheads, blackheads and clogged pores. If you are unsure if our products are right for you, please consult with your physician or healthcare provider prior to using KitavaMD.
While it is likely that our individual products will improve the appearance of your skin, we do recommend using all 3 products together as a system to achieve best results.
Although our clinical study showed results even as early as two weeks, it is normal for acne treatments to take up to 8 weeks to start working.* This is true even for prescription products. Your skin needs to cycle through (regenerate) to really show the results of the treatment. The epidermis, which is the top layer of your skin, takes about a month to fully regenerate, and it takes even longer for the inflammation, bacteria and pigment below the skin to resolve. Ask any dermatologist about treating acne, and they will all tell you that patience and consistency are key. Hang in there!
For other tips and recommendations on treating your acne, please check out our Skincare Blog (https://kitavamd.com/blogs/skincare/) and follow us on social media @KitavaMD.
*Individual results may vary
No. All of our products are available without a prescription.
The KitavaMD system improves the appearance of your skin in 3 easy to use steps.
Step 1: CLEANSE & EXFOLIATE
Our twice-daily Acne Cleansing Gel provides a deep exfoliation to reduce acne bumps and dissolve clogged pores
Stp 2: REPAIR & PROTECT
After a deep cleanse, our Facial Cream immediately restores and protects your skin, calming redness and smoothing skin tone
Step 3: TARGET & TREAT
For lingering breakouts, our Tea Tree Spot Treatment is specifically-formulated to visibly reduce the appearance of blemishes
ABOUT KITAVAMD
KitavaMD has been in development since 2016. After years of rigorous safety and efficacy testing, KitavaMD hit the market in July 2019.
The island of Kitava is off the coast of Papau New Guinea. The islanders have been studied over time by medical professionals for their simplistic diet, one that dramatically differs from the traditional Western way of life. It was noted that none of the inhabitants suffered from acne - although there is likely a genetic component to this, researchers believe healthy lifestyles plays a significant role in the lack of acne on the island. This true story of Kitava, a land with no acne, is the inspiration behind our name.