Question 1

Do your products contain preservatives?

Accepted Answer

Nope! At this time, none of our products are formulated with water, so it is not strictly necessary for our products to have preservatives. Don't get us wrong, we love preservatives! They prevent mold, bacteria, yeast and other nasties from growing in your skincare products that contain water. Trust us, you do not want to put that gross stuff on your face.
However, our skin has lots of good microorganisms too, collectively called the skin microbiome, and preservatives can potentially harm some of these good bugs. As a scientificly-minded brand, we want to protect the skin microbiome because there is emerging evidence that disrupting it could lead to lots of common skin problems. Our skincare is gentle and designed to promote a healthy skin microbiome while not needing any preservation, as long as your carefully follow the directions on your product!

Question 2

Are your products organic?

Accepted Answer

99% of the types of ingredients we use are grown on our own farm, but because our farm is not certified organic, our products cannot be either. Although we are not USDA certified, the methods we use to grow and process our plants follow organic methods. We never use any pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides, even organic ones!

Question 3

Do you test your products on animals?

Accepted Answer

Our products are tested on consenting adult human people only! So... techincally... yes, because we are all animals.

Question 4

Are your products vegan?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We do not use any animal ingredients. Not even beeswax!

Question 5

Do your products contain fragrance?

Accepted Answer

Most of our products contain an extremely small amount of essential oils. All of our essential oils are distilled right here on the farm with plants we have grown ourselves, so we know they are high-quality, fresh, and never adulterated. We formulate with essential oils for two reasons. The first reason is that many essential oils have scientifically demonstrated benefits for the skin, you can learn more about these by clicking on any ingredient from the product page! The second reason is that our products are made almost entirely of plants, and without the addition of any fragrant plant components, they are not entirely odorless. Without essential oils, our products smell sort of like walking through a hay field, and while this isn't exactly an unpleasant smell that we want to mask, we like to enhance it with a tiny dose of fragrant plants, so it smells more like walking through a lightly fragrant meadow. 
 
If you have a sensitivity to a particular essential oil, please send us an email at soleadafarm@gmail.com to inquire about the possibility of a custom-forulated product.

Question 6

My product looks cloudy or has something floating in it, what is that?

Accepted Answer

Many of our products contain fresh cold-pressed seed oils that are never winterized, clarified, chemically-processed, or contain any additives. Some of our oils are pressed right here on the farm with our hand-cranked press! This process can sometimes leave natural seed waxes in the oils that are not filtered out, but they can create a swirling cloudy appearance in some of our products. This is not harmful, and is actually a visible sign that your product is super fresh and natural! 
 
We add plants to these oils that are freshly harvested from our farm. When we formulate our final products, we filter these plants out, but sometimes tiny pieces of leaves or flowers can still get through our filtering process! If you see an itty-bitty particle floating in your bottle, there is nothing to worry about, it is just a little piece of plant.

Question 7

How long do your products last? Do they need to be refrigerated?

Accepted Answer

Because our products are formulated without preservatives, we get lots of questions about how long they should last! Our products are actually formulated so that they don't need preservatives, but they contain several antioxidants that help them stay fresh and last quite a long time. In general, most of our products should last at least 6 months, and many can last longer if they are stored correctly. Our products do not need to be refrigerated, but we recommend storing them in a cool, dry location, out of direct sunlight; and make sure you are careful to use them with clean hands or an applicator, and to never introduce any water to them.
 
If you notice that your product has changed in texture, smell, or appearance, we recommend discarding the remaining product!

Frequently asked questions