FAQ

Q: What is the shelf life of your products?
A: Our products conform to industry standards, which is a year shelf life from date of purchase when kept at room temperature (72 degrees or less).  This is due in part to the natural shelf life of many of the essential oils that we use, but primarily because of the natural preservatives that we include in the formulations, which are all disclosed in the ingredients list for each product (we have nothing to hide like some other "organic" skin care companies).  Like conventional products, we recommend that our all natural products be used within 3 months of opening.  There are exceptions in our experience, for example, we have kept our Pure Emu Oil at room temperature for over four years without it going rancid.  However, if you have a product of ours that you expect to use slowly over time, we would recommend storing in a refrigerator to extend the shelf life.

Q: Are all of your ingredients Certified Organic?
A: While not all of our ingredients are Certified Organic (though most of them are), ALL of our ingredients are All Natural in the truest meaning of the term.  We do not use any industrial ingredients or fillers.  Our non-certified organic ingredients are either grown organically but not certified, or we have been unable to source a certified organic vendor whose product meets our standards.  In some cases, we choose locally sourced ingredients that are from small farms like ours where we can verify the growing/processing practices, as opposed to certified organic ingredients from another country. AEA (American Emu Association) Certified Emu Oil is the base of most of our formulations, and as yet there is no Certified Organic Emu Oil on the market.  With that said, we do plan to be the first, but as is the case with many small farms the cost of certification is currently prohibitive.  We are satisfied with the fact that we exceed all moral and ethical standards for raising our own emus, and everyone who has visited the farm can see that first hand.

Q: What is an Emu, what is Emu Oil and where does it come from?

A: An Emu is a member of the Ratite family of flightless birds, native to Australia.  It is a common misperception that emu oil is squeezed from the feathers, or that they are somehow "milked" of the oil. Other name brand cosmetic companies have even gone so far as to deny that emu oil actually comes from an emu in an effort to bamboozle Vegan customers. This not only denies the customer of the full understanding and appreciation of the product, but it also doesn't allow them to fully comprehend the efforts of the farmers and the true sacrifice involved.

At our family farm (Carlhaven Emu Farm in Westminster, MD ~ available for farm tours) we raise emus as sustainable livestock... they are free range and antibiotic/hormone free. From our beloved birds we get meat, leather, feathers, eggs and oil. The oil comes from the fat, which is rendered and refined (and in our case certified by the American Emu Association). The oil itself has been used for centuries by the Aborigines in Australia, where it is also commonly prescribed by medical professionals for its optimal balance of Omega 3, 6 & 9 essential fatty acids.

Q: Why do you use Alcohol in some of your products?

A: Our Organic Non-GMO Undenatured Grain Alcohol is not the same as the highly criticized (and rightfully so) forms of alcohol commonly used in mainstream products. These inexpensive alcohols, like isopropyl, are usually wood grain alcohol denatured with petroleum. In fact, isopropyl is toxic and drying. We use our Organic Undenatured Non-GMO Grain Alcohol as a natural and stable preservative, suspension agent, absorption aid & a skin toner/astringent. Other organic skin care companies use a Denatured version of this same alcohol, but the denaturing process can add toxins depending on how it is denatured. This is done due to volume purchasing restrictions set by the government on how much "drinkable" alcohol a company can order. Since we handcraft all of our products in small batches, we don't have to purchase such large quantities each year, which allows us to use this more expensive version of the alcohol.