One of the easiest ways to make your life more sustainable often starts in the bathroom. There are now so many great alternatives for shampoo, shower gel, make-up and the like that you’ll hardly notice the change!

The environment, however, does notice – and so does your body! According to statistics, the average person uses 10 different cosmetic products every day. And thus, has the potential to ingest up to 130 toxins! These include silicones, parabens, microplastics and fragrances, to name just a few. None of these substances are acutely life-threatening, but in the long term, both the environment and humans can suffer. Natural cosmetics do not contain any of these problematic ingredients.

Natural cosmetics can help to improve your skin and hair, many people can have reactions or irritations to some of the ingredients in conventional cosmetic products. Fragrances in particular can cause redness, blemishes and swelling. Many of these issues can be solved by switching to natural cosmetics.

How to recognize good natural cosmetics

Although animal testing for cosmetics is banned in the EU, this does not apply to chemical ingredients. These are not only used in cosmetics, but also in other products such as cleaning agents or medicines. With certified natural cosmetics, consumers can usually be sure that no animals had to suffer for the product. The various certifications have cut-off dates for this: for the BDIH seal, for example, no raw materials are allowed that were tested on animals after 1 January 1998. The well-known bunny logo with the protective hand even applies to the period from 1979.

You can also use barcode scanner apps such as Toxfox and Codecheck to find out how much nature is really in your natural cosmetics. Or, you can simply use one the cosmetics lines from one of our Green Pearls® partners.

Natural cosmetics from and in sustainable hotels and where to get them

Traditional natural cosmetics

Bali has its own beauty secrets to share with the world. However, one of the most important pieces of advice from the Indonesian island is: moisture keeps you young! Both internally, by drinking plenty of water, and externally, by making use of nourishing creams. The Puri Dajuma team reveals that in Bali, this includes recipes that have been passed down through generations.

Puri Dajuma’s skincare collection is based on essential oils and 100% natural ingredients such as coconut oil, jungle honey, lemon, cucumber and banana. You can try these out directly at the Dajuma, specifically at the Lola Spa. There you can enjoy head massages, a cream face massage or a hair mask.

Holistic care according to Ayurvedic teachings

In the Mountain Ashram Spa of the CERVO Mountain Resort in Zermatt guests can enjoy a specially developed natural, vegan, animal-free cosmetics line. The products are inspired by Ayurvedic medicine and have a calming, energising or detoxifying effect. The cosmetics and oils are an ideal match for the holistic treatment approach of the Mountain Ashram Spa.

With the ‘Alpine Woman Apricot Sensation’ for women and the ‘Pioneer Man Alpine Herbs’ for men, CERVO has launched its own collection of cosmetic lines. In addition, there are other series such as the moisturizing ‘Aloe Vera ‘, or the ‘Flow and Ayurveda Massage Oils’. Other products are also currently being developed.

One of the new signature products is the “Mountain Ashram Detox Body Scrub“, made with natural ingredients from the Swiss mountains: hazelnut oil, pine needles and sage. Allow 5 minutes for application, massaging the body scrub in circular motions from the feet to the heart. This should not only refine your skin texture, but also promote blood circulation.

Regional ingredients for natural cosmetics in the hotel

In South Tyrol, you can also experience a special natural cosmetics line – that of the ADLER Resorts & Lodges. For the ‘ADLER SPA Aktiv’ line, they use the best ingredients from three different regions of Italy, where the ADLER Resorts & Lodges are located: Plants and flowers from South Tyrol for skin cell protection and regeneration, grapes and thermal water from Tuscany for prevention and nourishing the skin, and algae extracts, citrus fruits and seawater from Sicily for cleansing and detoxification.

Only raw materials from organically controlled cultivation which are free of preservatives and colorants are used for the ADLER cosmetics line. The innovative technology ensures that the raw materials are gently broken down, and the active ingredients can be optimally absorbed into the skin. You can buy the products not only on the spot, but also in the ADLER online store.

South Tyrolean BergSea cosmetic line

In South Tyrol, on the Ritten, the Hotel Weihrerhof has also developed its own cosmetic line using ingredients from the region. The BergSea cosmetics line is certified organic and packaged in recycled PET. The basis of the skin care line is the water of the Wolfsgruben Lake. Located at 1,200 meters above sea level, Lake Wolfsgruben is one of the cleanest bathing lakes in Italy. There are also other ingredients from the Ritten, such as Swiss stone pine and hay. The products can be purchased from the hotel’s online shop for as little as 19 euros.

What natural cosmetics do sustainable hotels use?

Of course, not all of our Green PearlsⓇ partners have developed their own line of cosmetics. That’s why we also asked them what natural cosmetics they use – both for spa treatments and for you as a guest in your hotel room. Here are some of the brands our partners recommend:

TEAM DR. JOSEPH

Several of our partners rely on certified natural cosmetics from Team Dr. Joseph. The brand has been around since 1986 and is produced in Italy (South Tyrol). Team Dr. Joseph is vegan, cruelty-free and produced and packaged climate- and plastic-free. The natural cosmetics are also designed for holistic treatment. In addition to consumer products, the brand also has a partner program for hotels and spas.

Team Dr. Joseph natural cosmetics can be found at the sustainable Hotel My Arbor, also in South Tyrol (on the Plose near Brixen), and in Germany at the romantic Hotel Das Rübezahl in the Allgäu and at STURM in the foothills of the Rhön.

“Team Dr. Joseph is characterized by outstanding quality and delivers excellent results. The active ingredients include local trees, which suits us very well” – My Arbor (The hotel is built on stilts in the middle of the forest).

Phamos Nature

Hotel My Arbor also uses certified natural cosmetics Phamos Natur in the spa. The founder of the German company, Margot Esser, was involved in a car accident in the USA in the 1980s and suffered severe burns to her face and upper body. She was taken to a shamanic natural healing clinic where she was treated with Aloe Vera. The beneficial treatment and convincing effect led her to develop her own Aloe Vera products – and she has been doing so very successfully for over 35 years.

The Aloe Vera plants are grown in a sustainable mixed culture in Ecuador. Following the wisdom of the Mayan farmers, Phamos Natur ensures that “all plants want to grow together in families”.

Walde Organic Soap

At Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld, Austria, you will find Walde’s organic lavender liquid soap in every room. Walde is the oldest soap factory in Austria, with almost 250 years of history. Although the soap is not certified as a natural cosmetic, there is an organic line where all ingredients are organically grown.

Doctor Eckstein

The Birkenhof ***** Spa & Genussresort in the Upper Palatinate Lake District uses the indie brand Doctor Eckstein. The entire product line is based on nature and is produced in Germany. However, they are not certified natural cosmetics.

Is natural always better?

You may have guessed from our last two examples that we are cautious about this. As with food, it may be that smaller companies or start-ups cannot (yet) afford certification. For us, this simply means: read the ingredients (yes, we know how difficult it is with cosmetics!), look at the company website and if you have any doubts, ask critically. If the company is truly and honestly committed to sustainability, they will be happy to answer your questions!

What do you look for when choosing your cosmetics? And do you have any tips for sustainable beauty lines?

What do you look for in your cosmetics? Would you try a hotel’s collection? Let us know!

Continue Reading: How beauty care and environment are related

Continue Reading: Organic, plastic-free and zero-waste: What makes cosmetics sustainable?

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Other countries, different celebrations

Public holidays and festivities depend on the culture of the country. Often religion plays a big role, though not only. Over the years, other events or folk festivals have become permanent holidays, drawing not only locals but tourists as well. For example, Thailand hosts the largest vegan food festival in the world! This is a special experience, not only if you’re vegan and sustainable.

Celebrating in Thailand

Let’s stay in Thailand for a moment. Thailand offers countless festivities and holidays. Not only the celebrations of their Buddhist culture have a high value, but the Thais are looking only for occasions to celebrate. Christmas, Halloween, or Thanksgiving are celebrated enthusiastically and with lots of pompous decoration.

“Traditional” holidays can be roughly divided into religious ones and those associated with the royal family. For instance, on December 5, the king’s birthday is commemorated as a state holiday and many events are held. China’s influence can also be seen in the holidays: Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in the country.

Christmas in Thailand

At temperatures above 30 °C, Christmas spirit is hard to come by, unless you go to one of the much air-conditioned shopping malls, in which you will quickly start to freeze without a sweater. However, Thais don’t let midsummer temperatures get them down. They make up for the lack of cold with overloaded, kitsch Christmas decorations. Glittery baubles, garlands and unsustainable artificial snow can be found everywhere. Restaurant and café employees wear Christmas hats, and Christmas music plays from almost every available loudspeaker. In Bangkok, at least, the commercialized Christmas world is overwhelming us.

To escape it all, you can choose a sustainable hotel away from the crowded tourist cities. Instead of the Christmas stress and kitsch, typical Thai bungalows and lots of nature and peace await you at Zeavola, interrupted only by the sounds of birds.

Real Thai holidays: Songkran und Loi Krathong

Songkran takes place around mid-April, the hottest time of the year. It is the most important and also the most famous festival in the country. So if you are traveling in Thailand in April, don’t miss it! However, you should be waterproof. There is water splashing everywhere, which is a welcome cooling with the prevailing temperatures 😉

Songkran has its roots in religion, but today the fun and celebrating together comes first.

Sustainable travel tips for the Songkran festival

• Try to travel anti-cyclically. As many locals visit family for the Songkran festival, bus, and train tickets from Bangkok to the inland areas sell out quickly and transport is correspondingly full. By the end of the festival, it’s the other way around.
• Hotel tip: Keemala
  Keemala is located on the popular island of Phuket, so you’ll be quickly in the middle of the action of the ‘water festival.’ However, instead of sleeping wet and exhausted in the evening at a noisy hotel located somewhere in the center of the festival, return to a villa wonderland. Various, luxurious villas from tree houses to mud lodgings offer peace and quiet. Keemala is also the ideal retreat if you want to completely escape the chaos surrounding the Songkran festival.

Luck and Wealth

In mid-November, Thailand hosts another important festival. Loi Krathong celebrates the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. People put small boats made of palm leaves into streams, rivers, and lakes. Inside them are often candles, incense sticks or even coins. The exact origins of this tradition have been lost in the depths of history. Today, floating the small palm leaf boats is said to bring luck and wealth above all.

Maldives and Islamic festivals

Christmas is not celebrated in the Maldives either. For tourists, the resorts host Christmas dinners on the beach or have Santa bring gifts on a jet ski.

The festivities of the locals are not noticed by travelers, since they are mainly celebrated in the family circle or in the mosques. The Islamic New Year in particular has a high significance.

While religious festivals are held off the tourist trails, you will definitely notice many state festivals and especially the national holiday, the Huravee Festival on February 15, when you visit the main island of Malé. The Huravee Festival commemorates the national hero Sultan Ghaazee Muhammad Thakkurufaan, who liberated the Maldives from 15 years of Portuguese rule.

Sustainable Travel in the Maldives at Gili Lankanfushi

If you ever want to experience the Horavee festival or celebrate Christmas under palm trees, make sure to keep an eye on your ecological footprint. The Maldives islands are a fragile ecosystem and as tourists we have a responsibility to reflect on our actions and reduce the negative impact of our stay. For example, one way is to book a sustainable hotel like the Gili Lankanfushi. This is committed to the environment and the locals. It pays attention to waste avoidance and recycling, and its coral reforestation project can even be supported and maintained by guests. Who needs christmas trees when you can help baby corals grow?

A Creolian Christmas in Seychelles

The people of the islands are Christian in large parts, so that Christmas is a big part of their lives. It is traditional to slaughter a pig on the morning of December 24, which is then served on the table during the holidays. In addition, there are different curries, salads and of course typical desserts such as cassava pudding or Creole cake with papaya jam. The Christmas gift-giving takes place on the morning of December 25.

Colourful festive tradition

In addition to the Christian holidays, the annual Carnival and Festival Kreol attracts locals and tourists alike. The colorful International Creole Parade invites people to celebrate and dance. By the way, it celebrates diversity, international understanding and somehow also simply the joy of life. Simultaneously, the Creole culture is not only cultivated, but also raised in the (international) consciousness. Accompanying the parade are not only parties, but also symposiums, readings, exhibitions and congresses, which provide insight into the culture and roots of the Seychelles.

Calm Getaway for the Carnival International

Carnival on the Seychelles can definitely compete with the big carnival events in Rio de Janeiro or London. If you do not want to miss it, but still do not want to stay in the center of it all, we suggest Cerf Island Resort. You stay in houses inspired by typical Creole architecture, enjoy authentic, sustainable cuisine, and after the excitement of Carnival, you can really wind down and enjoy nature.

Also at Christmas, Cerf Island Resort offers you a relaxing oasis with the right amount of Christmas spirit under palm trees.

Divers Indonesia

As diverse as the islands of Indonesia are, so are their cultures and therefore the festivals that are celebrated. For your travel planning, the many holidays are certainly important to know because many Indonesians go on vacation in their country during this time, and it can get quite crowded. At the same time, you may find yourself in front of closed restaurants and stores in certain places because you didn’t consider a holiday.

Holidays on Bali

We could write a whole book about all the holidays in Indonesia. Instead, we’ll limit ourselves to the home of our partner, Puri Dajuma. Located in Bali, the sustainable hotel is an ideal base for exploring the island or even experiencing significant, Balinese celebrations like Independence Day on August 17. There are so many events, sports competitions and cultural events on this day that you definitely won’t manage to visit even a fraction of them. The day is celebrated all over Indonesia.

Typical Balinese celebrations are Galungan and Kuningan. On Galungan, the victory of good over evil is celebrated. Simultaneously, the ancestral spirits walk the earth during this time. Kuningan is the conclusion of the holidays, when the spirits return to their world.

A special event is the Balinese New Year, which is celebrated meanwhile also on other islands. The Hindu holiday is one of the most important festivals in the country. The special thing about it is that it is spent in complete silence. Instead of driving away the evil spirits with fireworks and firecrackers, as is the custom in Europe, for example, it is said here that the spirits consider the islands uninhabited if one is only hushed. The Balinese New Year or Day of Silence takes place at the end of March. Perhaps we in Europe should be inspired by it. After all, due to the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, particulate pollution on this day is higher than ever.

Celebrate festivities as they fall

The Christmas celebration has also found its way into other countries due to commercialization. So in December, you’ll be greeted by jingle bells, Christmas hats and fairy lights almost everywhere in the world. However, we find it much more interesting to immerse ourselves in the culture of our travel destination and to get to know and experience the respective traditions and festivals. After all, respect for the local culture is also part of sustainable travel and with our sincere interest in it, we can help ensure that this culture is neither forgotten nor commercialized. So be open to the festivals of your destination. And besides: we can have Christmas everywhere 😉

By the way, if you want to know how our Green Pearls® partners spend Christmas and the holidays in other countries, check out these two blog articles: Christmas around the World and Christmas around the World, Pt. 2.

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Discover new yoga practices

Yoga combines elements of movement with mindfulness. It is both a sport and a philosophy, creating harmony between body and mind. But not all yoga is the same, as there are many practices and techniques. A great way to try it out is to take classes at the hotel. This way you can get involved with new things in a very relaxed way and also recover.

Yoga on the island of the gods

The Puri Dajuma on Bali is the ideal place to do yoga. Bali also called the Island of the Gods by its inhabitants, most of whom belong to Hinduism. Tini has been responsible for the wellness and yoga activities at the hotel for almost 10 years and guides you with her long experience. Many hotel guests report a special kind of reconciliation with their inner self during their stay. There is a yoga workshop every morning, either in the hotel’s large yoga room or right on the beach. It’s best to sign up at the front desk a day in advance, or alternatively book a private lesson with Tini. 

Exercises in nature 

The Biohotel Sturm in the Rhone also provides beautiful places for a relaxing yoga class. You can for example use the hotel garden around the swimming pond. The weekly program of the hotel offers yoga sessions and yoga retreats at regular intervals according to different themes. From dynamic Vinyasa Flow to gentle mindfulness training and Asana to a special relaxation technique called Yogaindra, there is a program for everyone. 

“Finding the beauty in simplicity”

At LA VIMEA, you’ll also be offered a variety of classes led by trained yoga instructors. Mobilize your spine in back yoga or let your breath flow in a relaxed way in yin yoga, which especially stresses the joints, connective tissue and ligaments. Strengthen your inner center with Vinyasa Yoga or find your inner balance with Hatha Yoga.  

Yoga on the roof

The OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel convinced us with its multifaceted health concept. From Monday to Friday, take advantage of the daily yoga classes offered by experienced yoga instructors or book your individual private class. We keep our fingers crossed for good weather because then the classes take place in the sun- and wind-protected yoga space on the roof terrace with a view of the sea — simply fantastic.

Yoga courses in Tyrol

To intensively promote your relaxation, the Biohotel Grafenast offers regular yoga courses. In the monthly schedule of the hotel you will always find the current offers. In October, the focus of the courses is on your well-being and in November, there is a “Yoga and Hiking” weekend. 

Are you curious about the yoga courses? Just try it out on your next vacation, maybe you’ll even find your new favorite yoga practice.

Read more: DIGITAL-DETOX: GREEN OASES OF TRANQUILITY

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Green Pearls® the future of travel with this noble goal we started in 2012. Has the development in tourism caught up with us? What changes are local suppliers noticing? Are there new concepts for the current challenges and needs? We asked some of our Green Pearls® hoteliers about this:

Here you can read the first part: Good prospects for sustainable tourism

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Are you dreaming of the sun, sea, and beach? Unfortunately, many of our planet’s beaches are threatened by pollution and destruction, which makes it even more important that we treat them with care. The generations that follow us should still be able to spend relaxing hours on the beach. We also introduce you to some Green Pearls® hotels that are committed to preserving their natural and protective environment. Enjoy reading our tips for a sustainable beach vacation.

Read more: RELAXATION WITH A MOUNTAIN PANORAMA OR DIRECTLY BY THE OCEAN

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