Skin care, Holistic Beauty, Care & make-up
The magic of Dr Hauschka - healing power and science
Feb
Almost all of us have been familiar with the Dr. Hauschka brand since childhood: we have seen the elegant glass bottles with the golden stripe and simple print in our mum's or grandma's bathroom, we know the smell of the rose cream from hugging or the intense fragrance of one of Dr. Hauschka's baths. And now, years later, we find ourselves reaching for the simple tubes again and again.
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The reason why Dr Hauschka has been successful on the market for so many years is not a marketing ploy, is not based on customers' desire for nostalgia and does not serve individual trends on the market. The simple reason is: Dr Hauschka Skin Care works.
Since its foundation in 1967, Dr Hauschka has dedicated itself to the production of skin care based on the anthroposophical approaches of the pioneering thinker Dr Rudolf Steiner. He had already founded the company WALA in 1935, which produced medicines based on the unique process of rhythmic plant extraction. The basic idea behind Dr Hauschka Skin Care was to produce a supplement to the WALA medicines. And this means that not only the medicines but also the cosmetics are obtained from raw materials that comply with the guidelines of biodynamic agriculture - developed by Rudolf Steiner himself.
Biodynamic agriculture goes beyond mere organic farming: while organic farming does without various substances (e.g. certain fertilisers) and procedures (e.g. cage and factory farming), biodynamic agriculture goes much further: as in organic farming, special - specifically all - chemical substances are not accepted in biodynamic agriculture. Instead, the cultivated soil is cultivated with special preparations made from medicinal plants, gravel and cow dung - also: nourished. In addition, the cosmic rhythms of the moon, the phases of the moon and the position of the planets are taken into account when making these preparations, during cultivation, harvesting and further processing. In this way, an attempt is made to respect the rhythm of the earth, but also the rhythm of the plants and to cultivate their essence and their healing power. Products obtained according to the guidelines of biodynamic agriculture meet the criteria of the Demeter certification body. Demeter-certified food promises the highest quality and the background of careful handling of the earth.
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The idea of cultivating the healing powers of plants and growing healthy and nutritious plants is an idea steeped in tradition. In the 1920s, farmers began to realise that the quality of the plants they were growing no longer corresponded to the quality they had enjoyed in their childhood: The flavour was less intense and the healing power of the plants (extracts) less potent. These observations were made just as the mass production of food and the addition of chemicals in agriculture were taking hold and beginning to spread.
The school of thought of anthroposophy (from the Greek anthropos - human and sophia - wisdom) knew a remedy. From the point of view of anthroposophy, every living being, whether human or plant, is part of a larger whole. Not only nature and the human being as such, but our entire environment, the whole universe and a superhuman dimension are in balance - and if this is disturbed, the quality of our lives suffers, as does the quality of the food and raw materials we produce. These are not only less flavourful, but also less intense in their power.
Incidentally, Jean-Claude Richard, founder of farfalla, takes a similar approach in an interview with twist. when asked why plants from wild collections are "better" than those from cultivated cultivation: "Plants are like people: Do you voluntarily move into a flat with people you don't like? We all feel better, happier and more energetic when we are in an environment that is good for us. It's the same with plants, they choose their neighbours carefully: Which environment provides enough light or shade? Which plant leaves nutrients in the soil that another needs? Which plants attract animals that do harm or good to others?".
Jean-Claude Richard is saying something crucial: Medicinal plants are about more than "just" their growth, they need to be strong and "happy" in order to develop their full powers.
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These brief extracts provide an insight into a higher order and a wealth of plant knowledge. The raw materials for Dr Hauschka Skin Care are therefore cultivated and harvested according to these guidelines.
But this is only the first half of the secret that makes Dr Hauschka products so special and sets them apart from other cosmetics companies. The other half is the processing of the lovingly obtained raw materials: processing using a rhythmised procedure. In this way, medicinal plants are preserved without having to add alcohol.
Medicinal plant extracts, oil extracts and essences are produced in rhythmised processes, partly by hand and partly by special machines. For plant extracts, the medicinal plants obtained according to the rules of biodynamic agriculture are crushed fresh after harvesting and left in water for seven days. During this time, rest and movement, light and darkness as well as heat and cold have an effect on the extract. At the end of the seven days, the extract is pressed and filtered. In some cases, a little of the ash produced during the pressing process is also added to the extract. The medicinal plant extract now carries the essence and power of the medicinal plant and can be kept for years.
This process also gave rise to the name WALA: Warmth Ash Light Ash.
This brief insight into biodynamic agriculture opens up a new world and explains many phenomena in the world of plants and therefore also in healing cosmetics. And it explains why generations swear by Dr Hauschka skincare: It works.
Here provides an overview of Dr Hauschka's skin care products and decorative cosmetics.
This article originally appeared on www.thetwist.ch, the predecessor of www.biomazing.ch
