Here is a little more on the philosophy behind our ingredients, formulations and quality specifications.
Unique, Therapist-Led Formulations
“I was first introduced to pharmacognosy (plant medicine) in my late teens, and became a lifelong devotee of natural medicine and organic gardening. After training as a massage therapist in the 1970s I began studying herbs and essential oils in earnest in the early 1980s with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and became one of the first members of the International Federation of Aromatherapists in 1985.* Alongside creating therapeutic formulations, I’ve lectured widely and been involved in teaching and the introduction of natural therapies to hospital and hospice environments.The basic formulation for Odylique & Essential Care’s Repair Lotion has its origin in those early days for the relief of our family’s eczema and allergy-prone skin. I still create these unique formulations exclusively for Odylique today.”
Margaret Weeds, Founder
* Members of the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA) receive a 10% discount on Odylique products, please see www.ifaroma.org for more details.
Organic Purity & Performance:
Organic certification guarantees complete product purity. It also means our plant oils and medicinal herbs contain the maximum vitamins and other antioxidants that can be readily absorbed and utilised by the skin for its care and beauty. A true synergy of science and nature. Studies show that when plants are grown by organic agriculture, they are more resilient, and this gives them a higher vitamin and mineral content than when grown intensively and sprayed with pesticides and herbicides**.
**Amodio M and Kader A (2007), University of California and Fauriel J, Bellon S, Pienet D, and Amiot MJ (2007), ‘On-farm influence of production patterns on total polyphenol content in peach’
Maximum Antioxidants:
Antioxidant vitamins neutralise the damaging effects of reactive molecules called ‘free radicals’. These are generated in our body by its essential use of oxygen and on the skin by exposure to sunlight, airborne pollutants and some synthetic sunscreen agents. Unchecked, these free radicals cause a chain reaction of injury to the cells and tissues and, on the skin, results in sun damage, pigmentation and premature ageing. Brightly coloured fruit, vegetables, herbs and fresh, virgin cold-pressed oils are naturally rich in antioxidants, especially vitamins C, E, beta carotene and polyphenols so they play a very protective role in our diet, but what about our skin?
At Odylique we have long recognised that the skin needs the valuable protection of these potent antioxidants too and by incorporating them in their natural bio-available form into our skin care, we can harness the power of nature to full effect. We believe that using superior first cold-pressed virgin plant oils and active herbs extracted without heat to conserve their precious antioxidants and other vital constituents, is the key to success of our unique organic skincare.
Biodynamic Ingredients:
Biodynamic cultivation is an enhanced system of organic agriculture developed according to the exacting principles of Rudolph Steiner in the early 1920s. As with organic agriculture, no synthetic fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides or herbicides are used, but greater focus is placed on the synergy of nature by enriching the soil with special composting preparations to balance its valuable micro-flora and provide optimum growing conditions. This is proven to result in plants full of vitality, with an impressive spectrum of therapeutic constituents.
We incorporate these precious herbs wherever possible across our entire range. They are grown in our region on a biodynamic farm carrying both organic and Demeter certifications.