Dr. Hauschka

The list reads like a garden inventory: daisies, poppies, carrots, strawberries, ginger, peppermint, lavender. And yet, it’s simply a sample menu of ingredients you may find in the composition of a Dr. Hauschka product. These natural blends are rooted in the teachings of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, a scholar and educator who introduced the concept of Anthroposophy in 1914, a philosophy based on sensory experience and intuition.

The Dr. Hauschka Spa in Montreal.

Dr. Rudolf Hauschka was first introduced to this spiritual science in 1924, when he attended a lecture given by Steiner on farming in Germany. During his speech, Steiner said, “Study rhythm. Rhythm carries life.” This summation resonated with Hauschka, who went on to create a water-rose extract that formed the foundation of the Dr. Hauschka beauty brand. The Rose Day Cream, the brand’s first product (still one of its most popular today) was launched in 1967.

The new spring/summer collection continues the brand’s commitment to 100 per cent natural products, and introduces six additions: a blush trio, two eyeshadow duos, one Kajal eyeliner, a lip gloss, and a lipstick. The collection harkens to the mood and shades of spring blossoms, and with Dr. Hauschka’s all-natural mandate, each one feels good too. The collection’s Lipstick 18—a golden apricot shade—is a neutral, everyday staple. Eyeshadows are made with real silk, and the blush contains the natural essential oil of the brand’s signature Damask rose, which gives it a subtle fragrance.

Dr. Hauschka’s Face Care collection.

Dr. Hauschka’s international makeup artist Karim Sattar, who is based in Hamburg, Germany, advises, “Building up a good canvas is crucial. Dr. Hauschka started with skin-care items, and rose is the brand’s signature product. It’s all about harnessing natural healing and treating properties, even when it comes to decorating.” Treatments at the Dr. Hauschka Spa in Montreal, helmed by chief esthetician Enaam Takla, help to achieve this healthy base. (Signature treatments are also offered at certified spas across the country.) As for the ingredients that form the line, Sattar favours Anthyllis extract. “We grow it in Germany and harvest it there. It takes care of the skin’s moisture level and balances it out, so it’s good for all skin types. It’s one of our main ingredients. In eye products, black tea energizes, but it also soothes around the eye area.”

The benefits of various extracts extend beyond their primary use; as in nature, these elements harmonize in combination with each other. Ingredients like argan oil in Dr. Hauschka lipsticks moisturizes lips, but also creates a creamy base that can be used as a blush or swiped under the eyebrow as a highlighter. The protective elements of the Dr. Hauschka brand go hand-in-hand with conscious consumerism and health awareness too. “Women are so careful about what they wear, what they eat, and where they live,” Sattar says. “Yet, they put on a mascara that is so full of chemicals. You think, what’s the point? Cosmetics are applied very close to the body’s entry points: the eyes, the nose, the mouth. You swallow a lot of the chemicals. And anything today can be labeled organic because companies can get organic certification for just one ingredient.

“That was the main reason I started working for Dr. Hauschka,” he continues. “Consumers need to understand that organic cosmetics, natural cosmetics, can achieve what they want to achieve with conventional makeup, whether that’s saturation or staying power.” And the spring collection, with its vivid hues of greens, blues, violets, and pinks, proves just that.