Healthcarebear is our sister brand to Haircarebear. Haircarebear covers everyday hair, skin and general wellbeing, while Healthcarebear is focused on more specific health needs. Both ranges are made by us in the same TGA-licensed facility in Nowra, NSW, to the same standard. The difference between them is what they're for, not how or where they're made.
Meet Healthcarebear
Healthcarebear sits alongside Haircarebear rather than above it. It's made by the same team, in the same Nowra factory, to the same manufacturing standard, with a range built around more targeted health goals. The two brands are best thought of as siblings with different specialties.
Healthcarebear and Haircarebear: what's the difference?
The main difference is focus.
Haircarebear is the everyday range, covering hair, skin and nails, sleep, digestion, energy and immunity. It often uses natural and newer ingredients.
Healthcarebear is the targeted range, formulated around more specific health needs.
Beyond that, the two have more in common than not. Both are made in the same facility, to the same standard, by the same team. Neither is a step up from the other, and plenty of people use both.
Two different things called "TGA"
The letters "TGA" get used for two separate things, which is where a lot of the confusion comes from.
- A TGA manufacturing licence applies to the factory. It means the facility is licensed and audited by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to manufacture to therapeutic-goods standards. This applies to everything we make, across both brands.
- An ARTG listing (an AUST L number) applies to an individual product. It means that product is entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, which depends on the ingredients it contains and limits its claims to permitted, pre-approved indications.
So the manufacturing standard is the same for every gummy we make. Whether a particular product also carries an AUST L number depends on its ingredients, not on its quality.
Why isn't every product listed on the ARTG?
To be listed on the ARTG, a product can only contain ingredients from the TGA's set list of permitted ingredients, and that list doesn't cover everything.
It leaves out some natural ingredients, such as acerola (a natural source of vitamin C), and some newer or sports-related ingredients, such as berberine. A product built around an ingredient like that can't be listed, even though it's made in the same facility, to the same standard, as one that is. An AUST L number tells you about the ingredients a product uses and the claims it's allowed to make, not how well it's made.
Some of the more natural or newer formulations are the ones that fall outside the permitted list, which is one reason we run two brands instead of one. It lets us work with a wider range of ingredients than a single listed range could.
Where the gummies are made
Every gummy we make, under either brand, is produced in-house at our facility in Nowra, on the NSW South Coast, which holds a TGA manufacturing licence for gummies.
That's less common than you might expect. Many gummies, including a lot sold as supplements, are made in food-grade facilities rather than TGA-licensed ones, and plenty are made overseas. Manufacturing gummies to TGA standards is difficult: they're heat-sensitive and hard to dose consistently, and a TGA licence requires a level of process control, testing and documentation that most gummy makers don't have.
Our Nowra factory is one of only two TGA-licensed gummy manufacturing facilities in Australia, and one of a handful worldwide. Making everything ourselves means we oversee formulation, quality and testing from start to finish, and it's why both ranges are held to the same standard, whether or not a given product is listed on the ARTG.
All of our gummies are made on a pectin base rather than gelatin, which gives them a softer, chewier texture.
Which range is right for you?
It comes down to what you're looking for:
- Haircarebear for everyday support across hair, skin, sleep, digestion, energy and immunity.
- Healthcarebear for a more specific health need you want to target.
Many people use both. If you're not sure what's right for you, particularly if you take medication or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your pharmacist or health professional. You can see the targeted range on our Healthcarebear range page.
The bottom line
Healthcarebear and Haircarebear are two focuses made in one factory, to one standard. Haircarebear is for everyday hair, skin and wellbeing; Healthcarebear is for more targeted health needs. Both are made in our Nowra facility, one of the few places licensed to make gummies to TGA standards, and whether a product is listed on the ARTG comes down to its ingredients rather than how it's made.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Healthcarebear and Haircarebear?
Mainly focus. Haircarebear is the everyday range for hair, skin and general wellbeing; Healthcarebear is built around more targeted health needs. Both are made in the same TGA-licensed facility, to the same standard.
Is Healthcarebear higher quality than Haircarebear?
No. Both ranges are made in the same Nowra facility, to the same manufacturing standard. The brands differ in what they focus on, not in how they're made.
What does an AUST L number mean?
It means a product is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Listing depends on the product's ingredients being on the TGA's permitted list, and it limits the product's claims to pre-approved indications. It's a product classification, not a measure of quality.
Why aren't all your gummies listed on the ARTG?
Because the ARTG only allows a set list of permitted ingredients. Some ingredients, including natural ones like acerola and newer ones like berberine, aren't on that list, so a product built around them can't be listed, even though it's made to the same standard.
Where are the gummies made?
In-house at our facility in Nowra, NSW, which holds a TGA manufacturing licence for gummies, one of only two such facilities in Australia and a handful worldwide.
Written by the Haircarebear team. Reviewed by Katie van der Mye, Innovations Manager (BA, MPRA, MM).
This article is general information only and isn't medical advice. Please speak with your health professional about your individual needs.
Sources: Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) guidance on listed medicines, permitted ingredients and the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods; Haircarebear manufacturing information.