Careful development
How is a new Dr. Hauschka product created?
Stir together the ingredients, test, done? The development of new Dr. Hauschka products is far from that simple. We take our time and work in large teams when developing every single cosmetic product. Once the idea for a new product has been conceived, it is about finding the best possible formulation for it. A formulation in which the individual components are aligned with one another, like in a work of art. One that is more than just the sum of all its individual components.
Who is the target group for the new product? Which packaging works best for it? Is it even possible to obtain the raw materials we want for the formulation in the high quality and quantity we require? And are the desired raw materials safe? With so many questions, where should we even begin? Ideally with the idea for the right ingredients. Our developers give great consideration to this matter.
Their work could be compared to that of an artist using a paint palette and combining the colors to form brand new shades. It is only possible to achieve a good overall composition if the individual shades are in harmony with one another. When composing a formulation, the developers introduce themselves to the people for whom the product is intended. After all, they are developing the product to meet their needs.
Some of the plants required for the formulation are cultivated in our own biodynamic herb garden and on our biodynamic farm, the Sonnenhof. We also procure further organic raw materials with the assistance of the raw material buyers from our subsidiary naturamus. The staff in the scientific departments analyze each of the raw materials to ensure that they meet our high quality standards, are well tolerated and comply with legal requirements for cosmetics and natural cosmetics. Sometimes, we even start by researching a new raw material so as to fully understand it.
At the same time, the Packaging Procurement department searches for a suitable container for the new product. Doing so is extremely challenging as we do not use any synthetic preservatives in our natural cosmetics. Many of our products require airtight packaging that protects them from the light. For the highly sensitive, purely aqueous Intensive Treatments, wwe have even developed a special spray head that only allows sterile-filtered air into the container. Normal ambient air would affect the product’s shelf life. Sometimes, however, the packaging is determined by very simple user needs. For instance, the trays in our Eye & Brow Palette are different sizes. This is because experience has shown us that users tend to get through far more of the light shade than the dark one.
These users also test newly developed products before they go on the market – but only after these have already been tested by our Dr. Hauschka estheticians and have passed the tolerability tests. The assessments and comments from these voluntary testers are extremely important to the development team, which may further adapt the formulation based on them. After all, the same rule again applies: customer satisfaction is our number one priority.
Interview with Marie Calas and our mineral specialist Martin Rozumek about what makes Dr. Hauschka Make-up special
