Welcome to our frequently asked questions doc on all things plants.
Use the links below to navigate, and let us know if there are any questions not yet answered below that you think we should add! To view the full list of related FAQ topics, click here.
Each of our plant capsules are 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free - and they all start off their lives in a traditional way!
We work with a lab who take the raw material and they extract the active ingredients using a mixture of ethanol, water and glycerine. Once the extra plant matter is discarded, the remaining liquid is reduced down to a paste. This also means that there is no trace of ethanol left in the end result.
This high-concentrate paste is then shipped off to our partner flavour house based in Switzerland and the production team get together to discuss the best flavours for each plant we are working with. After some trial and error - and a whole lot of tasting - we choose the three best flavours to trial in our Pioneer Studies. At the end of each Study, only one flavour will make it forward!
After the flavour has been added at the sofi labs, we also have to add a natural preservative, we remix this with water to make a spray fine enough to get through our sofi pods - and there you have it!
Tried and trusted traditional methods, mixed with modern technology. Just the way we like it at sofi!
At sofi, we fingerprint each and every batch (harvest) of our plant remedies. “Fingerprinting” is essentially just a complicated term for collecting data that allows us to understand the complete profile of any given harvest of any given plant.
You see, unlike store-bought herbal remedies, fingerprinting our plants enables us to account for any external influence that may have impacted the ratio of active compounds within a particular extract.
Despite the use of plants for healing dating back thousands of years, there are still numerous technical challenges that natural medicine poses to the field of modern science - and ones we are only just beginning to unravel and truly understand.
Imagine the following scenario, for example:
You’re out for dinner at a restaurant when the waiter emerges and asks you what you’d like to drink. What if, instead of saying which bottle of red or white wine you planned to order, you just asked them to serve you grapes in a bottle! Kind of risky - wouldn’t you say?! It could quite possibly be the best dinner ever or the worst.
This is similar to the way we interact with store-bought remedies - each one claims to do something different, but none exactly specifies how and why that is.
What’s amazing, for those wine connoisseurs, however, is that they not only care for their type of wine and vineyard and location, but also the vintage or year the wine is from. This has to do with the fact that the ambient conditions year on year could be different, and the way that harvest receives sun, rain, will actually impact the availability of the compounds that really matter.
When it comes to other plants, it’s the same. Like us - the conditions in which plants grow can have a significant impact on them and the benefits they promote. Even the time in the lunar cycle that plants are harvested can impact on the ratio and potency of the active compounds that are present within.
In fact, between different species, batches, methods of extraction, active compounds, as well as external factors such as time of harvest, location, and storage conditions, the therapeutic properties of a given plant can differ completely.
As a consequence, the extent to which the plant actually works as intended to help an individual — whether it’s to reduce sleeplessness or increase calm — can vary completely if the chemical fingerprint of the specific plant extract is unknown.
At sofi, we realised there was a simpler way; we don’t have to standardise each and every one of our plants - we just have to understand what the differences between batches of our plants might mean for the individual using them.
And that is how we understand what works for you.
Not a lucky guess, or a “fingers-crossed!” - but a series of highly technical tests that we use to fingerprint every batch of our plants. In fact, you can watch the process in action at the sofi lab here, or learn more about the specific machines we use here.
The base of all our ingestible formulations is an ethanol/glycerol/water mix.
Use the links below to view the full list of ingredients for each of our active formulations:
Each sofi formulation is different depending on the base plant that we use. Some of the plants have very strong tastes that can be a challenge, so we work with an internationally-renowned flavour house in Switzerland to create the best complementary taste that we can for each plant.
During each Pioneer Study with new plants, we ask Pioneers to test three different flavours we have chosen, and at the end they vote for the one that goes forward to market. We always include what we call a ‘nude’ version which is just the plant extract with a little sweetness added by natural sweeteners - usually stevia. The sprays contain no added sugar.
For example, our valerian sprays were plain original nude, mint, and pink grapefruit citrus; our passiflora sprays were nude, eucalyptus/lime and rosehip; and our ashwagandha sprays were nude, caramel and cardamom. The winning flavour for each plant remains activated in our system (and available on subscription) moving forward.
Plant extracts are known to be much better preserved when ethanol is used in the formulating process, rather than simply drying herbs (particularly if powdered).
In a dispensary, dried herbs are considered to lose efficacy at around 6 months, but for ethanol and water extracts (similar to what we use) the shelf life can be up to several years.
We are currently in the process of stabilisation testing at the sofi labs, so an exact duration for the shelf life of each of our formulations will be coming soon! Until then, it’s safe to assume at minimal between 3-6 months. You’ll notice that our packaging is reflective of this by stating “use within 3 months of receipt” - but that’s not to say that a longer shelf life is not likely.
All of our flavours have been tested via our Pioneer Studies and voted for by other Pioneers just like you. Most Pioneers report that they find the taste to be quite palatable. When some people have found the taste challenging at first, it’s often that they get used to it after just a few days - and some even begin to love it! It’s incredible how the body can adjust to something that benefits it.
If you find the taste of a formulation to be especially difficult, we recommend having a drink of something, or a strong flavoured food that you like, nearby, so that you can quickly take the taste away. You could also try spraying the plant extract into a glass of water or juice and drinking that, for a more diluted version.
If the taste is really not tolerable for you, please get in touch by emailing us at hello@sofi.health and we will see whether another plant might be more suitable for you.
We reviewed hundreds of papers to select the best plants known for their scientific + therapeutic potential to naturally improve sleep and calm, and we work closely with herbalists, conservationists and botanic gardens to ensure the quality and sustainability of all our plants.
As a result, sofi formulations are about 10x more concentrated than the plants/tinctures you’ll typically find in health food stores or on supermarket shelves. This is what allows for unique personal discoveries to be made anywhere from just 10 days of use.
Of course, in order to optimise our formulation strength, we only use plants that have excellent safety data, and a long history of traditional use in the areas of wellbeing we aim to target.
Our spraying guidelines are therefore designed to not to give the body more than it needs, while providing ample impact. When it comes to certain individuals, especially those sensitive to medicines and supplements in general, it’s always wise to start with less and work one’s way up.
Yes, it is usually safe to drive after spraying with sofi because it does not contain any alcohol in the finished product. While sofi plant sprays can make you feel more relaxed, this is extremely unlikely to affect your ability to drive should you need to.
Of course, should you experience excessive sleepiness or difficulty concentrating for any reason, do not drive until you are free from symptoms and it is safe to do so.
We have two types of natural formulations: plant remedies you spray to swallow, and functional fragrances that you spray like a perfume, activating instantly to boost your mood.
Because pet pH, as well as allergies, dietary sensitivities, etc., can vary so drastically between different species and individuals - of course, as does the effect of the plants - we’re unable to make any safety assurances for pets.
We know in many cases the plants we use can be safe - for example, cats love valerian and a quick google search will tell you that it can even have beneficial effects! However, it is very important to understand that some commonly used plants that are safe for humans are extremely toxic for animals.
We’re always open to creating formulations and fragrances that are specifically designed and tested to be animal-safe, but naturally, this hasn’t been our focus to date.