FAQS

We hope you find the following section answers any questions that you may have that aren’t specifically addressed in the product information.  Should you have any other query, please email us at hello@herbfarmacy.com or phone 01544 327371.   Please remember, we are not a Pharmacy and are not able to answer medical or medicinal queries.  If you have such questions, you should contact a medical specialist or herbalist.

Do you test on animals? 

Herbfarmacy stands strongly against animal testing. No animal testing is conducted in any phase of product development, whether on an ingredient or finished product.

We do not employ or use the services of any other third-party research establishment to conduct animal testing on our behalf. We are not owned by a parent company that commissions tests on animals either.

Where countries such as China require animal testing as a condition of sale, we refuse to sell Herbfarmacy products in to that country’s market. Herbfarmacy will also pull all product lines from any country where animal testing laws change to become compulsory. There are no exceptions. 

Herbfarmacy is committed to only testing products on willing human volunteers. Our consultation groups are made up of friends, family and many loyal customers.

Do you offer a refill service?

We would love to be able to offer a return service so that our containers can be re-used. It is something we have extensively investigated, but unfortunately is not possible for us to implement.

Re-using containers requires thorough washing and steam-cleaning to prevent cross-contamination. By adding this process, we would upset the natural water-management systems that we have here at the farm.

Our products are certified organic, which means they have the minimum amount of preservative required to ensure the quality of the product.  If we were to re-use containers, we would need to include more preservatives than we believe is appropriate to eliminate, so far as possible, any risk of adverse bacterial or enzyme action.

Alongside these reasons, through shipping, heating water for the extensive cleaning process, water-waste and shipping the return refill, we believe that we would in fact increase our carbon use and waste.

Do you use any unsustainable ingredients in your products?

To achieve the look and consistency of our white creams and lotions, we use an emulsifier. These emulsifiers are made using sustainably-sourced palm oil that has been registered under the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil certification scheme.

We are very careful not to use ingredients from any endangered plants or tree species, such as rosewood. We monitor changes as thoroughly as possible through the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) online appendix.

What is phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol? 

The combination of phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol provides one of the most natural, effective, preservative systems and is used by green cosmetics companies worldwide. We use it in our creams and lotions (which contain water) and it is a mixture of naturally occurring alcohols (that protect plants against microbial attack) and the widely used food preservative potassium sorbate (found in Rowan berries). Phenoxyethanol occurs in plants including Green Tea, while benzyl alcohol (the name comes from the Gum Benzoin tree) is found in essential oils such as jasmine and ylang ylang. Together they provide safe protection against bacteria, yeasts and moulds at very low concentration, and this is one of the few preservative systems permitted under the stringent criteria of The Soil Association.

In high concentrations, these ingredients can have adverse effects, and this has resulted in the mixed press that they have received.  However, used sparingly and responsibly in our products, and in accordance with the Soil Association’s strict organic standards, they are accepted and used by our customers world-wide.

How long a shelf life do your products have?

All of our products have a shelf life of two years, from manufacture. All products once opened, are best used within 6 months.

Why are some products 100% organic while others are labelled as less than 100% organic?  

When we make a cream with our herb infused waters or oils, we need an effective emulsifier to ensure the creams are smooth and silky for customers. Each emulsifier is plant based and food grade but aren’t available organically which therefore affects the organic percentage.

Our balms, carrier oils, body and face oils and toner don’t use these plant-based emulsifiers which is why they’re 97-100% organic.  

I’ve received my products and I’m not happy with them.   

If for any reason you’re not 100% happy with your Herbfarmacy product(s), get in touch within 30 days and we’ll happily swap it for something that suits you better or offer you a refund.

Why can’t I log into my account?

We changed our website platform in June 2019 and all existing customers’ account information was deleted. This meant that existing login information will not work. If you want to create an account to speed up and enhance your use of our online shop (and we hope you do!), you'll be asked to set this up at the checkout stage.

What ingredients don’t we use? 

We make all our products with your skin in mind. You won’t find any parabens, phthalates, SLS, artificial fragrances, formaldehyde, nanoparticles or propane/petroleum bases in any of our products. We use organic ingredients and natural preservatives that are approved by the Soil Association.