Cookie Policy
Last updated: 4 June 2026
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website. We also use browser local storage, which works similarly. This policy covers both.
Cookies We Use
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| hxc_refresh | Strictly Necessary | Keeps you logged in by storing a signed refresh token (httpOnly, Secure) | 30 days |
| hxc-auth | Strictly Necessary | Persists your login state across page loads (Zustand local storage) | Persistent |
| hxc-cart | Strictly Necessary | Saves your shopping cart contents between visits | Persistent |
| hxc-age | Strictly Necessary | Records your confirmation that you are 18+ and a researcher, preventing repeated age-gate prompts | Persistent |
| hxc:cookie-consent | Strictly Necessary | Records your cookie preferences so the consent banner only appears once | 12 months |
| _ga | Analytics (consent-gated) | Set by Google Analytics 4 to distinguish unique visitors. Only set if you accept analytics in the cookie banner. Third-party (Google LLC, US — Standard Contractual Clauses). | 13 months |
| _ga_G-ZVQLM8VRKD | Analytics (consent-gated) | Set by Google Analytics 4 to persist session state for our specific property. Only set if you accept analytics. Third-party (Google LLC). | 13 months |
Analytics & Your Consent
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand which products and pages researchers find most useful. Analytics cookies are only set if you accept analyticsin the cookie banner that appears on your first visit. If you decline (or close the banner without accepting), no analytics cookies are set and Google Analytics receives no data about your session.
You can change your choice at any time by clearing the hxc:cookie-consentcookie in your browser settings — the banner will reappear on your next visit.
Google Analytics processes IP addresses with the last octet truncated (GA4 default) and we have not enabled advertising features, demographic reports, or remarketing audiences. Data is stored on Google servers in the US under Standard Contractual Clauses for the transfer mechanism.
Cookies We Do Not Use
We do not use:
- Advertising or remarketing cookies (no AdWords, Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, etc.)
- Social media tracking pixels
- Third-party marketing or affiliate-tracking cookies
- Session-replay tools (Hotjar, FullStory, Clarity, or similar)
Legal Basis (PECR & UK GDPR)
Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), strictly necessary cookies do not require prior consent. The analytics cookies above are set only with your active consent via the cookie banner, as required.
Managing Cookies
You can clear cookies and local storage via your browser settings at any time. Note that clearing strictly necessary data will log you out, clear your cart, and re-trigger the age gate. Declining or clearing analytics will not affect how the site functions.
Contact
Questions about our use of cookies: privacy@helixcore.co.uk