Why use on your skin only what you can eat

His interest in native plants and the proper ways to harvest and use them to benefit people was shown by none other than the current King of the United Kingdom, who visited us in the summer of 2022. His Royal Highness, Charles III, honored us…

Summary:

His Royal Highness, Charles III, honored us with a visit to our homestead in Valea Zălanului. During his brief stay, we showed him the surroundings, discussed plants, and presented Hodaia’s plans for the future.

Contents:

• Choosing the Foods We Consume
• Elixirs and Potions, for Over Four Generations…
• Only Native Plants, Locally Produced Oils, and Recyclable Packaging
• Accept the Hodaia Challenge

We received compliments and advice, for which we are grateful and thank the King; who always emphasizes that "Romania is the last corner of Europe where real sustainability, complete resilience, and the preservation of an entire ecosystem can be observed."

Choosing the Foods We Consume

When it comes to choosing the foods we consume, opting for products aligned with a natural and healthy lifestyle is perfectly justified. Every time we eat, our digestive system breaks down the food, and the liver eliminates harmful toxins. However, when we put something on our skin—the largest organ in the human body—up to 60% of synthetic chemical substances can enter the bloodstream and accumulate in the body.

Think about all the products we use daily that come into contact with our skin: makeup, perfumes, moisturizers, soaps, deodorants, and so on. It’s not only what we eat that matters, but also what we put on our skin! Nature has already provided everything we could ever need to stay healthy and happy. Just as you nourish your body with natural foods, your skin deserves care with natural products.

Many personal care products on the market contain significant amounts of dangerous chemicals, from parabens (linked to cancer) to formaldehyde. A typical lotion on the shelf may therefore contain a fairly toxic mix that should make you think twice before using it. In comparison, natural skincare products cleanse, tone, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin without using any harmful artificial chemicals or additives.

Elixirs and Potions, for Over Four Generations…

Of course, at Hodaia, creators of personal care products for over four generations, we use native plants to create products that are not only 100% natural but also organic and sustainable.

We’ve often been asked how realistic this ambition is in a century where synthetic compounds are the norm, yet Hodaia’s story so far proves that it’s worth following our vision.

At the Hodaia workshop, at the foot of the Călimani Mountains, we craft skincare products that are so natural, clean, and beneficial, you could even eat them our products: oils and elixirs for hair care, balms and ointments for skin regeneration, solid shampoos, traditional soaps, teas, and more. Our shop also offers other “magical potions” made from medicinal plants.

Where do our recipes and potions come from? They are deeply rooted in the history of Raluca Olaru’s family, Hodaia’s founder. Ancient recipes were passed down through generations since the time when herbalists were the sole practitioners of healing arts. Today, Raluca combines them with scientific research, giving these recipes new life—where the invaluable experience of natural healing and care, accumulated from ancestors, is adapted to contemporary lifestyles without losing benefits, but rather enhancing them.

For over 10 years, Raluca traveled extensively across Romania and Germany

to study medical folklore and phytopharmacy. From combining traditional family knowledge with modern medical practices, Hodaia was born and continues to grow beautifully.

More and more people are turning to BIO products, whether in food, cleaning products, or skincare. And this trend makes perfect sense. Why? Because when we talk about food, once ingested, it’s broken down by the digestive system and harmful toxins are eliminated by the liver.

Things happen differently when we put something on the skin—the largest organ in the human body—because up to 60% of synthetic chemical substances can enter the bloodstream and accumulate in the body. We can avoid this by using personal care products that are chemical-free, natural, and organic, and enjoy their benefits in our daily skincare routine.

Only Native Plants, Locally Produced Oils, and Recyclable Packaging

Hodaia products contain species of native medicinal plants, grown organically and sustainably processed in our workshop. Plants are harvested from areas where they grow abundantly, far from human settlements or roads, or cultivated in our garden. Cold-pressed oils come from small local producers in Harghita, Mureș, and Cluj counties, while essential oils are also sourced in Romania, with quality far superior to imported oils.

Very importantly, by working only with regional producers, we respect the community we are part of, as well as the environment, since avoiding imports significantly reduces our ecological impact throughout the production chain. Additionally, we use recyclable and reusable packaging, such as the packaging of the Face Elixir. This comes in a cylindrical wooden box that can later be used as a holder for brushes and combs, while the lid can serve as a coaster.

Accept the Hodaia Challenge

Each year we expand our range of products, as well as the variety of plants we cultivate in our gardens. From seed to finished product, we aim to offer health, quality, and transparency in production. We challenge you to choose any product from our shop to see for yourself that it’s worth putting on your skin only what you could eat!

For example, if you too have hardworking hands that never stay still, you need an ointment to care for your hands’ skin, no matter how stressed, dry, or sensitive it may be. For this purpose, we combined nine natural ingredients, including cold-pressed oils from grapes, hemp, and walnut, juniper extract, and beeswax.

Or you can try the Codru natural face soap, made with pine, fir, juniper, and mint oils, along with activated charcoal that deeply cleanses and leaves a fresh mountain scent… And let’s not forget the shaving potion, a unique blend of cold-pressed oils from grapes, safflower, castor, and rosehip, and essential oils from sage, mint, lavender, thyme, and rosemary, which will care for your skin like nothing else.