We only use glass in our packaging. The majority of our products are presented in 'Miron Violet Glass' bottles to offer superior quality and extra benefits. This glass uses the Biophotonics science to enhance and preserve our fresh ingredients.

Haoma's core principles dictate the elimination of the use of plastics. We regret some components of our glass bottles such as lids and atomiser sprays are inevitably made of plastic. Haoma will be the first to implement changes if there are any alternatives to plastic for these components. Please feel free to get in touch with any recommendations on this matter.

We also use jute twines, natural and recycled paper and natural dyes in our packaging.

Most importantly no Haoma product has secondary packaging, plastic film, container box or any sort of additional packaging that does not bring real benefit to the product.

Our policies dictate a two step approach where we reduce the amount of materials used as much as we can as well as using only sustainable materials.

We make our products using the purest and most natural ingredients without relying on any additives, synthetic materials and/or preservatives. Storing them as fresh as they are intended in their packaging however can get really challenging as they are prone to all external factors. After long research Haoma decided to use the ancient method of storing all the products in naturally violet coloured containers. Violet glass we use utilise the Biophotonics science. Read below how violet glass protects and enhances the quality of our products.

History of MIRON violet glass

The appreciation people have for the special protective qualities of violet glass can be traced back to the heyday of ancient Egyptian civilization. Even then, valuable essences and healing natural products were kept in gold and violet glass containers.

Even with the alchemists during the middle ages there are signs that people of that time were aware of the special quality the shimmering violet glass had. The advancing industrialization and the emergence of new packaging materials meant that violet glass faded into obscurity during the last hundred years.

Functionality

Miron Violet glass blocks the complete spectrum of visible light with the exception of the violet part. 

At the same time it allows a certain part to be permeable for radiation in the spectral range of UV-A, and infra red light. This unique combination offers optimal protection against the ageing processes that are released by visible light, thus lengthening durability and potency of Haoma products.

In order to substantiate these advantages, Miron Violet Glass AG has conducted a series of tests themselves and in cooperation with scientific institutions.

Here are some photos of the tests done with chives and tomatoes:

Storage test with chives

Sprayed-, white-, green- and brown glass are permeable in the visible light spectrum and don’t offer enough protection against decomposition caused by light. As an experiment, several herbs and spices were stored for 3 months in several types of glass (white, brown, violet), and were either exposed to the sun for several hours a day or kept inside.

After 2 months, the visible quality change was recorded with photographs, and the difference in smell determined in a blind test with volunteers. The illustration shows clearly that the chive samples that were exposed to the sun have bleached in brown and white glass. As photographed in this illustration, the sample stored in MIRON violet glass shows no color change. The smell of the chives stored in MIRON violet glass was also clearly stronger and fresher.

(Dr. Niggli und Dr. Max Bracher)

Storage test with tomatoes

In order to more easily prove the quality protection given to food stored in MIRON violet glass, a microbiological experiment was carried out with cherry tomatoes. During this test, a cherry tomato was stored for 7 months in a white glass and in a MIRON violet glass, and then kept at room temperature where sunlight could reach it. The result was photographed after 7 months. The microbiological changes of the tomato stored in white glass can be clearly seen. The tomato stored in MIRON violet glass however shows no loss of color and no signs of drying out.

We try to use the smallest postage boxes we can that is suitable to safely contain your products. All our delivery boxes are made of recycled cardboard.

We have also partnered with a local organic farm to provide us with dried flowers and other natural filling materials. Although eco filling materials are gaining popularity, Haoma is against the use of heavily processed and restructured materials in any part of the business. 

This way we make sure you receive your products in a nice box of dried flowers, in the meantime our local farmers make use of their waste and there is no heavy impact on our environment.

Absolutely no! Here is why:

Recycled Plastic

Plastic - unlike glass or metal - cannot be recycled infinitely, and after a handful of times it will be discarded, where it will take centuries to degrade. One single bottle will remain on the planet in some form for a minimum of 540 years.

Even if plastic were easily and infinitely recyclable, it is still manufactured from crude oil often obtained by methods such as fracking, one of the most environmentally damaging processes in existence, which produces carbon emissions and contaminates the surrounding areas, putting people's health at immediate risk.

There is another major problem with plastic - all of the plastic ever produced is still on our planet. Some very toxic ingredients are now banned to be used in plastics however old plastics can still be recycled and potentially reintroduce these hazardous materials into our lives.

Bioplastic / Vegetable Based Plastic

Haoma sees bioplastic as a greenwashing method. Bioplastics could potentially be worse for the environment than conventional plastics. Switching to plastic made from plants instead of fossil fuels would require vast amounts of farmland which could cause environmental problems and deprive humans of food.

Bioplastics can also cause damage when they are composted as they change the pH value of soil and water as they degrade.

Polylactic Acid (PLA), the most common type of bioplastic, is made from fermented starch extracted from crops such as corn, potatoes or sugar cane. As a sidetone - this is lots of GMO and pesticides on the environment. 

PLA is compostable, meaning microbes will break it down harmlessly into biomass and gas within few months, given the right conditions. PLA however is not biodegradable, and under normal conditions it will break down just as slowly as conventional plastics. Our oceans and land will take the same or even greater damage due to people thinking bioplastics are environmentally friendly.

There are lots of articles, reports and research around bioplastics. This article "Are bioplastics really better for the environment?" by National Geographic is a good place to start.

As much as we would love to be able to do that we are not able to offer this to all our customers due to regulations. We are not able to sterilise our bottles on site however our local customers who are able to come to our premises with their clean bottles will be offered a refill. Please get in touch to book for a refill. We are based in Whitstable, Kent.

This is completely up to your preferences and creativity. 

You can get a refill at our premises if you are local or you can just recycle them. All of our packaging is made of glass.

You can also store food items in our violet glass packaging and observe the protective element of this superior material.

Utilising them with different ideas is fun as our violet glass bottles are excellent for upcycling!

A sustainable and harmonious future is the most fundamental principle here at Haoma. We try to think of every action we take and every business decision we make. Please feel free to challenge us and help us improve with any ideas you might have, but here are a few things we do.

We only use certified organic ingredients

We use almost no water - only time we use water is to wipe clean our production surfaces.

We only use glass packaging

We only use vegan ingredients

We use recycled materials where we can and 100% of our materials are recyclable

We make everything fresh and in small batches, so there is no waste

We try to minimise everything we use, as a rule of thumb, if something does not bring real value, we don't do it

We do not use lab produced, synthetic materials, preservatives, emulsifiers

We do not use plant derived / highly processed ingredients

We do our best to minimise the energy we use

We believe in the value of information and continually educate ourselves

All of our products are made by hand. We only make very small batches of our products so you get to enjoy them freshly made while there is absolutely no waste and negative impact on the environment. Our processing methods are simple, we only craft our final products by mixing them, we sometimes use very little heat to liquidise our plant butters. 

No two roses smell the same! All Haoma products are made of pure certified organic ingredients. We use the same exact formulation in each of our batches however every harvest yields slightly different aromas and sometimes different final texture in our products. Rest assured the composition and benefits of the products are always guaranteed. This is the beauty of using 100% COSMOS certified natural products.

Skin creams are emulsions of oil and water. They are preferred for convenience, easy application and the sensory enhancements they offer. Misconception about oils that they leave a greasy feeling on the skin and also the less convenient application and storage of oils make creams the popular choice versus skin oils. 

We recognise 2 issues with skin creams that is discouraging us from offering them:

1. Oil and water naturally do not mix together thus formulations with creams require emulsifiers to create a stable semi-solid structure. Certain waxes are sometimes added to this mix to achieve a more solid texture. The main ingredient that nourishes the skin and offers the benefits in creams are the oils.
   We do not really see the need of using emulsifier and waxes to make oils look like creams. The production of these materials and their impact on the environment as well their impact on our health and skin is simply not justifiable only for the sake of convenience.
2. Creams are emulsions of water and oil as explained. Products containing water by law have to include preservatives. Haoma is committed to developing formulations that do not require preservatives. We aim to offer really pure products with zero toxic ingredients in them.

For these 2 reasons we only offer skin oils. These skin oils are simply creams without the water, emulsifier and preservatives. You will see all our Radiance Oil is very quickly absorbed by the skin and it offers superior benefits to creams, leaving your skin nourished, moisturised and healthy - naturally.

Haoma products do not contain emulsifiers. The reason for this is explained in Why don't you use preservatives and emulsifiers? Are they really bad? section in our FAQ.

Think of unpasteurised home-made fruit juice, if you leave it long enough you will see the water and the fruit content will separate in the bottle. You would simply shake it to get a more homogenous juice before drinking it. 

A more accurate example would be lemon juice and olive oil dressing you prepare for your salads. Olive oil floats at the top naturally and you would want to mix them well before dressing your salad. This way you will be getting them both in equal and desired amounts on your salad. Now imagine adding a chemical to that salad dressing you make at home in order to avoid simply stirring it to get the homogenous mixture... We do believe everyone would opt for just stirring before dressing!

We are trying to change skincare perceptions here at Haoma. Our products do not contain the emulsifiers that do more harm than good. All you need to do is simply shake every time you use the products!

Conventional cosmetics and even natural cosmetics usually contain artificial molecules to stabilise the scents in products. These are sometimes called fragrance, perfume, natural aroma etc in the ingredients. These are synthetically produced ingredients to mimic the natural scents of plants. They are much more stable and longer lasting. They however do not offer any aromatherapy benefits, they are synthetic and produced in labs, and most importantly scientific studies show they are harmful to our bodies.

Haoma only uses certified organic essential oils, our priority is to get the benefits of the plants to achieve a desired skin goal. That means we do not formulate based on how we want the product to smell but rather we formulate based on the benefits of essential oils. Our products will always have a gorgeous scent naturally provided by the essential oils however do not expect them to be aggressive and as long lasting as the conventional fragrances. 

All our deodorants are formulated with very effective ingredients. These ingredients are scientifically proven to be antibacterial which reduce and eliminate body odour throughout the day. Some of the ingredients are carefully chosen to provide an antiperspirant effect as well, this means you are likely to notice that you sweat less than you are used to. All deodorants are certified organic and natural so you do not have to worry about toxins entering your lymph nodes through your armpits. 

All Haoma products are certified vegan by the Vegan Society, so everything is free from animal products and not tested on animals.

All Haoma products are 'Certified Organic and Natural' through COSMOS certification by Soil Association. All materials used as well as the production processes are very strictly controlled and inspected regularly.

Our main ingredients are floral waters, essential oils, physical extractions of plants, plant oils and butters. We add nothing else. Our products are genuinely the purest you can get. We have no ingredients that you cannot pronounce (legally we have to put the Latin names of plants on our labels). We do not use any emulsifiers or preservatives in our products either. 

‘Plant-derived’ is usually a term in disguise for heavily processed, physically and chemically altered ingredient. Sometimes this term can be used genuinely however there is an increasing trend of ‘Greenwashing’ where companies use this term to achieve a certain marketing position.

Haoma very firmly stands against these practices. We recognise 2 issues with these practices that are fundamentally unethical.

1. Very heavy processing strips the natural products off of all their beneficial properties. What is left is fundamentally different to the product in the beginning of the process.
   
2. These heavy processing practices leave significant impact on the environment as well as our bodies.
   

The words ‘plant derived’ or ‘naturally derived’ simply mean that the ingredient started out as a whole plant. However, they do not account for how the plant is processed before it reaches its final form. Consumers are encouraged to believe they are getting a natural product when it may actually be closer to, or even completely synthetic. 

We encourage everyone to look at their  ‘natural’ shampoos, creams, washing up liquids and detergents. Please look at the plant derived ingredients and do some research to understand how they are manufactured.

For instance Cocamidopropyl betaine is a product used as a surfactant and foam former in lots of natural products. It is derived from coconuts, so most consumers are led to believe it is natural however it contains impurities from processing and may be irritating to many skin types.

Even though an ingredient’s name may look natural, it might have been reacted with a petroleum derived substance in order to create its naturally-sounding name. Hexane, benzene and petroleum are reacted with plants to extract oils or other desired plant parts. Most of those materials are removed during processing, but trace contamination remains in the ingredient, which goes into the product. What is really distressing is that producers do not have to declare these in their ingredients list.

Natural flavours and fragrances are ingredients that start with a plant source, but closely resemble a synthetic compound by the time it goes into a product. Natural fragrances can contain upwards of 50 various molecules, all within the ingredient name "natural flavour" or “fragrance."

Many other examples are plant extracts, because those ingredients need to be preserved from the point they are made until they are incorporated into the final product, many times they will include preservatives such as phenoxyethanol or worse. Because those ingredients are used at a low level in the ingredient, they are not required to be reported in the final product ingredient list.

Emulsifiers

Most people feel their skin is tight and dry after cleansing and they need to apply a moisturiser twice a day because their skin feels dry. This is due to the ‘wash-out’ effect of emulsifiers. 

Emulsifiers can impair our trans-epidermal water loss and lipid dryness but they are still one of the most common ingredients in cosmetic products. Here at Haoma we never use emulsifiers in any of our products, but why do all other companies use them? 

Their use is considered an easy and inexpensive way of combining the oil and water parts of a cream or lotion, so that they don’t separate. What we recommend instead is to simply shake your Haoma products before each use.

Emulsifiers are called surfactants when they are inside products other than cleaning products. The molecular structure of the emulsifier is the same one that makes soaps and detergents very good at cleansing our skin. We believe having a detergent-like molecule in your moisturiser is not going to be very good for your skin! Of greatest concern is their potential to damage the skin’s barrier, which is made up of specialised proteins and lipids. Disrupting the skin’s barrier can lead to increased water loss from the skin, and the entry of microorganisms and irritants into the skin that may potentially result in inflammation and irritation.

All emulsifiers have the same basic detergent-like structure however they are divided into 3 types.

1. Anionic emulsifiers with the greatest potential to disrupt the lipids and proteins in the skin.
   The classic example is sodium lauryl sulphate, a known skin irritant.
   
   
2. Cationic emulsifiers can bind to the protein keratin which is located in the outer layer of the skin and because of this capacity to bind to the skin, they also have the potential to cause skin irritation, mainly due to toxic effects on skin cells.
   Examples of cationic emulsifiers include benzalkonium chloride and behentrimonium methosulphate.
   
   
3. Non-ionic emulsifiers are considered less irritating than anionic and cationic surfactants, however some of them have been shown to interact with skin lipids, disrupting the skin’s barrier function and increasing loss of water from the skin.
   Examples of nonionic emulsifiers include cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate and ceteareth-20.

In summary:

• The properties of emulsifiers vary by type and can be very irritating to the skin, even more than fragrance or preservatives.
• Most skin care including shampoos, body washes as well as dishwashing liquids and toothpaste contain irritating emulsifiers because of the cleaning properties and high foaming potential.
• Quite scarily emulsifiers do not lose their emulsifying abilities in the skin, so they wash out the good of your skin, especially when your skin comes in contact with water.
• Emulsifiers alter and lower the ability of our skin barrier to defend itself against outside elements.

Preservatives

Preservatives are required by law to be included in cosmetics with water-containing formulations. Most products on the market have water as their main ingredient - look at the labels and you will see ‘Aqua’ usually being the first ingredient in the ingredients list - as ingredients have to be declared in descending order by volume. Water based formulations are highly preferred due to water being the cheapest ingredient in any formulation. 

Preservatives are essential ingredients in formulations containing water as they stop products from becoming contaminated with bacteria, mould and fungus etc.

Here at Haoma we really want to change the age-old rules and practices in the cosmetics industry. We always look for ways to formulate our products in a way that they do not require preservatives at all. When there is no water there is no requirement to use a preservative as the products would not get contaminated.

Some of our products however contain ingredients that act as preservatives in addition to their original purpose. Most essential oils are a very good example of this, they contain antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that can act as a preservative. Fair-trade, organic sugarcane alcohol, we use as a base in some of our formulations to solubilise the essential oils, also have antibacterial qualities.

Now let’s have a look at some natural companies that sell products containing preservatives, the preservatives they use are usually called ‘natural’, ‘plant-based’, ‘plant-derived’…

It is really important to look at the derivation process rather than the source in these examples. This topic has been explained in detail in FAQ ‘What do you mean your products do not contain processed and plant-derived ingredients?’

For example, grapefruit seed extract is used as a preservative in many products. It sounds so natural and even preferable however Skin Deep database rates it 6 out of 10, 10 being the most toxic.

While some skincare products' preservatives are more controversial than others, no preservatives are good for us and it is best to avoid them by purchasing skin care formulations that do not require preservatives. It is important to be very cautious about natural preservatives that may be as concerning as synthetic ones.

Yes, our soaps create a very rich lather so you will be guaranteed lots of bubbles in your bathroom. 

We realise some 'natural' soaps on the market do not produce lather; this is due to their formulations. Companies nowadays develop cheaper formulations that act like a soap whereas they merely are plant-based surfactants.

Haoma only uses the traditional cold process method which produces a rich and luxurious moisturising soap with lots of lather.

Most shampoos and soap bars contain coating agents in their ingredients to give a silky feeling to your hair. Haoma is against the use of these ingredients, so we will not be launching shampoos until we find a suitable alternative that guarantees a soft, silky finish.

There are lots of hair types and we cannot guarantee how our soap bars will work on your hair as they are not formulated to be used as a shampoo. 

That being said we had some very positive feedback from some of our customers whilst some were not happy with the results. We understand this depends on your preference and hair type.

Haoma is strictly against the use of unsustainable Palm Oil and campaigns strongly for it. 

Unsustainable practices around palm oil causes grievous impact on our planet including the careless destruction of wildlife, deforestation, extinction of Orangutan population and social-economical impact on local farmers.

Alternative to these practices is not simply giving up palm oil all together and replacing with a different product to meet the demand which will in turn cause even greater distress on our already abused planet. 

Haoma chooses to support regulation, control and certification process of ethical and sustainable harvest of palm oil.

WWF- The World Wide Fund for Nature explains this very elaborately in their research report, please click the link below to read it:

Protecting the environment by producing certified sustainable palm oil

Our soaps have a very unique formulation that gives extra moisturising qualities, a perfect hardness, rich lather, creaminess and a cleaning balance. Palm oil contributes to this unique formulation therefore we did not replace it with another oil. 

Haoma takes on a duty to create a meaningful conversation about the use of sustainable palm oil and how it is better than abandoning it as this will potentially create more deforestation and negative impact on local economies.

We feel it is imperative to only choose and support RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil. 

Please read the information in the link below. It illustrates why sustainability and certification for palm oil is very important. It also talks about why it is worse to stop using palm oil and replacing it with another oil.

RSPO Certification

We also would love if you become a supporter of RSPO in the endeavours for a more sustainable planet. Currently only the 19% of the palm oil in the global market is sustainably sourced, that means more than 8 out of 10 products you see on the shelves actively engage in destroying our planet.

Haoma only uses certified organic essential oils in soaps. You will notice the smell getting stronger once you wet our soaps and during washing.

Essential oils have much milder aromas compared to fragrance oils and synthetic/chemical fragrances. Majority of the products that are on the market today contain these fragrances as opposed to natural essential oils, these products do not contain the beneficial properties of essential oils and their chemical structure is usually harmful to our bodies.

Absolutely! All our soaps are very kind to skin and they have extraordinary moisturising and nourishing properties. Most of our customers use them as their daily face-wash and feel their skins do not dry out as opposed to their experience with other soaps on the market.

Our soaps are also a great and superior alternative to shower creams and gels, leaving your skin healthy and conditioned.

All our soaps except our 'Unscented Soap' contain essential oils. Some allergens are naturally occurring constituents of essential oils therefore if you have known sensitivities or allergies to any of these materials we advise caution. We disclose and highlight each of these constituents in our ingredients list. 

Our lab tests did not find any reportable allergens in our 'Unscented Soap' so we recommend this gentle yet highly conditioning soap for our customers with these special requirements.

All Haoma soaps are handmade and go through a very long and laborious process. 

A special blend of premium organic plant oils and butters are saponified and mixed with essential oils to give a delightful scent and additional aromatherapy properties.

This saponified mixture is then poured in our small soap boats and covered for at least 24 hours to make sure the saponification process gets completed.

Soap is then removed from the boat and cut into individual bars and stamped by hand.

Soap bars are put on our drying racks. Cold process soap needs to cure for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This way the soap hardens and produces its own glycerin naturally which makes a longer lasting and highly moisturising soap.

Each soap after this curing process is quality checked and labeled with a jute twine and stamped with a sealing wax.

UK STANDARD NEXT DAY DELIVERY - DPD Carbon Neutral

Next day delivery on all orders over £50 is free or charged at £4.99 for orders under £50 
Items are dispatched within 1-3 working days or within 7 working days during sale and promotional periods.

Once items are dispatched they are sent using a next day delivery service via DPD. This is a 'Responsible Delivery - CO2 Neutral' service. You will receive e-mail and text updates and a one hour time slot for your delivery.

Channel Islands and certain postcodes - standard delivery charged at different rates. Please get in touch with us.

UK EXPRESS  
Orders placed before 10am Monday to Thursday will arrive on the next working day before 5.30pm, except certain postcodes. Not including Saturday or Sunday. Orders placed before noon on a Friday will arrive on the following Monday. Excluding Bank Holidays. Excluding the Channel Islands. 

UK EXPRESS SATURDAY DELIVERY 
Orders placed before 10am Friday will arrive on the following Saturday before 5.30pm, except certain postcodes. Excluding Bank Holidays. There are no deliveries on Sunday. Excluding the Channel Islands. 

LOCAL COLLECTION 

FREE 
Your reserved item will be held at our premises locally in Whitstable for collection. Please place your order on the website and we can ensure it is ready for you to come in and collect. Please make sure you choose 'Collect by hand' at checkout to avoid a delivery charge, and let us know when you would like to collect your order in the special instructions box.