Martina Gebhardt Natural Cosmetics » More than Organic . . . because we are just different! Nurturing beauty is a highly developed art, and creating cosmetic products reflects the intimate bond between our senses and sensuality. Modern cosmetics is the art of preserving and nurturing this natural order, which helps to maintain and promote the beauty of the body.
Wisdom is gained by letting go the non-essential ~ Laotse, 604 B.C.
The philosophical insight that less is more is taken seriously in the way these products are manufactured. Martina Gebhardt products contain only those ingredients that are necessary and that complement each other to create that special, magical essence that exceeds the sum of its individual components.
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Quality
Product ingredients are predominantly culled from biodynamic sources and has been produced in accordance with the stringent biodynamic Demeter guidelines. As with all Martina Gebhardt's organic skin care products are free of parabens, petroleum-based or synthetic emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, and fragrances.
All ingredients are 100% natural.
All products are 100% free of animal testing. Raw materials were produced without any inhumane animal practices.
All products are 100% Demeter-certified. This ensures top quality for natural cosmetics and foods and ensures biological-dynamic farming, processing of raw materials and product manufacture.
No synthetic raw materials, surfactants, glycerol, titanium dioxide, preservatives or alcohol for our creams and lotions.
More than 95% of our raw materials are from certified organic cultivation or Demeter contract cultivation.
We prepare our own spagyric essences. Spagyric describes a method of making medicinal remedies that has been known for several thousand years and has its roots in the Orient and Himalayan cultures.
This preparation follows rhythmical, biodynamic principles.
All products have the official seal for certified natural cosmetic products.
How to Use
All cosmetic products should be applied sparingly, nurturing rather than inhibiting the skin's own functions. Using creams with an ideal pH value of 6 to 7, you assist your skin in preserving its natural protective barrier.
There are no cosmetic products that can completely prevent the natural aging process of the skin, however, nature is abundant with plant oils and herbs that can preserve the elasticity and vitality of the skin, giving it a healthy and soft appearance. No chemical synthetic imitations can nurture and protect the skin as natural substances can.
It's simple; follow your desire and try something that appeals to you, that you have an "appetite" for. Surely, you do not feel like eating carrots every day, do you? The same goes for your skin. Your body and/or your skin will no longer absorb the same substances once they are saturated with them. For different skin types, we suggest certain products; however, we also recommend that you trust your sense of smell and your own perception because the herbs contained in the products will attract you through their fragrances. If a certain fragrance is pleasing to you, you will also harmonize with the ingredients associated with it (the affinity principle). Don't worry, we will not fool your sense of smell!
Product Formulas
Our products are formulated to support the skin's natural functions, so you can be assured that your skin will remain healthy, always returning to its natural balance.
Our skin creams have a moisture content of about 50 percent, e.g., herbal extracts in pure spring water, and contain 50 percent oily substances, e.g., plant oils, fats and waxes. This corresponds to the composition of the hydrolipid layer (the lipid-moisture ratio of our skin) of the skin of a 20-year-old-woman. Nouri-shing this skin layer helps support the vitality, health and smoothness of your skin. Moisturizing creams, oil-based creams and oils impair the natural balance of the skin causing the skin to become increasingly drier.
We use wool wax in our skin creams as an emulsifier. The wool wax is produced by a washing and centrifuging process that results in a virtually pesticide-free substance. Wool wax is an excellent skin care substance especially suited for dry and allergy-prone skin types. In our cleansers and facial lotions we use lecithin and pea starch as emulsifiers, both produced by certified organic cultivation. Coconut butter alcohol is added for consistency. This non-irritating substance makes the skin smooth and soft.
All creams can be combined with any of our other products.
Tips
In the morning it is sufficient to cleanse the skin with water only unless you have been using a very oily cream at night. In that case, you should use the appropriate cleanser for your skin type. After rinsing, a facial tonic refreshes and revitalizes the skin. Apply the tonic by patting it on to stimulate the skin and then massage the cream into the slightly moist skin. You only need to use a little bit of cream.
In the summer, we recommend using facial lotion; for the winter months we recommend using our skin creams. The facial lotion is perfectly suited as make-up base.
In the evening, all that is usually needed is the cleanser. Thoroughly massage the cleanser into the skin and rinse it off with lukewarm water. This will provide enough oil to protect your skin overnight, still allowing your skin to "breathe". This means that perspiration and waste products can reach the surface of the skin without obstruction. If you prefer a somewhat richer skin care for the night, we recommend using either our facial lotion or our cream for your skin type.
You can adjust the consistency of the skin care emulsion to your individual needs. If you feel like "thinning" the skin cream, simply mix with a small amount of the corresponding lotion before applying this mixture onto your skin.
100% of our products are Demeter-certified.
The international organic products brand Demeter is represented on every continent. From Argentina to Hungary, over 3,500 operations farm approx. 100,000 hectares of land in 38 countries in accordance with the consistent biological-dynamic Demeter guidelines. Worldwide sales of Demeter products are estimated at 220 million euros.
This association concentrates on human beings and their needs, but does equal justice to ecological, economic and social responsibilities. Fair prices and social commitment are among the shared fields of enterprise involved.
The concern at Demeter is not only about an economic balance with nature, but also with the entire cosmos. Planting, harvest and production are geared to the courses of the stars such as the sun and moon. Paracelsus, Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, as well as Rudolf Steiner, have investigated these things in various forms and have shown us how we can utilize these energy states in many useful ways. Regarding biological-dynamic farming, the effectiveness of this approach has been confirmed by scientific research work (DOK test) over many years.
The Demeter guidelines for natural cosmetics dictate that at least 90% of the ingredients must be products of controlled biological-dynamic agricultural practice. The remaining 10% may also be from controlled organic farming. The emulsifiers must be natural and have been produced in a manner that leaves them in their organic state as far as possible. Salts, water and minerals are not assessed. Products containing between 66 and 90% Demeter-certified raw materials are labelled as such. GMOs (genetically manipulated organisms) and nanotechnology are not allowed at all.
Martina Gebhardt is convinced that the key to harmony and health lies in a holistic way of seeing things. "No one really knows how energy processes are transferred to our body and skin, how they influence us. There is no doubt that we can learn from older cultures in which body, soul and spirit were still considered as a whole." For over 30 years now, my natural cosmetics have been 100% organic products on the basis of my conviction that this is the right thing to do. I now want to take a further consequential step in this direction, i.e. to expand "organic" to include the holistic aspect of the rhythms and dynamics of nature, as is done in biological-dynamic farming.
Natural cosmetics 100% free of animal testing
The symbol of responsibility and the guidelines of the German Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals e. V., Bonn. To make an obligatory declaration to law that:
No animals tests are made for the development and production of the end product.
No raw materials are processed which had been tested on animals for the first time after January 1st, 1979. It is decisive that the substances had been on the market before January 1st , 1979 - irrespective of the fact that they had been tested on animals before this date (01.01.79). Synthetic substances which had been put on the market after this particular date mustn't be tested on animals. However, neither we nor the producers of the positive-list can prevent that a synthetic substance (which had already been on the market before January 1st, 1979) or a natural eatable raw material had been tested on animals by a third person and maybe still is. If they don't have any contact to the concerning company, the producers who are in the positive-list must be allowed to keep on using the specific substance.
No raw materials are used which have been tested in animal experiments or for which animals have been killed (e.g., mink oil, tortoise oil,...)
No economic dependence on other companies which make animal testings or charge other companies with animal experiments (e.g. pharma industry)
To make a detailed list of raw materials including the name of the supplier.
Complete declaration of the product's content on the packing or in the catalogues. If the contents are not declared please ask the company for further information or contact the IHTK e.V.
