Paul Penders – Natural Herbal Skincare Products

Paul’s Study Journey Part 1

Posted on 11. Jun, 2009 by Shirley in Beauty Tips, Herbs & Ingredients, Our Community

Paul Roncken, my long-time friend of over 30 years, has asked me to visit the beautiful country Czechia. He often talks about Czechia’s vast natural environment, the fertility of natural herbs and plants that grow abundantly over there.

For several years, he has been visiting Langkawi UNESCO Geopark in Malaysia, sometimes twice a year. He loves the rainforests on our island. Although he visits me so often, I never had the time to visit him in Czechia. Last week, came the opportunity to organize a trip to Czechia and it became the most memorable and pleasant learning experience.

Czechia is a small country situated east of Germany and it was a part of the old communist system until 1968. A few buildings still reminded me of that period of time but now this country has become a modern country where you can find warm and enthusiastic people. The capital of Czechia, Prague, is a busy city like most big cities in the world but it is very well-preserved with nostalgic and romantic character – a charm that only a few cities I know share.

The trip to the the country side, which is in south of Prague, was the most interesting. The place was charming with rolling hills and small villages, modern living had arisen from a dramatic history where the country overflow with beauty, freshness, unpolluted nature and a clean environment. There were beautiful houses in natural settings, all in gentle earthy colors. I had never seen any house that was placed so naturally in a lush area, with colorful flowers and big trees.

The colors of houses were really inspiring with many types of yellow – warm yellow, mustard yellow, sunshine yellow, beige in various shades as well as soft red shades. I did not see any light blue or purple houses, for example. The grassy field was scattered with lovely flowers like poppies, daisies and all kinds of herbs, plants, fruits and vegetables. The scenery looked exactly like a painting by Van Gogh. Looking out at this beautiful view, it seemed impossible to think of a more breathtakingly scenic place.

I was very interested in the sap found in the birch trees. As I am originally from Europe, I know that years ago a few small cosmetic companies in Germany made “Birch Haar Wasser”, which was a scalp and hair tonic with rejuvenating and antiseptic effects. Massaging the sap of birch will result in shinny and strong hair. This organic method has been used by the locals for centuries. I took some samples of the skin of birch tree, which is for our R&D team in Langkawi to extract.

My friend, who owns a “green farm house” in that part of the country where we stayed for several days, showed me the best birch trees and they grew almost everywhere near his place. Those were healthy and strong trees. We discussed how we could grow these trees on his fertile land using organic methods to get the very best birch extract possible.  I also saw big trees that bore large juicy cherries, which contain antioxidants that are important for the health and beauty of our skin. Nettle, which are rich in antioxidants and iron, were growing wildly everywhere there!

I was very impressed with the flawless skin of the women in Czechia. Their skin looked healthy and radiant. It was interesting to see so many blonde women with blue eyes there as it felt at times more like being in northern Europe like Sweden and Norway than in the south. Skincare regimen for women are quite similar in most countries but there are not many organic cosmetic brands available in Czechia market. There is definitely a trend towards a natural approach in skin care and make-up because the people in Czechia are young, full of spirit and beautiful.

Plan a trip to this unique country! I guarantee that you will fall in love with Prague and will not be disappointed no matter which part of Czechia you go.

Contributed by Paul Penders
CEO & Founder
Paul Penders Co.

Tags: antioxidants, Birch Haar Wasser, birch trees, Czechia, Health and Beauty, herbs, Langkawi UNESCO Geopark, nettle, Prague