I was first introduced to the Dr. Hauschka line—strangely enough—in a Sephora fourteen years ago. The salesperson was baffled by its at stringent and out-there manufacturing standards. "All the employees have to pray before they start work," she explained, wide-eyed. "They go out to this rose garden and pick rose petals and bless the bowls they mix their formulas in with a ceremonial feather." I kid you not. I have no idea of knowing whether this was an apocryphal rumor started by an overzealous brand rep or if they indeed go that far.
What I do know is that the ingredients are top notch, and that Germans have a heritage of bathing, spas, and clean simple skincare. This cream by Dr. Hauschka is akin to Weleda's Skin Food in how relentlessly nourishing it is, it's thick and white and takes a bit of effort to work into the skin. But put it on in the morning and you'll still be feeling dewy by the afternoon. It's rich, but not oily. And the rose scent is really special.
Because there's no SPF in it, I use something else in the mornings, but stash a tube of this in my handbag during winter months. I love this cream for traveling and cocooning my face against dry airplane cabin air, and for touch ups during the day—particularly when I was pregnant and would get incredibly dry in the afternoon. I love dabbing this on the cheekbones to impart a little glow, or to take down my makeup down a notch if I'm feeling too done up. (Kind of like that Chanel adage, where you look in the mirror and take off one accessory before heading out the door.)
What's in it? Rose hips and rose petals. And not from your average roses, but Ethiopia's famed Damask roses (apparently, the quality of roses there is on par with Bulgaria and Turkey). The hydrating ingredients are shea butter, avocado oil and rose petal wax. Plus, holistic ingredients like St. John's wort and marshmallow extracts to calm inflammation and soothe.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Alcohol, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Bentonite, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Lysolecithin, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Bran Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, Citral*, Farnesol*, Eugenol*, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Wax.
$42.95 / Pharmaca
