“Frantsila is a pioneer in organic herb farming in Finland and has been a natural health product manufacturer since 1981 when Virpi Raipala-Cormier and Jim Cormier established a herbal center on the family farm. The farm is located 40 km northwest of Tampere, Finland. The area is considered environmentally clean, with a high percentage of organic farms adjoining the Frantsila property. The farm has been in the same family for more than 300 years.
Frantsila promotes being and well-being through the development of high quality organic herbal products and holistic health education, in an effort to improve the overall physical, mental, and emotional health of the general public. Towards this end, the main aim in the processing of our products is to preserve, as much as possible, the regenerative, healing powers of Finnish plants. The combination of Finland’s northern nature, a biological method of farming, and optimal timing for the harvesting and processing of herbs ensures the effectiveness of all our botanical products.
Finland is one of the northernmost, least polluted, and least populated agricultural regions in the world. Long, sunny summer days and cool nights give our herbs superior aromatic and medicinal properties, as compared to herbs that are grown in southern latitudes. Our herbs are grown at Frantsila Herb Farm and at a few other local farms under controlled conditions that are certified organic. No herbs are gathered near cities or industrial areas, or closer than 500 meters from any major road.
Our herbs are hand-picked by trained gatherers at the peak of freshness. We dry the herbs quickly at low temperatures to preserve their natural qualities, as well as to ensure microbiological purity. Herbs are regularly tested for both effectiveness and purity. We then process the harvest into herb mixtures, extracts, spices, and various skincare products, using gentle, time-consuming extraction techniques that lock-in the naturally occurring sweet fragrances, subtle colours, and bio-active ingredients. Moreover, we use only cold-pressed oils, the majority of which are biologically grown. Our herbal recipes are based on Finnish and other herbal traditions, on the latest scientific research, and on years of hard-earned trial and error.
No animal testing is done by Frantsila. The only animal products that we use are beeswax, propolis, honey, and lanoline (from wool), which cause no harm to the animals. Likewise, our products do not contain any mineral oils (paraffin, petroleum), silicates, artificial fragrances, colours, parabens, or ingredients of GMO origin. Ingredients and manufacturing processes meet or exceed European natural cosmetic standards.”
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Photo credit: Vuokko Salo & Frantsila