Giving the gift of joy together - an Advent interview with Biomazing founder Anna

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, Christmas draws ever closer. We have also welcomed the festive season with the Biomazing Winter Wonderland. We take this as an opportunity to talk to Biomazing founder Anna Baumgartner about this special time of year. She tells us what makes her calm down, how she gets in the mood for this contemplative time and how she manages to give joy.

Biomazing: Sledging or ice skating?
Anna: Go for a walk and do yoga!

Biomazing: Your favourite biscuits?
Anna: Home-baked vanilla crescents and gingerbread.

Biomazing: Is your diary just as full at Christmas time as it is during the year?
Anna: (laughs) It's even fuller than usual! But I'm also more organised because I want to finish off a lot of things that still belong "in the old year" before the holidays.

Biomazing: How do you manage to calm down?
Anna: Cooking, eating, yoga, a long bath and reading.

Biomazing: Christmas is traditionally a very contemplative time. Is that important to you?
Anna: Yes, that's very important to me! Especially at Christmas time, people tend to let stress get the better of them, but for me it's these quiet moments that I value so much at Christmas.

Biomazing: Unfortunately, reflection is not always easy. Do you have any tips for us on how to make it easier?
Anna: My newly discovered go-to is Lotus Wei Holiday Cactus Flower Elixir! The Flower Elixir helps me to relax completely. Then I like to review the year. I think about what was good, what I would like to change, who and above all what is important to me and how I can spend more time on the things that are important to me.

Biomazing: How do you generally get into the Christmas spirit?
Anna: Baking this year - when it's cold and dark outside, it's just the right thing to do. This year I'm trying out completely new recipes from the Moon Juice Cookbook out. I'm excited and will report back ;-).

Biomazing: Speaking of "cold" - what does your beauty routine look like for the cold season?
Anna: The colder it gets, the more gently and intensively I care for my skin. For cleansing I use the Restorative Cleansing Balm from de Mamielthe scent and the feeling on the skin is my personal spa at home! I use the balm with my - as everyone who knows me knows - much-loved Dr Sponge Aloe Vera Sponge off. The combination of Cleansing Balm and Sponge feels like its own little treatment that also smells wonderful. I then mix the Safeas Tamanu Facial Oil with the Neroli hydrolate from Safeas and gently work it into my face. The products provide the necessary moisture and supply my face with nutrients and vitamins. I care for my neck and décolleté with the nourishing Pot of Gold Baby Balm.

My eyes are extremely dry in the colder months of the year, so I rely on the Boosted Eye Mask from Tata Harper for the day and the Global Treasures Balm by Lina Hanson for an extra boost of care and as an overnight treatment.

I swear by the effect of good face masks, currently these are Global Face Trio by Lina Hanson and the Tata Harper Overnight Mask  my absolute favourite face masks! The Face Trio makes my skin clear and fresh like no other mask, and I use the Tata Harper Moisturising Mask overnight for an extra dose of care and moisture, but also on planes and long car journeys.

Biomazing: And for your body?
Anna: I love the Moor Lavender Bath from Dr Hauschka, the warming Ginger Detox Body Oil from Safeas for the evening or the Body Serum from Lina Hanson for during the day. The Satori Perfume by Lina Hanson is a must for me - I can't get enough of their fragrances! I also enjoy the effects of the Lotus Wei elixirs and the Moon Dusts from Moon Juice.

Biomazing: Finally, dear Anna, what is important to you at Christmas?
Anna: For me personally, it is a time of silence, gratitude and caring for one another - a time of neighbourly love, if you will. Even though these themes are important all year round, they resonate particularly strongly at Christmas. When the days get shorter and the cosy snugger, people automatically move closer together. I appreciate the silence, the togetherness and am happy when I can do something with and for others.

Biomazing: Are you planning anything special this year to get closer to that?
Anna: Last year, we at Biomazing organised the event "Refugee crisis - What to do? What to do!" organised. It made me realise how much good you can do with individual actions. This gave rise to the idea of taking it in turns to get involved in good causes and making a kind of tradition out of it. That's why this year we are supporting the Children's Dream Foundation in Austria and the Kinderhilfe Sternschnuppe in Switzerland. Both projects are really close to my heart, as they fulfil a heartfelt wish for seriously ill and disabled children and bring them joy - there is hardly anything better for Christmas!