The Texas-based skincare company FarmHouse Fresh is proving that even sustainability is bigger in Texas. Founded in 2004 by Shannon McLinden, the company uses hydroponic and aquaponic growing techniques alongside organic agriculture practices to grow their ingredients while investing in clean energy companies.
It also doubles as a nonprofit farm animal sanctuary with more than 40 special needs animals. The Dallas-area company is dedicated to keeping the planet and all of its species healthier and greener.
Photo Courtesy Farmhouse Fresh
FarmHouse Fresh partners with local farmers, all of whom use sustainable practices, no pesticides, and minimal water. The company also has a strict zero-waste process, anchored by its policy to recycle all leftover crops for food for one of the local grower’s chickens.
McLinden also invests in various other companies that rely on clean energy resources, including the Clearloop solar project in the Mississippi River Delta. That Panola, MS, investment means three pounds of carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere with every shipment of FarmHouse Fresh skincare products.
FarmHouse Fresh began with one sea salt exfoliation trio that combined fine-grain sea salt with rice bran oil so successfully that even Oprah Winfrey put her name behind it. That product became the basis of a company designed as a unique way to fund its eponymous animal rescue.
To date, Farmhouse Fresh sustainably grows and ships botanical extracts that are used by thousands of resorts, hotels, and spas from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area to Dubai.
And Taylor Swift credits the products for her “dewy glow.”
Photo Courtesy FarmHouse Fresh
For McLinden, it’s always been about far more than just skincare. In an industry where many products are cruelly tested on animals, FarmHouse Fresh takes it a step further, focusing on its own FarmHouse Fresh Sanctuary. The animal rescue currently houses numerous horses, goats, and donkeys.
The company’s latest fundraising project — “Smurfy Ever After Animal Rescue Project” — is in collaboration with the popular 1980s-era “Smurfs” cartoon. The collection features products infused with FarmHouse Fresh’s hydroponically-grown botanical microgreens, including blue plants like blue tansy, blue borage oil and blue lotus flower, and fresh organic fruits from local farms.
Through this project, FarmHouse Fresh donates $1 from each sale to help urgent animal cases nationwide.
So far, the project has raised more than $35,000 for nine animal rescues, including Michigan’s Turning Point Donkey Rescue, Dog is My Copilot in Wyoming, and the Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida.
Photo Courtesy FarmHouse Fresh
“The Smurfs have always been close to our hearts, and this collaboration encapsulates the perfect blend of nostalgia and our commitment to animal welfare,” McLinden said in a statement. “Our customers, many of whom grew up watching the Smurfs and collecting the figurines, are giddy about trying a Smurfberry Jam facial mask, Smurfcake Moon Dip, and the entire collection.”
“This collaboration was perfectly aligned with our ‘Rescue for 2’ mission — rescuing complexions and animals in need,” she continued.
People can donate directly to the FarmHouse Fresh Sanctuary online and feel good knowing any skincare purchases go not only to create a more circular, healthy environment but also to heal animals in need.
Photo Courtesy FarmHouse Fresh Skincare
“Our pillars are grow, spa, and rescue, which is unique for the spa industry,” McLinden told “People.” “We feel very close to animals and believe they are part of healing and wellness.”
