Anyone who is familiar with the Harry Potter series of stories will know that a Dementor is a creature that feeds on your fears and worst nightmares. They suck the joy from your being, like someone would suck the flavor from a lollipop, leaving behind a colourless, icy core. As their name suggests, anyone who encounters them for too long will lose their mind.
This is very much a week when I feel I have been losing my mind. Ever since Dad died, the world seems a place populated with nothing but Dementors. Every scary thing that you normally hide at the back of your mind becomes a tangible reality; every worse scenario that you can imagine becomes a certainty; the walls of your mind move inwards and you feel like you are going to be crushed.
Fear makes us vulnerable, and I have found in terms of the Beauty Industry, there are a lot of unscrupulous people who will cash in on these fears. Returning to the Harry Potter theme the following quote seems apt:
“Well, you see, in all the panic about You-Know-Who, odd things have been cropping up for sale everywhere, things that are supposed to guard against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. You can imagine the kind of thing — so-called protective potions that are really gravy with a bit of bubotuber pus added, or instructions for defensive jinxes that actually make your ears fall off. . . .”
So this week I was really encouraged to see the following Facebook quote from the lovely team at Dr. Hauschka concerning their decision to cease selling shampoos:
“The manufacturers of Dr. Hauschka, WALA Heilmittel, would not have been able to continue to sustainably produce some of the ingredients that were contained in the shampoos, and so rather than compromise on the very highest of standards which Dr.Hauschka is famous for, the decision was taken to discontinue these products. We were all very sad to see them go but at the same time, Dr.Hauschka remains true to its core beliefs & values and that's something that we're very proud of…”
It reminded me why I love using Dr. Hauschka products. And no, I am not going to suggest for one second that introducing them into your life is going to make everything magically ok. I can’t say that if you use them you will never feel scared again, that your loved ones will always be safe, that the house will tidy itself, that the scary admin pile will vanish, that you will automatically pass exams, or get a clean bill of health or resolve all the terrible injustices in this world. But you can certainly believe in them as a company with heart and soul.
And for me the products do perform a certain type of magic. The uplifting smell of Lemon Bath is like sunshine in a bottle, the Moor Lavender Body Oil envelops you in comforting blanket of fresh Lavender; the Rose Day Cream is like stepping out into the garden where the petals are fresh with dew. Dementors can’t feed on this type of joy.