Recently, I had my first nudist experience, at the ancient Roman Friedrichsbad Baths in Baden Baden, a spa town in Germany. While they have mixed and separate days for both sexes, male attendants still walk around to refresh the towels or refill moisturisers in the women’s section. I went on both days, and while you might expect it to feel a bit strange or mildly creepy, it was the opposite. Welcome to the world of German beauty — efficient, effective and clinical.
Cosmetics in Europe is usually the domain of the French, but I’ve loved the German wellness and beauty scene ever since I was a taught a valuable lesson about beauty purchases. In 2015, I was in Berlin at one of the best organic beauty stores in the world, Breathe Fresh, determined to buy every iconic product. But the founder only allowed me to get a face wash because I didn’t need anything else. This is not unusual — the attendant at Friedrichsbad refused to sell us the bathing brushes because they weren’t of good quality. And a pharmacist refused to sell collagen supplements to my friend because she didn’t need them.
If you go to a German pharmacy and ask for something that will make you look younger, they will say, “But it’s not necessary to look younger.” Germans are more about being healthy, and for them, appearance is just a side effect of living well. It’s no surprise that their most iconic skincare brands are based on medicine. Dr Rudolph Hauschka’s eponymous brand started from his work with natural medicine and today, his products have cult status. I love the Rose Day Cream Light and also use the Soothing Cleansing Milk to do a Tanaka face massage. I also love the Cleansing Cream, an inexpensive and gentle cleanser, which smells like rotten apricots but really cleans without drying the skin.
Weleda is another iconic brand based on homeopathy. If you have overused retinol and acids, the Skin Food will magically (and quickly) transform your skin from red and peeling to calm and tranquil. If you’re acne-prone, try the Calendula Cream which moisturises and also helps reduce breakouts.
Germany also has a high end skincare industry that rivals La Mer. Medical Beauty Research (MBR) products are formulated by dermatologists and aesthetic physicians, and have some of the highest concentrations of active ingredients. I haven’t tried any of the eye-wateringly expensive products yet, but I’m toying with idea of investing in the Two-in-One Cleanser, which scored 4.9 out of 1,700 reviews on Douglas (Germany’s Sephora equivalent).
No story about German beauty would be complete without mentioning Julisis, the Rolls Royce of green skincare. I have tried three products from the range including the Silver Wash Night, after a phase of over-exfoliating my skin. It repaired my skin in two weeks. I have used the Gold Emulsion and Silver Night Elixir, but while these products do give you an otherworldly glow, they will not heal or cure breakouts.
Coming back to Baden Baden and it’s magical thermal water, there’s a fountain called Fettquelle where, until recently, you could drink the medicinal water. EU regulations don’t permit consumption any more, but just applying that water on my face, arms and legs made my skin feel silken. The baths have the same water, and its amazing how just immersing yourself in the pools, saunas and steam rooms makes your skin delightfully translucent. In three days, my face has undergone a mini transformation and that too at just €25 for three hours.
A fortnightly column to remind you about all things skin deep.
