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Beyond The Supplement Label: Get To Know Gaia Herbs’ “No List"

When shopping for herbal supplements, one of the first things to do is check the label.


This is where you’ll find pertinent information on ingredients, what the product’s for, allergen statements, nutritional information (if applicable), other ingredients, suggested use, badges like certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, etc., lot number, and best by or manufactured on dates.


All of this is valuable information to help you choose a high-quality product.


However, did you know there’s more to what goes into your supplements than what’s on the label?


Come along as we go beyond the label and delve into Gaia Herbs’ No List of extraction solvents, excipients, sterilization and fumigation methods, colors, sweeteners, flavors, preservatives, and why we go above and beyond the label to create high quality products you can trust.

 

Beyond The Label: What’s Not Allowed In Gaia Herbs Supplements


Supplements are considered foods by the Food and Drug Administration and regulated as such.

Therefore, supplement manufacturers are required to list all functional ingredients, including herbs, vitamins, minerals, excipients, preservatives, sweeteners, colors, and flavors, on their labels.


However, functional ingredients aren’t the only things that wind up in supplements.

What you don’t see are the substances used in or on raw materials, as well as for manufacturing practices and standards, which can make or break a product's purity.

This is why Gaia Herbs strictly adheres to a “no list” when formulating, manufacturing, and sourcing raw materials. 

 

 

The Gaia Herbs "No List"


Sourcing and formulation standards are essential to uphold our mission, vision, and values now and into the future.

“Most people don’t realize that only a small percentage of the world’s ingredients meet our standards. After 35+ years of leading the herbal supplement industry, we’ve had to say “hell no” to many things, including those listed below. We sweat the details, so you don’t have to!”


No Harsh Extraction Solvents

Most dietary supplement ingredients are conventional (not certified organic), which means they can be extracted with harsh solvents, such as:

 

  • Hexane: Shown to negatively impact neurological function. *1 
  • Acetone: Toxic to the nervous system and can cause gastrointestinal, kidney, and respiratory problems. *2
  • Methanol: Can cause various toxic effects, including vision disturbance, respiratory issues, and organ damage if ingested or inhaled. *3  

These are harmful to the environment, manufacturing workers, and consumers, as small amounts of residue may remain in and on the end product.

For example, if acetone is being used, it must not exceed US Pharmacopeia residual solvent limits. However, some residue may still remain on the product, which is concerning, and not all companies test for them.


“Many consumers don't realize these practices exist in the supplement world, which is exactly why transparency has been a core value at Gaia Herbs since day one. Even when it’s not required to be shared on the label, we believe you have the right to know what’s in your supplements and how they’re made.” says Ashley Walgren, Gaia Herbs Manager, Sustainability and Impact.


What We Use Instead:

Gaia Herbs uses only petrochemical-free solvents in the extraction of our conventional and certified organic products, such as:

  • Water 
  • Ethanol 
  • Filtration 
  • Steam distillation  
  • Supercritical CO2 extraction methods  

Using petrochemical-free solvents does cost more—up to 30% per ingredient, however, it’s the only way we can offer an authetical extraction process without harmful residues.

“Some companies cut corners by using cheaper solvents or lower-quality ingredients to keep costs down,” says Ashley Walgren. “At Gaia Herbs, we’re committed to a safe process from seed to shelf. That commitment to purity and quality is why our products may cost a bit more, but it’s also why you can trust what’s inside.”

Learn more about Gaia Herbs’ extraction processes in Understanding Gaia Herbs Extraction Process.

 

No Harsh Excipients 

Excipients are used in supplements for various purposes, such as binding and forming tablets or gummies, acting as fillers, or facilitating the easy passage of an ingredient through manufacturing equipment. 


Excipients are essential for many types of supplements, and they’re not all bad. However, most supplements are conventional, meaning they can be manufactured with harsh excipients such as magnesium stearate, stearic acid, or microcrystalline cellulose.


Many of these excipients have questionable health effects and are sourced from petroleum products or GMO crops.

 


What We Use Instead:


Gaia Herbs strives to use non-harmful excipients in the formulation and manufacturing of our products.

 

Some of these ingredients include the following:

  • Rice hulls 
  • Glycerin 
  • Lecithin 
  • Gum acacia 
  • Psyllium husk 
  • Oat fiber 


These ingredients all adhere to organic manufacturing standards and are tested for purity.


No Harsh Sterilization Methods

Just like foods, herbs are subject to germs and bacteria, necessitating proper cleaning and sterilization before use.


Unfortunately, conventional supplement ingredients can be chemically treated with ethylene oxide (ETO) to reduce microbes.

Ethylene oxide is a carcinogen (a cancer-causing ingredient) *4, and not something you want to be ingesting, especially in a concentrated supplement.


What We Use Instead:

Only heat, dry steam, or deep-freeze organic-compliant methods are allowed for any organic or conventional dietary ingredient in Gaia Herbs’ supplements.


No Harsh Fumigation Methods

Fumigation is a common practice for domestic and imported ingredients, including food, herbs, and other consumables.

This means most conventional ingredients can be chemically treated with methyl bromide (MB) - a highly toxic fumigant chemical that depletes the ozone layer, is highly toxic to aquatic life, and is linked to respiratory illness, genetic defects, heart disease, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s Disease *5 — or ethylene oxide (ETO).

Although Gaia Herbs grows many herbs on our Regenerative Organic Certified herb farm, we also source from trusted global partners. So, effective, non-toxic fumigation is essential.


What We Use Instead:

Gaia Herbs only allows low-oxygen and temperature-controlled organic-compliant fumigation methods on any organic or conventional dietary ingredient.

This is specified in our vendor contracts, ensuring that no harmful fumigants are used during harvest, processing, or transportation.


No Artificial Colors

The debate over artificial colors has been raging for decades, but one thing is clear: health-conscious consumers don’t want them in their supplements.


Artificial colors, such as FD&C Blue 1 and FD&C Red 40, are used in some supplements to alter the color of the finished product or to maintain the color throughout its shelf life.

As a general rule of thumb, if a supplement’s color looks unnatural, it probably is.

 


What We Use Instead:


At Gaia Herbs, we believe less is more and have never added colors to our formulas.
Most of our supplements, including liquid phytocaps, tinctures, gummies, and syrups, have a green, brown, yellow, red, or amber color that reflects the plant's natural pigments.

 


No Artificial Sweeteners


Believe it or not, artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose have become common in various supplements.


They’re added to enhance sweetness without increasing sugar, carbs, and calorie content and may be found in gummies, syrups, liquids, powders, and chewables.

 


What We Use Instead:


Gaia Herbs prioritizes minimally processed, moderate amounts of natural sweeteners, including organic juices and purees, organic honey, and organic cane sugar.


Our capsules and tinctures do not contain any sweeteners, whereas our syrups and gummies contain one or a combination of the sweeteners listed above.

 


No Artificial Flavors

Artificial flavors have become increasingly prevalent in supplements, particularly in powders, liquids, and gummies.


These are created from synthetic compounds to enhance the flavor and mask the flavor of various inferior ingredients.

 


What We Use Instead:


Gaia Herbs uses only organic ingredients to improve the flavor of our gummies, like citrus peel, spices, essential oils, extracts, fruit juice concentrates, fruits, and purees as needed to ensure a great-tasting product, such as a gummy or liquid. 


For example, our Turmeric Supreme® Extra Strength Gummies are flavored with:

  • Organic Lemon peel essential oil 
  • Organic Ginger root extract 
  • Organic apple juice concentrate 
  • Organic apple puree concentrate
  • Organic mango puree
  • Organic banana fruit 
  • Organic pineapple juice concentrate 
  • Organic lemon juice concentrate 

And if you think it’s easy to make a turmeric gummy taste good without using lab-made flavoring agents, well, you’ve never tried! But we were committed and we did it (and you should definitely try these).


No Artificial Preservatives

Artificial preservatives such as sodium benzoate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are used in supplements to prevent oxidation and/or bacterial growth. 

Although artificial preservatives are generally considered safe in small amounts, those small amounts can add up if you’re ingesting them daily.



What We Use Instead:

Not all Gaia Herbs products require added preservatives.


For products that do, we only use citric acid, lemon juice, rosemary, and naturally derived ascorbic acid from acerola fruit. 

This is significant because most ascorbic acid is sourced from synthetic GMO corn, and our citric acid is a bacterial fermentation with non-GMO molasses.


Non-GMO Ingredients

Apart from alfalfa, traditional herbs aren’t exactly targets of GMO seed companies, so what does non-GMO mean for Gaia Herbs?

In herbal and other supplements, GMOs are often hidden in unsuspecting places.
GMO supplement ingredients derived from corn, sugar beets, soy, and cottonseed often come in hidden forms such as magnesium stearate, chelated minerals, vitamin E, maltodextrin, ethanol, glycerin, sugar, and citric acid.

In Gaia Herbs’ case, it’s not that the herbs are at risk of being GMO; it’s the fillers, excipients, and other ingredients.

 

What We Use Instead:

All Gaia Herbs’ raw materials and processed ingredients, including active, inactive, excipients, carriers, or any similar ingredients in the final product, must meet non-GMO criteria.

We are striving to obtain Non-GMO Project Verified status across the product line.


Final Thoughts

 

Choosing high-quality supplements starts with understanding what’s in them, and just as importantly, what’s not. Label reading is a great first step, but the truth is, some of the most important quality practices happen behind the scenes.


That’s why we created our “No List”, a clear set of standards that defines what doesn’t belong in our products, from harsh solvents to questionable excipients and sterilization methods. There’s no certification for that. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.


You won’t always see these extra steps called out on the label, but they’re built into everything we do, from how we source each plant to how we extract and formulate it. Every ingredient in every product is held to the same high standards for purity, potency, and integrity.

Because for us, providing high-quality herbal supplements isn’t a trend, it’s a commitment.


Beyond The “No List”: Other Benefits Of Choosing Gaia Herbs 

Now that you’ve seen everything behind our labels, here are some other benefits of choosing Gaia Herbs: 

  • We grow many of our raw materials on our Regenerative Organic Certified North Carolina herb farm 
  • Full-spectrum formulas grounded in science and traditional herbalism 
  • Certified B-corp 
  • We partner with like-minded growers and supply partners who meet our strict quality standards for products and social impact 
  • Sustainable sourcing of organic/wild-crafted raw materials 
  • cGMP-compliant manufacturing facilities 
  • All products are tested for purity, identity, and contaminants, from seed to shelf, in our ISO-certified laboratory



    1 -“Toxicological Profile for n-Hexane”. Atlanta (GA): Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US); 2025 Apr. CHAPTER 2, HEALTH EFFECTS.
    2 -“Toxicological Profile for Acetone”. Atlanta (GA): Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US); 2022 Jun.
    3 -“PubChem Compound Summary for CID 887, Methanol”. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
    4 -“Cancer-Causing Substances in the Environment”. National Cancer Institute.
    5 - National Center for Biotechnology Information (2025). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6323, “Methyl Bromide”.