Are the Dr. Hauschka products certified natural and organic?

Yes they are certified by BDIH and NATRUE

What is Dr Hauschka's statement on animal testing?

Dr. Hauschka Cosmetics are manufactured at WALA Heilmittel GmbH. WALA Heilmittel’s experience of using natural substances to provide natural care through the biodynamic cultivation of medicinal plants extends back to 1935. The responsible and sustainable development of our products is something that has been at the core of Dr. Hauschka Cosmetics ever since the beginning, back in 1967. Today Dr Hauschka is proud to continue to carry this philosophy forward.
Naturally, this means that no animal tests have ever been carried out either by or on behalf of Dr. Hauschka Cosmetics since their founding in 1967.
While Dr. Hauschka has always foregone animal testing, the EU Cosmetics Regulation represented a decisive step forward for animal welfare in the entire cosmetics industry. As a result, tests on animals for cosmetic products and the raw materials required to create them have been completely banned in the EU since 11 March 2013. This is a legally binding ban, i.e. all cosmetics manufacturers within the EU must comply with this legislation.

What is Dr.Hauschka’s commitment to cruelty free?

Dr.Hauschka Skin Care opposes animal testing. They do not perform animal testing nor do they use ingredients that have been tested on animals. Dr.Hauschka Skin Care products comply with guidelines regarding animal testing set forth by both PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the BDIH (German Federation of Natural Products Manufacturers). Details on these guidelines may be accessed online at: www.peta.org and www.kontrollierte-naturkosmetik.de
Dr.Hauschka skin care products and cosmetics are manufactured by WALA Heilmittel GmbH. Since 1935 this company has been working with natural substances and thus has longstanding experience in this area as well as with practical nature conservation through the use of biodynamic cultivation methods. Since the inception of Dr.Hauschka Skin Care in 1967 they have always attached particular importance to the responsible development and manufacture of their products in a way that harms nature as little as possible.
And this is still the case today. Of course this also means that, since 1967, no Dr.Hauschka Skin Care product has been tested on animals – either by them or by anyone else on their behalf.
When they use a new raw material in any of their products for the first time they require our suppliers to certify that these raw materials have not been tested on animals at any time after 1 January 1998 either by the suppliers themselves, by any company associated with them or on their behalf. During their development the Dr.Hauschka Skin Care products are extensively tested on volunteers selected from amongst the company’s employees. In addition, before a new skin care product goes on the market we have dermatological tests performed on human volunteers by independent institutes. These tests confirm the good skin compatibility of our products.
Their raw materials have to conform to high standards of quality and purity which, together with strict quality controls, ensures a very high level of safety and quality of their preparations.
Of course, they will not test any of their Dr.Hauschka Skin Care products on animals in the future either, nor will they commission the performance of any such tests on their behalf.
In the context of our biodynamic cultivation of medicinal herbs and the certified organic farming practiced on their Demeter farm we are committed to an ethical, sustainable and responsible approach to animals and to the entire ecosystem in which we live.

Eckwälden, May 2006

Information from the Science Department, WALA Heilmittel GmbH

What does the BDIH and NATRUE logo on the Dr. Hauschka packaging mean?

It means that Dr. Hauschka products are certified natural and organic

What does the NATRUE label mean?

No silicone oils and derivatives, no genetically modified ingredients (complying with the EU organic regulations
No irradiation of end product and botanical ingredients products. Products must not be tested on animals. Quality driven
The NATRUE-label has one objective: to strengthen consumer’s trust in natural cosmetics.We defined a high standard. Our strict criteria ensure that all certiﬁed products adhere to it.
Natural and organic cosmetics come in three grade: We have three certifiation levels: natural, natural with organic portion and organic cosmetics.The ﬁrst level, Natural Cosmetics, sets a high entry level. Only when it is attained, can products qualify for the other two levels – they define the proportion of natural ingredients from organic agriculture.
An international standard: The NATRUE-label is an international standard. For manufacturers this means they only need to certify their products once. For consumers it means you can identify authentic natural products wherever you are.
Criteria per product group: NATRUE sets strict minimum- and maximum levels for different types of cosmetic products. Requirements for soaps, for example, differ from those for shampoos or creams. A high standard cannot be achieved without such differentiation because each product type has different ingredients and require different production processes.
Not for profit: The NATRUE-label is not for proﬁt. The administrative fee serves to cover the costs of the label management and to promote the label.
Independent control: NATRUE and its Scientiﬁc Committee safeguard the quality of the label. Independent partners manage the certiﬁcation process. Every product is controlled by entirely independent certiﬁcation bodies.
Transparent: Transparency is a fundamental principle. Our criteria and all information on the certification process are publically available.

Dr.Hauschka has the BDIH logo on its packaging, which means that Dr.Hauschka products are certified natural. The BDIH is a German Trade Federation, which is responsible for health care, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

What is the criteria for defining "natural"?

No GM or irradiation
No animal testing
Wide use of plant ingredients
Use of renewable, biodegradable materials
Limited technical processing methods
No synthetic fragrances or colours
Only natural preservatives permitted
Social responsibility and ecological soundness (for processing and packaging)
Transparency where ingredient labelling is concerned