The people and the bees
of Switzerland are very peaceful, efficient, and productive.
Especially when they work together. Which they do to classic
Swiss perfection in the tiny village of Erlenbach in the
Bernese Alps.
Erlenbach is famous
for its handsome medieval church with Romanesque frescoes.
And from there you can make a proverbial beeline to Bienen
Mathys A.G. where they make beekeeping supplies and produce
a comprehensive range of bee products, including Apiana
soaps, creams, lotions, and shampoos.
While there are other honey-based soaps
and skin care lines, the Apiana range is particularly impressive
for its high quality standards (the Swiss don't know from
'second-rate'), and the fact that they use only pure Alpine
honey, and lots of it, in every product.
Modern cosmetic chemists are constantly
creating "miracle" skin care ingredients in thelr labs.
Well, in the ultra-secret laboratories (a.k.a. beehives)
of our friends at Bienen Mathys, the honey bee does exactly
the same thing. Honey has been used in skin care since
Cleopatra first got a glow on for Antony (and vice versa).
As any self-respecting ancient sage could tell you, it
has natural hygroscopic properties. In other words, it
actually attracts moisture from the air to leave your skin
with a long-lasting, soft and supple feel. Pollen is
widely recognized as a concentrated natural source of vitamins,
minerals, and protein. Mathys has developed an exclusive
process of "micronization" which breaks the cellulose walls
of the pollen cells by fermentation, to make these nutrients
much more readily available to the skin. Propolis is
one of nature's most powerful antiseptics–bees use
it to disinfect their hives, and you can use to
protect your skin and scalp from problems like acne or
dandruff.
Finally, there's royal jelly–the
most exotic bee product of all. It's the special substance
fed to a specific female bee that transforms her into a
queen. Its magic as a skin care ingredient may be in its
rich supply of pantothenic acid, which is said to be essential
for proper cell development, and therefore helpful in smoothing
out those wrinkles. In addition to generous amounts of
honey and other bee products, the products in the Apiana
Skin Care range contain plant extracts, oils, and lanolin–no
mineral oils/no animal by-products.
Apiana
Soaps are long-lasting, superfatted vegetable based soaps
that are mild enough for the most sensitive skin. They are
available in individual gift boxes, 2-bar, 3-bar, and 4-bar
gift boxes, a mini size, and in a handmade wooden crate which
holds 24 bars. |
