Beauty, bath and beyond
A Hungarian luxe skincare brand banks on the country’s thermal water as the essence of its skincare, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
SANUS per aquam, or healing through water, is a Latin phrase that shapes much of the modern beauty industry we know today. Its acronym, spa, is now understood as a beauty and relaxing ritual which includes, among others, practices like a luxurious bath, a refreshing sauna and a facial, all of which are impossible without the presence of water.
One of the oldest spa treatments, before beauty brands exist, is perhaps the thermal bath, when the body is soaked in water from hot springs, typically heated by subterranean volcanic activity.
The city of Budapest, dubbed the City of Spas, is dotted with thermal baths, or furdok in Hungarian. Heated by natural thermal springs and with additional services like steam room and massage, the thermal bath is an experience tourists take in while in the city.
Much like the onsen in Japan, thermal baths in Hungary give visitors a glimpse of the natural, therapeutic benefits hot spring water has given its population for centuries.
Meanwhile, Stephen, a descendant of the noble Omorovicza family from Budapest was running his family firm when he met US diplomat Margaret, chief of staff at the US Embassy, working for ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker.
He told her of his family history — in the 1800s, Stephen’s ancestors commissioned famous architect Miklos Ybl to build the Racz spa in Budapest on the site of a medieval healing spring. He took her to Budapest’s ancient spas and introduced her to the benefits of thermal water.
Inspired by the profound effects of the waters on their skin, Margaret and Stephen — whose love blossomed and later got married — were keen to bring Hungary’s beauty to the rest of the world and started luxury label Omorovicza. According to Hubert Whoi, head od education at Kens Apothecary, Omorovicza’s sole distributor in the country, much is understood about the beneficial effects of thermal waters on bathers because the minerals stick to the skin during baths but they do not absorb into the skin.
“To replicate the healing and revitalising effects of the thermal waters on the skin, Margaret and Stephen worked with a Nobel prize-winning laboratory of dermatology to develop and patent a Healing Concentrate which delivers minerals into the skin.
“During the process, the minerals are transformed into compounds which the skin can accept. Those complex compounds are encapsulated in phospholipids to ensure the absorption of the minerals deep into the epidermis.”
The brand has four collections of skincare — Moor Mud, Gold, Blue Diamond and Hydro Mineral.
The Moor Mud collection contains Moor Mud from Lake Heviz in Hungary, the largest thermal lake in Europe. This black mud is extremely rich in calcium and magnesium carbonates, as well as humic and fulvic acids — it detoxifies and purifies the skin.
The Blue Diamond collection reveals the fitness and vitality of the skin. Skin fitness is essential to the youthfulness of skin cells since over time, skin loses elasticity and firmness, appears lacklustre and develops lines and wrinkles.
Aside from the products, customers can try out the Omorovicza facial (starting at RM400) at Kens Apothecary in Bangsar Village II for them to experience the Hungarian thermal water’s benefits.
“We believe in providing great service on par with the curation of effective products in our store and the latest addition of Omorovicza facial is testament to that,” Kens Apothecary managing director Ken Lim says.