María Hrefna Hjálmarsdóttir Ringdal

Founder

Languages spoken: English, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian

Expertise: Herbs, Regenerative agriculture, Health, Skin, Beauty, IT, Webdesign, SEO, Marketing, SOME marketing.

Fun fact: I’ve lived in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and even the United Arab Emirates — but my heart belongs to my family and the herbs on my little farm in Finnøy.

About the Founder

María Hrefna Hjálmarsdóttir Ringdal is the founder of Herb Woman School — a lifelong herbalist, educator, natural skincare formulator, and advocate for living in harmony with nature.

Her journey into the plant-based life began in childhood, guided by two grandmothers who used wild herbs from the mountains and countryside — both in cooking and as medicine. Their influence gave María a deep-rooted understanding of how herbs can be woven into everyday life — not only as remedies, but also as nourishing, preventative food.

A clinical herbalist, teacher, and visionary behind Herb Woman School, María was raised among Iceland’s wild landscapes and now lives on a small farm in Rogaland, Norway, where she tends her garden in harmony with the rhythms of nature — guided by sustainability and centuries-old herbal wisdom.

Her deep connection to plants began at age five, when she immersed herself in herbal traditions passed down by her grandmothers — wise, nurturing women deeply attuned to the natural world. Their mentorship shaped María’s lifelong respect for the healing power of plants and her view of herbalism as both a craft and a calling.

With a multidisciplinary background in herbalism, biology, aquaculture, skincare science, and winemaking, María brings both depth and breadth to her teaching. She has held leadership roles across various industries — from tech and finance to wellness and hospitality — and previously ran one of Norway’s largest natural beauty clinics, where she served thousands of clients with her own line of herbal skincare products.

Having lived and worked in Iceland, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and Norway, María speaks five languages fluently and moves effortlessly between cultures. Her mission is to empower others through grounded, plant-based knowledge — making herbalism accessible, practical, and rooted in both tradition and scientific integrity.

Over the years, María has worked as an IT project manager, managing director, financial director, quality manager, marketing director, hotel manager, and network administrator — and more recently, as a small-scale farmer and clinical herbalist. She has spent more than half her life abroad and worked internationally, including in the oil services sector as a quality manager.

At one point, María operated one of Norway’s largest beauty clinics — more than 1,100 square meters in size and serving over 3,000 clients — where she offered her own range of natural skincare products, many of which she personally formulated. Long after closing the clinic, clients continued reaching out to say they had never found creams that worked as well, especially those struggling with rosacea.

Her Philosophy on Natural Beauty

María teaches her students to formulate truly natural skincare products from scratch — without synthetic fillers or misleading “green” branding. Her motto is: Back to nature, as much as possible.

More than 14 years ago, she made the bold decision to remove all synthetic substances and toxins from her salon services. As her knowledge of skin science deepened, she realized these ingredients did not serve the long-term well-being of her clients. Today, her approach is echoed in growing international movements — especially in the U.S. — where more and more people are turning away from harmful cosmetic ingredients.

Education and Expertise

María holds formal qualifications in both marketing economics and clinical herbalism, and has completed university-level studies in:

Cosmetology, dermatology, biology, anatomy, and physiology
Aquaculture (fish farming)
Viticulture and winemaking
Natural product formulation and organic skincare science

Institutions and Programs:

Lund University (Sweden): Computer Science and Database Systems
Buskerud University College (Norway): Cosmetology, Dermatology, Anatomy, Physiology, Skin Disorders, Immunology, Psychology, Ethics
Executive Foundation (Lund): Marketing Economics, Sales, Advertising Technology, Statistics, Market Analysis
Egilsstaðir College (Iceland): Natural Sciences Track – Chemistry, Botany, Physics, Biology
Ecoversity: Clinical Herbalism, Sustainable Living, Permaculture Garden Design
Formula Botanica: Diplomas in Organic Skincare Formulation, Advanced Cosmetic Science, and Beauty Brand Management
Certificates in: Natural Preservation and Cosmetic Stability Testing
ACS: Horticulture and Viticulture
Swedish Carbon Storage Institute: Regenerative Agriculture

Daily Herbal Practice

Today, María lives on a small farm in Rogaland, Norway, where she grows herbs in a semi-wild, sustainable garden. Many of her plants are used both for food and medicine. She is passionate about making herbal knowledge practical, empowering, and rooted in tradition.

She believes true healing often doesn’t come from isolated tinctures alone — but from the daily integration of herbs into life through food, teas, rituals, and habit. Her teaching bridges traditional wisdom, scientific understanding, and lived experience.

Lifelong Learning

María is a passionate lifelong learner. She has always had an intuitive ability to absorb and retain knowledge, and she continues to explore new ideas through study, experimentation, and experience. She is currently completing her book, “Food as Medicine,” written from an herbalist’s perspective on nourishment. All students enrolled at Herb Woman School will receive a free copy when it is released.