FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DO I CONDUCT A SKIN OR SPOT TEST TO RULE OUT ALLERGIES?

*After allergies have been ruled out, for an initial full application start with a light layer and monitor for further allergies. Most allergic reactions will occur within a couple hours; however, a delayed reaction is also possible. See label instructions for further directions. Allergies can consist of rash, itchiness, swelling or breathing difficulties and require immediate medical attention.

For Skin: apply a quarter-sized dab of the repellent onto your child's or your forearm or back and rub it in. Wait 2 to 24 hours and observe for allergies.

For Clothing: apply one spray of the Fabric-only Minthe product to the chest area of your shirt. Wear shirt for 2-24 hours and observe for allergies.

For pets: apply one quarter-sized squirt on the back of your pet's neck, rub it in and wait 2 to 24 hours and observe for allergies.

Can I use the Fabric and Pet product on my skin?

Our Fabric Minthe and Pet Lemon Herb products don't contain any skin-protective oils and therefore are more skin sensitizing; especially the Minthe product as 4.9% peppermint oil is quite sensitizing on the skin. Also, because these products don't contain the occlusive ingredients our Skin & Clothing products do, they also won't last as long on the skin! Excessive skin application of these products can also absorb into the skin and even bloodstream which may potentially be harmful especially to young children. That said, incidental skin exposure during intended use is not at all harmful.

Which products can I use on my pets?

The Pet Lemon Herb is our only product suitable for dogs, cats and horses. Theoretically the Sweet mint product is also safe for these animals; however, it doesn't have appropriate label instructions for use on pets and it's both an expensive and "greasy" option. The fabric Minthe product is also theoretically suitible for treating pet gear and clothing, but it too lacks appropriate label instructions. The other products are not suitible for pets because they contain essential oils which are toxic to them. According to ASPCA the essential oils allowed by the EPA which we use that are nontoxic to dogs, cats and horses are spearmint, peppermint, rosemary, lemongrass and cedarwood.

IS THE REPELLENT SAFE TO APPLY TO CHILDREN?

When used according to label instructions, all of our human-use products can be applied to children or the fabric of children who are older than 6 months of age. As stated on the product label a patch test to rule out an allergic reaction is advised. Also, repeated, excessive application on young children's skin may be harmful and should be avoided.

For infants, the EPA recommends the use of netting secured around their carriage.

HOW SHOULD I PROTECT CHILDREN UNDER 6 MONTHS OF AGE?

It's advised by the CDC that babies and infants should be protected by placing a mosquito net with an elastic base securely around their carriage.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I REAPPLY THE REPELLENT?

For our Fabric Minthe product, studies show this product to be effective for more than 24 hours without a decrease in efficacy, when applied to clothing. As stated on the product label, it's best to apply this product daily as needed.

Our skin repellents, as stated on the product labels, need to be reapplied hourly as needed. The range of duration effectiveness is between 1-8 hours with a generous application. As stated on the product label, apply product sparingly to young children's skin; meaning don't expose them to layer after layer in one day.

The efficacy of our pet product will fall somewhere between that of our other repellents, and should be applied once per day as needed to your pet's fur or horse's hair, as stated on the product label.

HOW SHOULD I APPLY THE REPELLENT?

For proper instructions on how to safely apply the repellent and to whom or what, please refer to the label instructions for each product.

Regarding the method for applying the repellent, for our skin products you can either mist or spray it onto your skin without rubbing it in, and leave it to dry and form a protective and non-sticky film at the skin's surface. Alternatively you can blotch it on and rub it in. For clothing it's best to mist it on.

For our fabric-only Minthe product, for optimal protection it's best to apply thoroughly to the fabric's surface and allow to dry before wearing or using. The product can be misted on clothing and gear while wearing as well.

For our pet product you can apply it to the fur or hair of your pet via spraying or by hand, or a combo of both. For small pets, particularly cats, it's best to squirt it on the back of their neck and rub it into the rest of their outer coat, mainly their back where they can't reach. Or simply treat their collar, or a combo of both. Applying the repellent in a targeted and minimal way, as tolerated by your pet, will ensure humane regular use, and since ticks always gravitate toward your pet's head (where they can't bite them off) treating their collar will be effective.

Always avoid contact with the eyes, sensitive body parts and high-licking areas on pets.

WHY DOES THE EMULSION COME SOLID?

Our PlantaeGel technology maintains a stable mixture over time via a solid gel. It also lends to the film-forming properties which help to keep the repellent at the skin's, fabric's or fur's surface.

While our products are manufactured as a solid gel, shipping and handling may cause the emulsion to become a fluid gel. If the emulsions is solid, a light shake should turn it fluid; however, you may want to shake vigorously before using to ensure it's optimally mixed.

WHY IS IT NORMAL FOR THE PRODUCTS TO SEPARATE?

Because we depend on a highly natural formula, our products are subject to separation. The good news is that we use a cold process emulsification system which can be replicated by hand shaking. So if any separation does occur, you can simply remix the product by shaking it for a few seconds, which is a good practice prior to each use even if the product appears well mixed. It can't hurt.

Separation typically will only occur over time while sitting; there may be some water formation (syneresis) at the base, or possibly some oils at the top. Most emulsions are subject to separation which is why products say "shake before use" on the label. We have invented a new technology that we call PlantaeGel which maintains a highly stable emulsion, but it's still subject to separation over time. After you shake it well once, it should be good for a while, such as the entire day.

WHY SHOULD THE PRODUCTS BE STORED IN A COOL ENVIRONMENT AND KEPT FROM FREEZING?

Our products have good freeze-thaw stability, but after freezing they do lose some of their emulsion stability. It's best to keep these products from freezing if possible.

It's also best to store them in a cool environment as this also helps with emulsion stability and it offsets oxidation as well.

DO YOU MANUFACTURE YOUR OWN PRODUCTS?

Yes, we take pride in manufacturing our own products and not sending them off to a production company.

We have all the equipment and materials to optimally mix, fill and label our products! Each batch is carefully created, and our customers end up with the same quality products that our family does!

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS?

Believe it or not, ingredients are not the most costly part of doing business. This allows us to be economically viable while sourcing only the highest quality ingredients possible on the market.

Our vendors are well established global companies which have ethical standards in place, from workers rights to ecological certification to quality assurance. As a result the ingredients that comprise our products are very consistent and pure.

When possible we choose organic and fair trade, we try to support local and regional US companies, and we have in-house vetting criteria to ensure purity.

We are confident that all the materials we use to make our products are 100% pure, and we wouldn't include an ingredient that wasn't. Our high standards result in very high quality products.

Further, our essential oils are 100% pure and natural, therapeutic grade plant extracts, obtained through a process of steam distillation (using water). These are our active ingredients and we ensure the absence of adulteration.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS NATURAL?

This is a great question. Let me explain. First, natural doesn't equate to safe. Second, the "natural" label claim is heavily regulated and for a good reason.

I have spent 4 years developing these products, and my number one objective has been safety, and to make them as natural and healthy as possible. In fact, the ingredients that we can't make a natural claim on are derived from natural compounds.

The real question is are these products skin friendly and the answer is highly. We do balance safety with efficacy, meaning we use a fair amount of active ingredients which depending on the product could cause skin sensitization in some individuals but that should be rare.

Conversely, we use a lot of occlusive ingredients which protect the skin and keep the product at the skin's surface. We intentionally left out drying alcohols and other solvents which rapidly absorb the product into the skin.

All of our ingredients have an EWG (Environmental Working Group) rating of 1 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being most skin sensitizing. Except for one ingredient which has an EWG rating of 1-2 and that is castor oil, which is 100% natural and commonly found in baby skin products for it's moisturizing properties. Additionally, all of our inactive ingredients are in concentrations well below their usage rate.

Our products are more than 99% natural, and the remaining <1% which is only nature derived consists of potassium sorbate, potassium citrate, citric acid and xanthan gum, all of which are common food additives.

We are very pleased to have formulated a highly safe and effective repellent line.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS PLANT BASED?

Similar to the word "natural", making a "plant based" claim is a tall order. Because some of our ingredients are not technically plant based, though all of our ingredients do derive from plants, we can't legally claim that they're plant based. Our products are however more than 99% plant based aside from the water, and the remaining <1% which is only nature derived consists of potassium sorbate, potassium citrate, citric acid, xanthan gum and gellan gum, all of which are common food additives.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS VEGAN?

None of our ingredients are made from, derive from nor require animal products. The products therefore are 100% vegan.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS GLUTEN FREE?

Yes, there is no gluten required in the composition of any of our ingredients.

DO YOUR PRODUCTS CONTAIN ANY SOY, NUT OR SESAME DERIVATIVES?

No they do not, our products are 100% soy, nut and sesame free.

DO YOU USE SHARED EQUIPMENT ON YOUR PRODUCTS?

To prevent cross-contamination of our products we use different mixing tanks for each product. We do use the same mixing blade but the mixing blade is stainless steel and we sterilize it between batches. We take cross-contamination of any kind extremely seriously to avoid allergies as we understand this is a health hazard.

We are working on investing in more equipment so that production is easier in this regard.

DO YOU USE PRESERVATIVES?

We do have a preservative system in place but it's at a low concentration thanks to the preservative properties of our essential oils. The preservative we use is potassium sorbate which is used in food items and is not skin sensitizing when used at lower concentrations. Our potassium sorbate is a nature identical compound which derives from berries of the mountain ash tree.

DO YOU HAVE A NEWSLETTER?

Yes, if you provide us with your email address we will subscribe you to our newsletter.

Our newsletter will keep you up to date on company happenings, opportunities, sales, and relevant information to the Plantaecure enterprise.

We hope to grow our community with a common purpose and shared mission of attaining optimal health, and we'd love to have you part of it!!

DO YOUR PRODUCTS STAIN CLOTHING?

In our studies our products have not been shown to cause staining. Our products may cause temporary discoloration following application though, which is more noticeable with some of our products and with certain fabrics. The reason we have "may cause staining" on our product labels is because it's a recommended disclaimer and our studies have been conducted only on cotton fabric using unscented, free and clear detergent. If you have a particular garment or fabric that you want to ensure no staining of, you can conduct a patch test on a small and non-visible section before applying a full application.

WHAT IF I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE PRODUCTS?

We stand by our products with a 100% money back guarantee. Bulk orders need to be reported of any damages the day of receipt.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE EXEMPT FROM EPA REGISTRATION?

The EPA writes: "Because EPA has determined that certain "minimum risk pesticides" pose little to no risk to human health or the environment, EPA has exempted them from the requirement that they be registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act."

While the EPA has exempted these products, they still require minimum risk pesticides to follow a strict ingredients and labeling criteria. Additionally, most states require minimum risk pesticides to be registered before entering the channels of trade, and each state has additional requirements to that of the EPA's.