This year, MĖTA entered five of its birch products into the 10th edition of the Natural Beauty Awards, organised by Green Parent, a publication for families in England who are committed to living an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Green Parent’s selection criteria for natural cosmetics and beauty products are very strict: “Experts, beauty bloggers and readers choose the best ‘fruits of the harvest’ for each of the winning product groups. We can be sure of every product in the competition because the Natural Beauty Awards have very strict selection criteria. Each product presented is selected on the basis of composition, company ethics, packaging materials, naturalness, etc. relevant criteria. They also look for altruistic companies that support a better future for families.”
The company is very pleased to share with you the results of the Natural Beauty Awards 2020 – among the many cosmetics and beauty products, two of our products won the silver medal: the BERRY HYDROLATE and the Best Buy – the gold medal!
An activity born out of a desire to do the work you love
Folk wisdom says: “Find a pleasant occupation and you’ll never have to work hard”. But it takes a lot of hard work and effort to find something you love, before you can adapt your personal qualities to a heartwarming activity. Nothing in this world is accidental; all the twists and turns of fate patiently work to improve us and lead us towards our goal.
MĖTA is a family business, established in 1989, which has gone through all the economic trials and tribulations of Lithuania’s restoration of independence. The first essential oil produced by the company was mint, and at that time we were planning to produce it in large quantities, which is why we gave our company a name that would be Lithuanian, short, clear, and convey clear information about the nature of the business. At the time, we were reading a lot of scientific literature, interested in the chemical composition, medicinal and cosmetic properties of plants, and the potential applications of plants in our environment were unfolding before our eyes. At that time, we focused more on research projects, on what could be extracted from plants growing in Lithuania and used for food and cosmetics production, because the equipment we purchased, the most modern at the time, allowed us to save raw materials, to develop and introduce environmentally friendly, waste-free technologies into production.
Already in the first year of production, we realised that essential oil production is just skimming the cream off the milk. A huge amount of the plant’s bioactive substances, water-soluble saponins, flavonoids, vitamins, yeasts and minerals would be left unused if the by-product of essential oil production, the hydrolate, were to be poured off. We have therefore started to concentrate the aqueous phase to a stable, self-preserving concentration of bioactive substances, expanding the use of hydrolates and extracts. Indeed, it is very difficult for the uninitiated to realise the powerful “production” of bioactive organic compounds that takes place within the plant itself. Nature itself takes care of our bodies and our well-being. We have nothing to add but to extract all these wonderful gifts from nature, preserve them without spoiling them and make them available to the consumer. Everything in nature is interconnected, and every part of nature – inanimate (inorganic), vegetable, animal – complements each other. Humans, homo sapiens, are also part of nature, but unlike other animals, we still need to make great efforts to stay in harmony with nature.
Maximising the benefits of products for people while maintaining harmony with nature
When we launch a new product, the first thing we think about is how it will serve people and be in harmony with nature. As the founders of the company, our background in science is a must. The first thing we do before we start making a product is to think about what local plants we can use to create new products. We are looking into the technology to extract not only the active ingredients needed for the product, but also where and how to use the secondary raw materials from the production process. How we will rationally use energy resources and water. This is how we are slowly approaching zero emissions technology. From the same raw material, we produce essential oil, hydrolates, extracts and biofuels or compost in a single production process. We are not the kind of manufacturers who flood the market with new products every year. Sometimes it takes many years to develop a single product and test its features. First we test it on ourselves, on our family members. Then we give it to a circle of friends and colleagues to try. We collect feedback, improve the ingredients, packaging and product descriptions. Consumers are very often surprised by the cheapness of our natural cosmetics. We don’t create products to decorate the bathroom, but to make them accessible and useful for body care. Like many of the priceless goods that nature gives us, like air, for which there is no direct price.
Benefits for everyone
We could go on and on about each of our products and the benefits they bring to the natural beauty of our bodies. Although there is a wide variety of medicinal plants in Lithuania, our special focus at the moment is on birch, which is so common in our environment that many people do not even think about how beneficial it is for the care of our bodies. Cosmetic products often turn our heads with their advertising slogans offering us a one-bottle panacea, but natural beauty is more about lifestyle than marketing slogans. Therefore, after the short-term beauty, there is a long period of restoration of natural beauty. We are very pleased that our “birch” cosmetic products Birch hydrolat, Herbal extracts mixture for hair strengthening, Herbal extracts mixture for baby baths have received not only recognition from Lithuanian consumers, but also international recognition. We are most grateful that our nature is so generous and forgiving: it allows us to repair the damage caused by “synthetic cosmetics” by affordable natural means. Birch hydrolat contains 50 identified organic bioactive compounds that give it the properties of a gentle skin toner and cleanser. Birch hydrolate is a by-product of the production of birch essential oil by steam distillation of birch, the by-product of which is water condensate. This microparticle colloidal system of the plant’s active ingredients (zol) contains a variety of hydrophilic, biologically active substances and a small amount of essential oil, up to 0.1%, which preserves the hydrolate and extends its shelf life by up to 2 years.
During the production process, the birch essential oil is distributed in the finest particles to form a stable colloidal system. Each of the hydrolates synergistically complements each other’s cleansing, toning, deodorising, balsamic and aromatic properties, giving this mild tonic a spring-fresh scent. Birch hydrolate smells more subtle and delicate than the essential oil itself. The composition of the hydrolat is as unique and delicate as only nature itself can provide. The acidic pH of birch hydrolate is also ideal for hair care. It is suitable for rinsing rough hair that is difficult to comb. Hydrolate is ideal for moisturising the hair before blow-drying.
Plant Extract Blend Hair Strengthener is a classic of plant extracts and one of our most popular products. This hair mask contains only three ingredients: birch leaf-bud aqueous extract, nettle aqueous extract and natural lemon balm essential oil. However, each of these ingredients contains exactly the biologically active minerals (nettle’s aqueous extract contains almost the entire Mendeleyev table!) and organic substances, vitamins, flavonoids and saponins. The mixture of plant extracts is, like the hydrolat, a stable zolus of hydrophilic (water-soluble) substances and essential oils, but even more concentrated, up to 30-35% of the dry matter concentration. The harmonious combination of organic and mineral substances not only nourishes weakened hair roots and irritated scalp, but also soothes, reduces inflammation and stimulates hair growth.
Plant extract blend For baby baths, nature’s gift of a high quality, gentle blend of birch extracts enriched with essential oils of lavender and bergamot, for the enjoyable bathing of our little ones. Birch leaf and bud extracts have long been known to have antiseptic, toning, astringent, firming and soothing properties, and are therefore effective in improving the skin’s condition. Bergamot and lavender essential oils have a soothing, smoothing and antibacterial effect, so your skin will glow after every bath, leaving it toned, refreshed and soothed, and your hair softer and smoother. But the most important thing is that both baby and mum will have a long and restful night’s sleep.
Betula Alba Conditioning Shampoo, still very young but very popular with consumers (especially men, because it does not strip the hair, and there is no need to use hair wax). Compared to other shampoos, the list of ingredients is short and in the most visible place on the label. Betula Alba is not a very foaming shampoo, because its foaming is not due to synthetic surfactants, but to the saponins in the birch extract. However, it is very effective in restoring the hair’s natural pliability without drying the skin.
So we wish you harmony with yourself and the nature around you!