The Herbtender – Modern Adaptogenic Wellness
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The Herbtender founders Laura and Mark Neville refreshingly never actually intended to start up a wellness brand; however with a combination of Laura’s ADHD, hormonal concerns, stress and sleep struggles and Mark’s knowledge of natural adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms they saw a gap for trustworthy, high quality and accessible products. The Herbtender product formulation is supported by Schia Mitchell Sinclair BSc/MSc, Chief Medical Herbalist, as the founders look to not only cut through the (often) misinformed online trends around fungi but also educate consumers along the way. I caught up with The Herbtender founders to hear all about the journey so far.
‘We launched The Herbtender in 2020 with the ethos of combining deep knowledge of herbal medicine with modern science to create natural wellness products that were accessible, easy to understand and above all products that people could genuinely trust,’ explains Laura Neville.
Today these are still the guiding principles of the formulations which take time to come to market due to thorough research and testing. I reflect on the misinformation and noise that has since grown around ‘magic mushrooms’ across social media and how the founders inherently approach their formulations rooted in medical herbal knowledge. ‘This is one of the reasons The Herbtender exists,’ the founders explain, ‘a mushroom can suddenly become a ‘miracle ingredient’ on Instagram or Tik Tok but the reality is generally much more nuanced.’ To distance themselves from trend driven formulations, Laura and Mark brought on Schia who has over 25 years’ experience in herbal medicine as well as training at the College of Phytotherapy in the UK; her formulations include studies into the traditional use of a fungi, available evidence, how it should be prepared and how it works alongside the other ingredients in a formula. ‘She is now one of three herbalists on The Herbtender team which is really important to us.’
I note to Laura how there is a rising trend online around entheogen and rather dangerous claims about using ‘mushrooms’ as a miracle to cure years of stored trauma. Laura agrees, ‘I completely agree there needs to be responsibility here so we like to make an important distinction that none of our mushrooms or formulations contain psychoactive substances – we use functional mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps. They are non-psychoactive and are used to support normal physiological function. There is no intention or promise of creating altered states, extra-sensory experiences or anything of that nature. For us, mushrooms are grounded in herbal wellbeing. We are interested in their traditional uses, their naturally occurring compounds and the growing body of scientific research around them,’ she continues, ‘our approach is much more grounded. One of the things I love about herbal medicine is that it isn’t about finding a magic ingredient. It’s about understanding the bigger picture and how different plants and fungi can work together to support the body.’
The Herbtender range features capsules (supplements), organic drops, organic herbal teas seamlessly utilising the power of the adaptogens and herbs across the products, ‘they support the brain and body in a similar way to adapt however you are taking them. The main difference is how the body accesses it: a capsule needs to go through the digestive process before its contents become available to the body, whereas liquids such as teas and drops tend to be absorbed more directly.’
Choose from products formulated around needs: ‘Energy,’ ‘Sleep,’ ‘Focus,’ ‘Calm,’ ‘Immunity,’ ‘Performance,’ ‘Menopause.’ My way into Herbtender was through the organic drops but others might want to sit with an afternoon cup of herbal tea or take a supplement with your morning routine. The first Herbtender range was the capsules ‘because they are convenient and work really well for the many people who want the benefits but don’t necessarily want the taste of mushrooms and herbs.’
I was drawn to the Focus Organic drops finding that a combination of extreme stress leading to distracted thoughts and the effects of endless screen time was deeply affecting my concentration and attention span. ‘Schia formulates these from a glycerine and water base (not alcohol used in tinctures) which makes them usable by anyone. She has mixed in Lion’s Mane dual extract, Bacopa, Rosemary, Gotu Kola, Holy Basil, Lemon Balm. The final ingredient is Seagreens iodine which we included because iodine contributes to normal cognitive function, making it a natural fit within a formula designed to support focus and mental performance.’
Other enticing formulations include the Organic Energy Drops full of Red Panax Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, Schisandra, Chaga, Damiana and Seagreens. ‘Panax Ginseng has a very long history in Asian medicine and has traditionally been used for energy and vitality. Schisandra is another fascinating botanical with a long history in traditional herbal practice, particularly during times of physical and mental demand.’
The Herbtender formulations are about synergy rather than one hero ingredient so each component is designed to complement each other resulting in effects greater than the sum of its parts; as a herbal prescription would be created. Laura explains ‘I don’t see traditional herbalism and modern science as competing ideas,’ she continues, ‘for us, traditional use provides an incredibly rich starting point. It represents centuries of accumulated human experience and observation. Modern science then gives us tools to explore those traditions more deeply, helping us understand plant constituents, mechanisms and formulation approaches in ways previous generations couldn’t.’
The Herbtender stands apart as a modern adaptogen brand as they encourage consumers along on the journey of plant, herbs and fungi, ‘the products themselves are designed to make the stories approachable – there was a time when people simply knew which plants to reach for when they wanted to rest, focus or feel restored. The plants haven’t changed; we’ve just become disconnected from them.’
For The Herbtender founders and team they are just beginning with future plans to create more products for ‘people to easily bring the benefits of herbal medicine into their daily rituals.’ She adds ‘we want to keep growing the conversation around adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms and herbal medicine and ultimately show people that traditional plant wisdom has a place in the modern world – that for us is the magic.’