Wellbeing Journal
WHAT ARE BIODYNAMIC PREPARATIONS
At Jurlique we grow most of the botanical ingredients that we use in our skin care products on our biodynamic* farm in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills. We use healthy, powerful plants that are carefully chosen for their skin-benefitting properties, using biodynamic* practices which we believe enable us to grow the purest, best quality botanicals possible. We believe that by following biodynamic farming techniques, we’re harnessing all the positive, living energies from Nature, as well as farming in the most sustainable way possible. The plants and herbs we grow are nutritional for the skin, enriching for the soul and good for the planet. There’s a lot that goes into biodynamic* farming (read our guide to biodynamic farming here) and a lot of the work goes into biodynamic preparations. The preparations are placed in the farm environment to enrich the soil, encouraging the plants to be spiritually good for the body and have the highest vital life force energy when harvested. When Rudolph Steiner established biodynamic principles, he came up with nine ‘preparations’, which are made from herbs, mineral sources and animal manures. Turned into field sprays and compost, it is these preparations that aid fertilisation – rather than synthetic, chemical-driven fertilisers you’d typically find in conventional farming. These preparations are used on the farm to activate and enhance the energy of nature into the whole farming system. Earth, Atmosphere, Cosmos THE NINE BIODYNAMIC PREPARATIONSBiodynamic preparations are numbered 500-508 and are all used for different reasons. 500 and 501 are considered the most important for maintaining the health of the soil, whilst 502-506 are placed in the compost. When added to each compost row in a specific order, it encourages a balanced process and to addresses certain key elements for plant health. Prep 507 is sprinkled over the compost bringing warmth to the heap. 500 HORN MANUREHorn Manure 500 is the first to be used and usually applied twice a year. Fresh cow manure is buried in autumn and dug up in spring. It’s then mixed with water and sprayed to the base of the plants to feed the soil (think of it as a superfood). Use of this preparation encourages:• Healthy humus formation• Mineral retention and availability• Improved crumb structure• Beneficial soil microbes, including nitrogen fixers• Soil animal life, increase of earthworms• Improved absorption and retention of water• Fine, highly developed, robust root systems• Improved nutrient uptake 501 HORN SILICAHorn Silica 501 is the original biodynamic atmospheric spray and is made from ground up clear quartz crystal and buried in the ground over summer. Horn Silica aids photosynthesis and increases the quality of the final product, including its ripeness, sweetness, flavour, fragrance, shelf life and dry fibre content. Like 500, this prep is mixed with water to be sprayed over the crops and soil, using a stirring method that increases oxygenation and, we believe, draws cosmic influences into the water. Biodynamic farming 502 YARROWYarrow remedies weaknesses in flowering and fruiting and strengthens the plant against insect attack. The radiant energy of this preparation affects the whole of the compost, enabling it to enliven the soil. Yarrow also attracts a lot of good bug life to the farm, including ladybirds which eat the aphids off our Roses. 503 CHAMOMILEChamomile stimulates the calcium processes in relation to Sulphur. It also contains homeopathic Sulphur, which allows it to attract other substances. It keeps the plant healthy by warding off harmful effects of fruitification. When added to compost, a more stable nitrogen content develops, enlivening the soil and stimulating plant growth. 504 NETTLEThis preparation carries the influence of potassium, calcium, Sulphur and iron, in relation to activity in the soil, making the compost heap inwardly sensitive and receptive. It helps the soil develop an intelligence to accommodate the plants which are growing in it. 505 OAK BARKOak bark has a high calcium content. It acts as a mediator between the plant and the living Earth and stimulates calcium processes to prevent plant diseases. 506 DANDELIONDandelion contains silicic acid and draws in influences of the cosmos. The potassium – silica relationship in the dandelion is transferred to the compost. The dandelion prep gives the soil the ability to attract silica from the cosmos and sensitises the plant to its environment so that it can attract what it needs. 507 VALERIANValerian helps the compost to attract the force of phosphorous-activating bacteria within the soil. It is used for frost protection and to stimulate flowering. Like Yarrow, Valerian brings good bug life to our farm (it’s also great food for our bees). 508 HORSETAILHorsetail is a harmful weed in South Australia, so we used Casuarina as a replacement, which has been approved by Biodynamics Agriculture Australia. Mixed with water and turned into a spray, this helps strengthen the plants to fight fungal diseases and can clear mildew on fruit. To find out more about biodynamic* farming, read our guide here. And to see our farm and biodynamic preps in action, discover our farm tours in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills.*Certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. Jurlique’s products and farm are not certified of affiliated with Demeter® USA or Demeter International.
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THE ROLE OF BEES ON OUR FARM, AND WHY THEY MATTER
At Jurlique, the power of Nature is at the heart of everything we do. The clean air and soil of the Adelaide Hills is what brought our co-founders, Jurgen and Ulrike Klein, to South Australia and why they chose it as the birthplace of Jurlique. We believe the rich biodynamic* soil on our biodynamic* farm enables our plants to be the most powerful and potent they can be, and that we can capture that life force in our exclusive Bio-Intrinsic method. We believe by following biodynamic* farming techniques, we’re harnessing all the positive, living energies from Nature, as well as farming in the most sustainable way possible. Biodynamics* is an all-encompassing approach to farming and uses the sun, moon, stars and planets of Earth to bring about balance and healing, treating the farm as a living organism – one that’s self-contained and self-sustainable. Organic farming is defined by its use of organic fertilisers. Biodynamic* also adheres to these principles but while organic permits imported fertilisers, biodynamic* requires that a farm produce its own fertility as much as possible through the rotation of crops, with no outside inputs. There’s a lot that goes on at our farm but one of the most important roles is that of the bees in our beehives. Bees are essential in pollinating and propagating the plants and flowers. It’s their round-the-clock toil that promotes floral growth and sustains the vast volumes of concentrated botanicals on our farm. Pam Cherry, our Herb Farm Coordinator who has worked at the Jurlique Farm since 2005, says: “The bees send out scouts every morning and find what’s flowering. And they do wiggly dances and they’ll wiggle in the direction that everyone’s got to fly to. All the workers will then know where to fly to and they’ll all forage around. Some things have a lot of nectar, some have pollen, some have both. They’re amazing, the amount of work that they do. “Being a no-waste and biodynamic* farm means we are responsible for caring for the whole farm as a unit. Each part we care for – be it the soil, water or bees – is creating a healthy vitality. The end result flows through to our products,” explains Pamela. According to a report compiled by Greenpeace, bees are paramount for ensuring sustainable crop production. Bees don’t just help us with our crops either – by following biodynamic* farming practices, we’re promoting biodiversity and safeguarding bees. The report cites scientific studies that have shown that chemical-intensive industrial agriculture is implicated in the decline of bees and pollination, with fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides having a negative impact on bee health. To find out more about the sustainable practices on our Jurlique Farm, read our Sustainability Report. *Certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. Jurlique’s products and farm are not certified or affiliated with Demeter® USA or Demeter International.
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USING OUR EXCLUSIVE BIO-INTRINSIC™ METHOD TO CRAFT UNIQUE SKIN CARE
At Jurlique, we take a slightly spiritual and holistic approach to creating our skin care products. It all starts on our biodynamic* farm in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills – a place chosen as the purest place on Earth thanks to its unpolluted air and optimum climate. It’s an approach to farming that uses the sun, moon, stars and planets to bring about balance and healing, treating the farm as a living organism – one that’s self-contained and self-sustainable. Through biodynamic farming, we can sustainably produce healthy, powerful plants that harness, activate and enhance the energy of Nature; we then extract this using our exclusive Bio-Intrinsic™ method. These extracts allow us to utilise the power of these plant in our products and, we believe, create the best possible formulations for your skin. WHAT IS OUR BIO-INTRINSIC™ METHOD? Our exclusive Bio-Intrinsic™ method is an alchemistic process that involves three stages, where all the powerful ingredients from plants and herbs are extracted and the essence and life force of the plant is captured. This method is a modern interpretation of the ancient ‘Spagyric’ process thought to have been originally invented by the Renaissance Physician and Alchemist Paracelsus in the 15th century. ‘Spagyric’ derives from the Greek words 'spao' and 'ageiro', roughly translating to ‘separate’ and ‘combine’. Sometimes called plant alchemy, this process involves separating the three basic principles of a plant (essential oils, organic liquid extract and mineral salts), then reuniting them to create a form more potent than the original plant. Within alchemy this was considered a more spiritual and holistic way of creating plant-based medicines, with the belief that the plant’s essential oils are the plant’s soul, the percolated liquid is the plant’s mind and the mineral salts are the plant’s body. Jurlique co-founder Jurgen Klein took these principles and through taking advantage of modern science and equipment, modified it to create a method unique to Jurlique. It’s a process that’s been a part of Jurlique since we began in 1985 and we continue to use it today. THE THREE-STEP BIO-INTRINSIC™ PROCESS This isn’t a quick fix, done in a large laboratory. It can take up to a week for a plant to go through the three steps of Bio-Intrinsic™ extraction and the whole process is all done by hand by just two people at our Farm. Step 1: Purification The first stage of the process is Purification, which involves steam distillation - steaming our dried herbs to gently lift and release their delicate essential oils, nutrients and liquids. Step 2: Intensification This stage involves percolation (the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter). The wet herb and condensate from the distillation are combined with a liquid solvent mixture, which is then circulated through the herb bed for a period of one to two days. Out comes a percolated liquid made up of the plants’ compounds. Step 3: Ashing The final stage of the extraction involves drying the plant material used in step two and burning it to an ash to capture their bare trace minerals and salts that are so important in our products. We then mix the raw ash with water and natural citric acid heated to 80°C and stir it for an hour to allow the water to absorb the minerals and salts. We pass it through a very fine filter and out comes a clear liquid we call ash extract. The extracts from all three steps are then combined. THE BENEFITS OF THE BIO-INTRINSIC™ METHOD At Jurlique, we believe that the whole plant is always greater than the sum of its parts. Through the Bio-Intrinsic™ method, all parts of the plant (mind, body and soul) are reunited, and the active ingredients and antioxidants are delivered to the skin. These extracts create a final product of magnified intensity, powerful enough to enhance the beauty and healthy look of the skin. *Certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. Jurlique’s products and farm are not certified of affiliated with Demeter® USA or Demeter International.
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JURLIQUE BUSH REGENERATION
At Jurlique, caring for our Earth and giving back to our land more than we take from it is at the heart of what we do. For us, this is working to the cycles of nature at our biodynamic* farm and ongoing efforts like our tree-planting initiatives. Right now, we are preparing to grow 2,000 seedlings that we will help rejuvenate the Cudlee Creek area after the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020 burnt through 23,000 hectares. "We cannot turn back time, but we can grow trees, rewild our gardens, and help restore our ecosystems." BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL WATERWAYS Understanding how ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, and water purification is all the more reason to ensure we protect our land and natural waterways. Biodiversity importantly boosts ecosystems where a healthy ecosystem may better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. And in the case of bushfires, biodiversity is not only under threat but a critical part of response, recovery and regeneration. Bushland regeneration is key. In particular, watercourses in the fire scar are vital in protecting native fish that take refuge in permanent water pools over summer. Aside from water, one of the most important things native fish require is layers of vegetation growing alongside and in watercourses and permanent water pools – home to their food source, insects. Consequently, biodiversity efforts focus on providing a range of sedge and rush species for regeneration with shade from trees also important to keep water cool in summer and minimise evaporation. BUSHFIRES AND COMMUNITY From September 2019 to March 2020, devastating bushfires swept through Australia. Land, wildlife, homes and livelihoods were destroyed with communities left heartbroken. Only 38km from our Jurlique Farm, Cudlee Creek, in the Adelaide Hills, was declared an emergency disaster area with fires burning through 23,000 hectares and destroying hundreds of homes and buildings. Ever since, we vowed to nurture tree seedlings on our Jurlique Farm for planting at Cudlee Creek – helping to rejuvenate the affected area. SEEDINGS IN THE SPOTLIGHT This year, we’re growing seedlings for Trees for Life and Landscape SA’s winter 2022 plant giveaway for properties affected by the Cudlee Creek fire. Trees for Life, a South Australia-based not for profit organisation work to restore and protect South Australian landscapes. They have researched and collected seeds from the most badly affected plants, enabling us to nurture seedlings from the tree species that have been most impacted by the fires. Our Jurlique farm is currently preparing to grow 2,000 seedlings of River Red Gum, Tassel Sedge and Common Rush species as part of a special planting day. In February 2022, our dedicated Jurlique farm staff will take to planting the various seed species firmly into their recycled pots. And while in previous years we’ve been able to share the day with the surrounding community, we’re determined to continue our bush regeneration efforts even during a pandemic. Our Jurlique farm will be taking precious care of our seedlings over the coming months when they’ll finally be returned back to nature, to the community and ecosystems that once lost so much. But we’re not alone in restoring ecosystems. Join with friends, family, and community in planting trees, hosting local clean-ups, starting composting and making conscious choices that support the environment and honour our ecosystems. *Certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. Jurlique’s products and farm are not certified by or affiliated with Demeter® USA or Demeter International.
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WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC FARMING…AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
At Jurlique, the ingredients that go into our skin care products aren’t your average ingredients. We use healthy, powerful plants that are carefully chosen for their skin-benefitting properties – and they’re all grown on our biodynamic* farm in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills. We believe biodynamic* practices enable us to grow the purest, best quality herbs which are hand harvested at a time when they’re full of life and vitality. These herbs are then utilised to make extracts that form the basis of Jurlique products, meaning you get the best from each ingredient we use. And it’s not just your skin. We believe by following biodynamic farming techniques, we’re harnessing all the positive, living energies from Nature, as well as farming in the most sustainable way possible. The plants and herbs we grow are nutritional for the skin, enriching for the soul and good for the planet. WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC FARMING? Biodynamics is an all-encompassing approach to farming and uses the sun, moon, stars and planets of Earth to bring about balance and healing, treating the farm as a living organism – one that’s self-contained and self-sustainable. Biodynamic principles were first introduced by Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner in 1924. Interested in spirituality as well as social and education reform, Steiner founded anthroposophy – an educational, therapeutic, and creative system which seeks to use mainly natural means to optimise physical and mental health and wellbeing. In the early 1920s he was invited to host a week-long lecture series for European farmers who had witnessed a drop in their soil fertility and, concerned about the future of agriculture, sought help to improve their land. Steiner argued that this decrease in soil health was the result of synthetic pesticides, which were first introduced during the industrialisation period. Although these synthetic pesticides treated the plant and at first yielded impressive results, they caused the health of the soil (and later, crops) to plummet. Steiner told these farmers that the soil must be looked after through using herbal remedies and encouraged them to look to the cosmos before planting and harvesting crops. THE BIODYNAMIC CALENDAR Unlike conventional farming, biodynamic farming is guided by a specially-created biodynamic (or astro) calendar. This calendar is based on the moon/planet positioning and – a bit like your horoscope – indicates what work should be undertaken when. The calendar shows when to plant, cultivate or harvest various crops based on both the phase of the moon and the zodiacal constellation the moon is passing through, and depending on whether the crop is the root, leaf, flower, or fruit (or seed) of the plant. All these constellations have different energies: air, water, fire and earth. When the moon passes over Aries, Leo and Sagittarius (the fire signs) the days are warm, influencing fruit and seed formation. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn (the earth signs) promote root growth, as the root is drawn into the soil. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius (the air signs) favour development of flowers, substance and colour through the moon’s influence over the air, and when the moon passes through Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces (the water signs), it promotes vegetative growth because of its influence over water. It’s an age-old, yet pioneering, principle that goes back much further than Steiner’s time. It’s a hark back to centuries gone by, when synthetic pesticides didn’t exist, and the only reliable calendar was the moon and stars. HOW DOES BIODYNAMIC DIFFER FROM ORGANIC? An organic system grows plants that are nutritionally good for your body, but a biodynamic system takes it one step further. Biodynamics treats the land holistically and follows the belief that astrological influences affect phases of planting and harvest, which is where the biodynamic calendar comes in. Organic farming is defined by its use of organic fertilisers. Biodynamic also adheres to these principles but while organic permits imported fertilisers, biodynamic requires that a farm produce its own fertility as much as possible through the rotation of crops, with no outside inputs. It also enriches the soil through using ‘biodynamic preparations’, which are placed in the farm environment to encourage the plants to be spiritually good for the body and have the highest vital life force energy when harvested. WHAT ARE BIODYNAMIC PREPARATIONS? When Steiner established his biodynamic principles, he came up with nine ‘preparations’, which are made from herbs, mineral sources and animal manures, with each preparation designed to address certain plant health concerns. Turned into field sprays and compost, it is these preparations that aid fertilisation – rather than synthetic, chemical-driven fertilisers you’d typically find in conventional farming. These preparations are used on the farm to harness, activate and enhance the energy of nature into the whole farming system. THE BENEFITS OF BIODYNAMIC FARMING The benefits of biodynamic* farming are endless. Firstly, it’s ecologically and environmentally sustainable as essentially, the farm looks after itself in one full circle – and nothing harmful goes into the Earth. By ensuring the soil is healthy, we protect the local environment and produce high-quality crops. By being guided by the moon, biodynamic* farming allows the crops grown to be the best that they can be. Just like the moon has an influence on tides, it also influences moisture in soil. As the moon approaches our farm, it pulls moisture up to the surface of the soil where it can be best utilised by crops and helps with planting seedlings. As the moon moves away from the Earth’s surface, root crops can benefit from the lower water level into the soil. This, in turn, helps seeds germinate, speeds plant growth rates, and produces more abundant harvests. You may see our products all over the world, but our biodynamic* farm is our heartland and we’ve stayed true to our artisanal roots. We will always put more back into the earth than we take out of it. *Certified biodynamic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. Jurlique’s products and farm are not certified of affiliated with Demeter® USA or Demeter International.
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THE ROSE WHISPERER
Roses are Nature’s most remarkable beauty treatment for they represent a host of benefits that leave skin feeling soothed, deeply hydrated and looking radiant. For these reasons, it’s the most treasured of crops at our farm in the Adelaide Hills, and the star ingredient in some of our bestselling skin care.The woman who has helped our Roses to grow ever bounteous and powerful is Wilma Haeusler, whom we affectionately call our resident Rose whisperer. Wilma has worked with us for 11 years and is the proud custodian of every single Rose on our farm.“I’ve always loved Roses because of their vibrant colour and fragrance,” says Wilma. “I think everybody loves Roses.”The active, beauty-enhancing ingredients in our products are a testament to the endless care Wilma applies to hand-harvesting petals, fertilising Rose bushes, and pruning the heads to encourage new buds.Bouquet of beautyOn the Jurlique farm, several varieties of Roses currently grow – including English Roses and the deeply hydrating Rosa gallica, the hero of our Rose Moisture Plus range – from almost 2,000 bushes. They’re all grown using regenerative agriculture methods, which is one step beyond organically. These natural growing practices result in concentrated botanicals that deliver glowing skin.The Roses we grow at Jurlique, in particular our Rosa gallica variety, boast many superpowers, the first of which is hydration. While its extract deeply enriches skin, it also helps prevent moisture loss. The Rose extract itself is a powerful antioxidant, which helps protect the skin against environmental aggressors. Finally, Rose has the benefit of encouraging radiance, so that your skin glows from within.Everything by handEach winter, all of our Roses are hand-pruned, and Wilma’s careful technique that’s been crafted over many years produces vigorous growth and luscious flowers with a high yield of petals.Sharing some of her process, Wilma says her team hand-weeds and mulches to ensure optimum growth and keep the plants moist. “It’s important to keep the water consistent over summer to encourage a continual flush of flowers,” she shares. “We remove any shoots from the root stock to transfer the energy to the new bud growth, which, in turn, produces more flowers.”The bushes are also fertilised each spring with an organic compost that’s made on the farm. The Rose flowers are hand-harvested once or twice weekly when in full bloom, i.e. from the middle of spring through to autumn.“When we harvest, we ensure the morning dew has lifted we never harvest a wet petal,” says Wilma. This dedication speaks to how meticulous we are about the ingredients that make up our formulas. Only the best of Nature will do.“Whilst harvesting, we also tidy up the plant and prune the dead heads, again to encourage more buds.”Wilma says: “In my time at Jurlique, we’ve never had a rejected batch of Roses and, in fact, any flowers. Our flowers are of superior quality and purity.” This standard of high-grade Roses we hold ourselves to is what makes our skin care so powerful and unique. And the end result? Radiant, glowing skin that looks and feels its absolute best.
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WHY AIR QUALITY MATTERS IN YOUR SKIN CARE
The ability to scientifically measure and study the impact of pollution might be relatively new, but we’ve always had a belief that air quality is one of the crucial factors in producing pure, effective skin care. It’s one of the reasons our founders moved across the globe to settle in the rolling Adelaide Hills of South Australia.How pollution affects skin (and skin care)For many decades, there was one clear environmental culprit capable of wreaking havoc on our complexions; this was, of course, the sun’s UV rays. More recently, another offender has come along: the air itself. Unlike the sun, however, air pollution gives no early warning signs.Separate studies have found that air pollution can have a significant impact on the skin, leading to the premature appearance of visible signs of ageing, such as fine lines and pigmentation.But there’s another side to this story that’s far less known: what’s the impact of air pollution on the botanical ingredients grown specifically for skin care?The quality of air that surrounds plants plays a huge role in determining just how robust and healthy those plants may be. According to a report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), air pollution can cause damage to soil quality, which “in turn, penetrates into the plant structure and impairs its ability to develop”. As a result, botanicals may turn yellow, develop spots or die completely.The purity of South AustraliaAdelaide, as one of Australia’s smaller cities, has benefited from relatively low levels of pollution – seven times lower than that in Shanghai, and more than one-third of the levels in Seoul, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization.For this reason, we made South Australia our home base. In this unspoiled environment, which our founders refer to as “the purest place on Earth”, we grow all our botanical ingredients, including hydrating Rose, which goes on to become our antioxidant-rich Rosewater Balancing Mist. Thanks to the clean-air conditions in which the Rose is grown, the resulting mist restores your skin and instils an unmistakable glow.Our home is a particular point of pride for Jurlique, for the growing conditions found here are what enable us to grow botanicals far more powerful than any other. What is pure and grown in Nature can only deliver radiant, glowing skin. It’s as simple as that.
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JOURNEY TO THE JAR: THE STORY OF OUR YARROW
In Greek mythology, the herb Yarrow was considered so powerful it was believed to bestow immortality on those who bathed in its waters. According to legend, Achilles was one such hero, having been dipped in the Yarrow-laced water of the river Styx by his mother when he was a baby. Alas, a spot was missed – his so-called Achilles heel – which would prove to be his fatal weakness in battle. Yarrow’s Latin name – Achillea millefolium – still hints at this legendary association.We’ve grown Yarrow on the Jurlique farm for many years and its ability to promote smoother, firmer skin makes it a star ingredient in many of our natural-based products, including our iconic Herbal Recovery range. Here’s a look at the journey this plant undergoes, as it progresses from seed to skin care.Breeding more seedsWe’ve recently increased the volume of Yarrow that’s planted on the farm, and to do this, our first step is always to collect the seeds from our existing plants. We then propagate the seeds in the hothouse on the farm.Room to growYarrow is a perennial plant that’s strong, resilient and grows very quickly. We like to give it plenty of room to grow, otherwise it can “choke” itself. As with all the botanicals on our organic farm, Yarrow grows without the use of synthetic pesticides or insecticides.Carefully hand-pickedWe have a dedicated team that picks each and every botanical by hand. Harvesting of the Yarrow takes place in the springtime, and only occurs when the flowers are at their peak. This maximises the potency of their active ingredients, which help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for smoother skin and a more youthful appearance.Drying for a continuous supplyThe Yarrow’s flowers are laid flat on large racks and placed in our heated drying cupboards; it typically takes around five or six days for them to dry completely. The dried plants can be stored for up to three years without compromising their natural, skin-enhancing properties, so we always have enough on hand to ensure a continuous supply of the best quality extracts.Extraction beginsWe follow our exclusive extraction method, to capture as many vital nutrients from our botanicals as possible. This proprietary process captures the pure, potent and active essential nutrients and minerals from the plants. The Yarrow extract is then transported to our nearby Natural Beauty Plant. It’s here that this beautiful botanical becomes a key component in your favourite products like our radiance-restoring Herbal Recovery Signature Serum.
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BEAUTY AND THE BEE
Beauty and the BeeEverybody knows bees as the tiny, industrious creatures that pollinate crops for human survival. Lesser known, perhaps, is how they help us in the beauty department. Our wild honey bees are key to growing the highly concentrated plants that make up our products. In fact, they’re one of the reasons Jurlique has maintained its status as the leader in natural, effective skin care for more than 25 years.Meet the keeperOur resident beekeeper, Pamela Cherry, has been tending to the bees on our organic farm in South Australia for more than 12 years. At present, there are seven hives on the farm, four of which descended from a prime swarm from 2017. “They are an integral part of our pure farming process, so we like to encourage their hard work,” says Pamela.Just as they do for more than half of Australia’s crops, bees are essential in pollinating and propagating the plants and flowers on our Jurlique farm. It’s their round-the-clock toil that promotes floral growth and sustains the vast volumes of concentrated botanicals on our farm, without which our cherished line of plant-based products would not exist.Once the plants and flowers have fully grown and their nutrients reached peak concentration, we carefully harvest them and extract the properties within. The resulting products are thus poised to deliver your most radiant skin.The busy work of beekeepingAt the beginning of bee season, which runs from December to February, Pamela’s job is to ensure that the bees are thriving. To open the hives, she needs a protective suit and uses a smoker and hive tool to diligently pry open the boxes.“Tending to each hive requires opening up and looking for a strong hive with many bees and a queen that is laying eggs well and checking that there is enough stored honey for them to eat. After establishing all is well, I clean the box of any excess honeycomb and ensure that the hive is free of pests and diseases,” she says.For their survival, bees need plants – whether in the form of flowering trees, shrubs, herbs, flowers or even weeds. “That’s what ensures them a constant supply of pollen and nectar, which is the source of the honey they eat and extract,” says Pamela, adding that something is generally flowering at any point of the year.Protecting our beesBees pollinating our plants forms a huge aspect of our natural product creation. “Being a no-waste and organic farm means we are responsible for caring for the whole farm as a unit. Each part we care for – be it the soil, water or bees – is creating a healthy vitality. The end result flows through to our products,” explains Pamela.This mentality extends to our pest-control methods too. “Whatever is used, we are very vigilant that no harm can come to our bees and all good bugs, such as lady birds and hover flies,” assures Pamela. “The good bugs help us control nutrient-sapping aphids and thrips on our roses and they play a very important role on the farm.” The result of organic pest-control practices such as this is more concentrated skin care that outperforms anything produced within the confines of a lab.The benefits of this organic method are undeniable: natural ingredients grown without the use of chemicals are richer in nutrients and antioxidants – and once harnessed by our team, these concentrated botanicals are what deliver the signature Jurlique glow.
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