Frequently Asked Questions

Ordering

Q. I am looking for a specific product, but I cannot find it on your site.
A. There are several possible reasons for this.
  • If you are looking for a Physicians Only product, you may not be able to see it because your account is not set up to grant you access to Physicians Only items.
  • Common names of single plants can vary widely. Try searching for the product using the Latin name instead.
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Call Wise Woman Herbals ® customer service department at 541.895.5172

Billing

Q. Can I pay with a check?
A. Yes. Checks should be made payable to Wise Woman Herbals and sent to:
 
Wise Woman Herbals ®
PO Box 279
Creswell, OR 97426
 
Your order will be shipped out when your check arrives.

Shipping

Q. How much do I need to order for free shipping?
A. Retail/Consumer orders over $100 receive free UPS Ground or US Priority Mail shipping within the Continental US. Note that bulk items do not qualify for free shipping unless the non-bulk portion of your order is over $100. Professional Orders require $175 minimum purchase to qualify for free UPS Ground or US Priority Mail shipping within the Continental US.

Product Information

Q. Do any of your products contain gluten?
A. The Celiac Sprue Association lists Wise Woman Herbals ® products as “gluten-free, except for Avena sativa (oat)". Products that contain Avena are:

  • Avena sativa
  • Avena Glycerite
  • Dry Bed Compound
  • Fiber Flow Capsules
  • Gingkola Tonic: Adrenotonic
  • Hypo-G Blood Sugar Support
  • Liquid Serenity
  • Male Tonic
  • Mood Enhancer
  • Sereni-Tea
  • Smokeless
  • Valerian Compound
 
Q. What is the Vitamin A / Vitamin E oil in your products derived from?
A. The oils are derived from non-GMO soy.
 
Q. How long after the "Best Used By" date on the bottle can you still use your products?
A. We do not recommend using any of our products past the "Best Used By" date. Extracts with low or no alcohol content do spoil like food. We have demonstrated through accelerated shelf-life studies that the concentration of active constituents decreases with the passing of time, resulting in the product losing its potency, vitality and efficacy.
 
Q. Do I need to refrigerate this product after opening it?
A. No. It is important to keep product out of direct sunlight and keep the lid on when it is not being used. The one exception to this is the suppositories, which need to be refrigerated in order to solidify, as they will soften at room temperature.
 
Q. Should I take your products with food?
A. Most herbal products should be taken with a small amount of water 30 minutes before a meal or two hours after. This is so the herbs can be assimilated into your body without interference from digesting food, caloric intake, etc.
  • Bitter formulas (Gentian, Bitter Tonic, Bittersweet Elixir) should be taken 15-30 minutes before meals to support digestion.
  • Juglans nigra and Juglans Paracide should be taken with meals to avoid nausea.
 
Q. How are people with blood sugar intolerance affected by glycerine based products?
 A. Wise Woman Herbals ® vegetable glycerine is from Palm kernel oil, which contains Polyol (naturally occurring sugar). Polyol is more easily metabolized by the body than is Sorbitol & Lycopiol and is hydrolyzed differently by the body than other more concentrated sugars. According to our supplier’s lead scientist, glycerine does not result in an insulin response.
 
Q. If your organic grain alcohol is corn based, how will people with corn allergies react to taking your products?
A. Only if someone has a “severe life-threatening allergy to corn” is there a need to steer them away from our Liquid Extracts containing corn-based Organic Grain Alcohol. Allergenicity to corn and protein residues are highly improbable with our products;
1. Due to the ethanol being 190 proof (95%) grain alcohol, the corn is totally benign. If there is some minute residue remaining, it is in trace amounts (parts per thousand or ppm). It is somewhat dependant upon the purity of the raw ingredients you start with. WWH only purchases the highest quality Certified Organic Grain Alcohol.
2 . The distillation process breaks down the protein matrix in the corn, which should totally eliminate the proteins and any potential for allergenicity. It is the proteins that cause the allergic response and they are denatured by the alcohol, so there should not be any protein residues remaining after distillation, especially if you begin with high quality raw ingredients.
3. The grain alcohol is highly purified during distillation, so there is no reason to be concerned about [protein based] allergens. Proof is no residues remain when evaporating the ethanol. Steven Dentali, PhD, Lead Scientist, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is convinced that allergens are not an issue with good quality 190 proof grain alcohol.
NOTE: As of the begining of 2011 we switched from Grain Alcohol made from corn to Cane Alcohol aka Ethanol made from sugar cane that is 192 proof, Certified Organic, GMO free, Kosher, and Vegan.
 
Q. Dosage: How do I determine the number of drops in a teaspoon and what is the equivalent of a dropper-full?
A. The number of drops in a teaspoon will vary depending on the viscosity of the extract. A liquid extract with 45-60% alcohol content will equal about 120-160 drops per teaspoon. 
B. The number of drops in a dropper-full will vary depending upon the viscosity of the extract and the size of the dropper. The best way to determine the number of drops in a dropper-full is to fill the dropper and then count the drops the first time taking your remedy. Droppers come standard in most of our 1 & 2 oz liquid extract singles and compounds, and are available by request for an additional charge with our 4 oz liquid extracts.
 
What Is California's Proposition 65?
In 1986, California voters approved an initiative known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known by its original name of Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires businesses to notify Californians about chemicals in the products they purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. This list has grown to include approximately 800 chemicals since it was first published in 1987. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) administers the Proposition 65 program.
 
OEHHA develops numerical guidance levels known as "safe harbor numbers" for determining whether a warning is necessary or whether discharges of a chemical into drinking water sources are prohibited. A business has "safe harbor" from Proposition 65 warning requirements or discharge prohibitions if exposure to a chemical occurs at or below these levels. These safe harbor numbers consist of no significant risk levels for chemicals listed as causing cancer and maximum allowable dose levels for chemicals listed as causing birth defects or other reproductive harm. OEHHA has established safe harbor numbers for nearly 300 chemicals to date.
 
The safe harbor levels established by OEHHA for lead in California is 0.5 µg (micro grams or Parts Per Million PPM) per day. OEHHA's safe harbor level for lead in California is 60 times lower than the average exposure allowable by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water regulation and the EPA’s National Air Quality Standard (i.e., 30 µg per day); 160 times lower than the exposure allowed by the EPA’s lead-based paint soil clean-up level; 160 times lower than the exposure from typical background levels of lead in drinking water; and between 6 to 12 times lower than the exposure from normal background levels present in soil. Virtually any product containing lead could be alleged to cause exposure in excess of 0.5 µg per day. The levels are based on an exposure that is 1,000 times lower than the “no observed effect level” in animals studied for reproductive toxicants. California’s safe harbor level for lead is 20 times lower than the levels established as safe by the World Health Organization and the national regulatory levels and may be exceeded by background levels for lead naturally occurring in the environment.
 
How does Proposition 65 impact Wise Woman Herbals products?
Proposition 65 effects dietary and botanical supplements because lead is a naturally occurring mineral found virtually everywhere in soil, water and plants. The plant material in Wise Woman Herbals products is sourced from small local and regional farms. All of the ingredients in our products are organic, cultivated, wild crafted, or of best quality available. Out of over 325 Wise Woman Herbals products, the California Proposition 65 Warning is required to appear on the following 6 Wise Woman Herbals product labels: Fiber Flow Capsules, G.I. Capsules, Gymnema Capsules, Hepacaps, PSA Capsules and RA•OA Capsules. WARNING: This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Plant material in this product is organic, cultivated, wild crafted, or of best quality available.
 
For chemicals that are listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm, the "no observable effect level" is determined by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. California Proposition 65 lowered the exposure allowed even further to 1,000 times lower than the "no observable effect level". Businesses subject to Proposition 65 are required to provide a warning if they cause exposure to chemicals listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm that exceed 1/1000th of the "no observable effect level."