When it comes to investing in the best skin care, a product’s efficacy is of utmost importance, but a clean ingredient list shouldn’t take the backburner, either. Luckily, an under-the-radar farming practice called Biodynamic farming—an agricultural technique yielding ingredients Eminence Organic Skin Care proudly incorporates into product formulations—doesn’t make us choose between potency and purity.
Because we know adding another clean-beauty buzzword to your already-stocked repertoire can be overwhelming, we chatted with Eminence Organic Skin Care president Boldijarre Koronczay to learn everything there is to know about the sustainable practice and how your skin care can benefit.
What is Biodynamic farming and how does it work?
“The practice of Biodynamic farming is rooted in the belief that the farm is a living, breathing, self-sustaining organism and should be treated as such,” says Koronczay. As a result, it makes perfect sense that ingredients harvested from Biodynamic farms are more wholesome, higher in vitamins and nutrients and, when applied topically, are suitable even for sensitive skin types.
According to Koronczay, Biodynamic farming practices include a commitment to healing the land and keeping soil healthy, meaning zero chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or genetically modified organisms are used. “Biodynamic farms are self-sufficient, intricate ecosystems that depend very little on human intervention,” he continues.
Biodynamic farming versus organic farming
Biodynamic farming not only meets the standards of organic farming, but with an additional set of stringent criteria, says Koronczay. Among them: “A greater emphasis for on-farm solutions for disease, pest and weed control, and depth specifications around water conservation and biodiversity.” Additionally, Koronczay notes one important difference between Biodynamic ingredients and “organic or clean ingredients” is that Biodynamic ingredients are certified by Demeter-International, the only official certifying body for Biodynamic practices.
What role does the lunar cycle play in Biodynamic farming?
These specific farming practices extend further than land and soil—Biodynamic farmers follow a unique calendar for planting and harvesting based on lunar cycles, as well as the alignment of the earth and stars, explains Koronczay. “Typically, the best time to harvest crops is when the moon is ascending and the sap in the plants are increasing—meaning more potent nutrients are in the plants themselves,” he explains. “Then, when the moon is in the descending phase, the gravitational pull of the moon creates higher tides. A plant’s life force is grounded in its roots, and pulling water from deep underground towards the roots of the plants, means it’s time to plant and sow the crops.”
How does this farming practice affect skin care?
“Due to the practice’s strict guidelines, ingredients harvested from Biodynamic farms are even more pure than organic ingredients,” says Koronczay. These ingredients are higher in vitamins, nutrients and active compounds than conventional ingredients, which help impart many topical cosmetic benefits without harsh side effects. “Because these ingredients are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, they’re extremely beneficial, yet suitable for even sensitive skin types,” he says. “Biodynamic farming yields the healthiest possible ingredients that can achieve the best possible results.”
Because skin-care products containing Biodynamic ingredients are more potent, they are suitable for a multitude of skin concerns including hyperpigmentation, acne and even rosacea, adds Koronczay. “Because of the way that Biodynamic crops are grown in harmony with the earth, they have been found to contain up to 8 percent more potassium, 20 percent more sodium, 34 percent more iron and 47 percent more vitamin C than conventional produce.”
What is process of becoming Biodynamic certified?
“The Biodynamic certification by Demeter-International for skin-care products is one of the most stringent standards in the world, even exceeding organic regulations,” Koronczay continues, noting that there are very few skin-care brands that can attain it. The reason: unlike organic certifications, obtaining a Biodynamic certification requires the entire farm and all of its practices to be certified and inspected annually.
Similarly, Koronczay explains that Biodynamic products are subject to very strict standards. “Each product must meet required percentages of Demeter Certified Biodynamic ingredients, and all packaging for the products must be free of fungicides, preservatives, fumigants and insecticides,” he says. “Every step of the product’s creation is reviewed, inspected and certified, from the growing and harvesting of ingredients, to the manufacturing, to the bottling and finished packaging. It’s a very laborious, thorough and expensive process—but one we feel passionately is worth the investment, ultimately for our long-term health of our planet.”
How does Eminence source its ingredients?
Koronczay shares that Eminence’s Biodynamic ingredients are harvested from the brand’s close network of farming partners across Europe. “Each and every one of these farms is certified by Demeter-International, meeting the highest standards known to Biodynamic agriculture,” he continues. “At our Demeter-Certified production facility in Hungary, we craft our formulas in small batches with love and intention, creating products for our Beyond Organic Collection which contain Biodynamic ingredients.”
What makes Eminence a key player in the world of Biodynamic farming?
“Eminence helped to pave the way by creating an entire luxury skin-care regimen featuring Demeter-Certified Biodynamic ingredients nearly 10 years ago,” says Koronczay, who notes organic skin care was only slowly becoming mainstream then. “We wanted to take the next big leap,” he continues. “We believed then, and still do, that Biodynamic will be the next great wave in clean skin care and will have a profound impact on the beauty industry.”
