• Posted on

Natural science and medicine go hand in hand

Luonnontiede ja lääketiede kulkevat käsi kädessä

Nature, its gifts, its inhabitants and its air are treasures that must endure for us, for our children and for all future generations. It is the most precious thing we have. It gives us everything, it is the beginning, the root and the continuation of everything. Let us cherish it strongly.

I am a native of Kainuu. My family roots are in the Kuhmo forest, in the village of Ahovaara, where I have always spent as much of my time as possible. Anyone who has ever been there knows that it is a deep and beautiful forest. As a forest-bred person, I have always been a forest person and I will remain a forest person. Even though my studies and work have brought me to the city, I still feel most comfortable in the forest.

The health effects of forests have been extensively studied, and it is known that being in the forest itself promotes health. Spending time in the forest lowers blood pressure and heart rate, calms the mind, and increases the amount of pleasure hormones. The forest is an immeasurably valuable gym and psychiatrist, and there is no charge to visit it. With the protection of everyman's rights, you can gather healthy food there, find things to do, go on hikes, or whatever, as long as you remember to treat it well.

The forest − and nature as a whole − produces many things that promote health, even for those who do not go to the forest themselves. Nature's gifts can be collected from the forest in moderation and processed for users. Some people use nature's gifts to make food, others to make decorative and functional objects, and still others to make cosmetics – there is something for everyone.

I am an occupational health physician and a natural products processor by profession. I want to bring these two fields closer together and build bridges between medicine and natural science. Medicines originally come from nature, and it was only after the wars that herbalist shops and pharmacies were separated in Finland. In many countries they are still together, but in Finland they are quarantined with strange border fences, completely unnecessarily. I cherish the idea that these two fields could genuinely walk side by side, supporting and benefiting from each other.

"Cortisone can be beneficial to the organic person and red clover to the doctor."

It is clear that representatives of evidence-based medicine cannot recommend any herbalism based solely on traditional knowledge as a treatment. However, I do not think that this means that the medical use of natural plants based on traditional knowledge cannot be functional and effective. There is still little information about the benefits of the effects of the forest in the treatment of diseases and it should definitely be increased. The topic has simply not been sufficiently studied or clarified – yet. More information and research are needed, as well as an accepting and gentle understanding of other points of view. Cortisone can be beneficial for organic people and red clover for doctors.

I have founded a natural cosmetic cream line called Vaicute, whose first product, a moisturizing cream for the mucous membranes of the pubic area containing red clover facial estrenes, was launched on the market in the summer of 2021. Now, a year later, the Vaicute family has new members: the nourishing Spruce Kernel Oil and the face and body creams Marigold and Blackcurrant . The selection of natural active ingredients for these new products is based on researched information. We are currently researching the active ingredients of heather in collaboration with the University of Oulu.

On this SivuVAICUTE blog site, I want to tell you which natural active ingredients have been studied to have an effect on human health and well-being. I also invite other experts to be guest writers on the blog. The mission of the Vaicute blog is to act as a link between natural active ingredients and conventional medicine.

I hope you find interesting information on our website, and it would be great if you would share the articles with your friends on social media. You can also give feedback either by commenting on the blog posts or by sending me a message at info@vaicute.fi

Welcome to the SivuVAICUTE blog!

Best regards, Raisa Mäkäräinen

► Read more:

Photo: Jatta Lohilahti

    Read Also

    See all This blog posts provides information about the research related to our products, as well as tips that we hope will bu useful for you.
    Kaksi naista mustaherukan lehtien päällä makaamassa
    • Posted on
    Blackcurrant slows down skin aging
    The polyphenolic compounds contained in black currant are unique active ingredients that have a positive effect on skin proteins and enzyme activity, writes natural cosmetics expert Heli Pirinen .
    Arpiset polvet ja jalkaterät rennosti kajakin reunalla järvimaisemassa
    • Posted on
    Oiling and treating scars prevents pain
    The pain experienced by clients who come to a physiotherapist is often due to an untreated scar, writes Marita Karppinen . Scars can cause movement disorders and referred pain. For example, an old C-section scar can be the cause of pelvic floor or lower limb dysfunction. Oiling the scar is an important part of treatment.
    Puna-apiloita
    • Posted on
    Treating dry mucous membranes improves a woman's well-being during and after menopause.
    Dry mucous membranes impair a woman's quality of life, make her more susceptible to vaginal and urinary tract infections, and weaken her sexual desire. Marita Karppinen, a physiotherapist and sex therapist specializing in pelvic floor disorders, recommends daily treatment for dry mucous membranes in the pubic area and also provides instructions for exercising the pelvic floor muscles.
    Apiloista tehdä sydämen muotoinen asetelma (AI)
    • Posted on
    The Vaicute story continues after all
    The Vaicute product family suffered a great loss in May 2023 when the product creator and developer, Dr. Raisa Mäkäräinen, passed away unexpectedly. The loss was enormous in every way, and the future of the Vaicute products was also uncertain. Raisa Mäkäräinen, developer of Vaicute products. One person could hardly fill Raisa's shoes in any area, so we decided to take on the challenge of natural cosmetics with the help of three women. We founded Marion Finland Oy, which will continue to manufacture and sell Vaicute products. The name and packaging of the product family will remain in the familiar form for the time being. The operations are still in Kainuu, now in Sotkamo instead of Kajaani. Marion Finland Oy's founders are Mari Jaakkola, Marianne Mäki and Kirsi Kuvaja. All three of us entrepreneurs have a long background in the academic world of plant research. We participated in research collaboration with Raisan Terveyspirtti at the university already during the development phase of the first Vaicute product. The author of this text, the CEO of Marion Finland Oy, also worked at Raisan Terveyspirtti for half a year. The products and the company's operating environment were therefore familiar to us. Our background in plant research, quality and equipment management related to laboratory work, and domestic and international networks in the field give us a solid foundation for continuing and developing our business. The prerequisite for continuing production was also that the products were of high quality and that we could sincerely stand behind them. As a doctor, Raisa's heart was to be a bridge builder between science and the world of natural products, so that they could support each other instead of opposing each other. We want to continue strengthening those bridges and building new ones. Like Raisa, we want to invest in the best domestic plant raw materials, and utilize scientific research in product development and evaluation of effectiveness, as well as share research information in an easily understandable format for our customers. We hope that the driving force behind our work will always be joy, inspiration and enthusiasm. The most important thing why we continue to manufacture Vaicute products is the feedback from our customers. The cream, developed especially for women's mucous membranes, has been longed for back on the market. The feedback has been downright confusing. It humbles the mind, and brightens and clarifies our motivation to continue the work that Raisa started. We will do our best to continue Raisa's life's work and serve our customers with high-quality Vaicute products. We gratefully accept this inspiring challenge. Warmest regards from our entire team, Mari Jaakkola CEO of Marion Finland Oy
    Vihreän kullan eliksiiriä ihollesi
    • Posted on
    Green gold elixir for your skin
    The new Vaicute spruce cone oil treats dry skin, cuticles and scars. The vegan Vaicute treatment oil is extracted from hand-picked spruce cones from Kainuu. Even a drop is incredibly effective.
    • Posted on
    Vaicute in the media
    See what interesting things about the Vaicute product family and its developer Raisa Mäkäräinen have been published in the media. Vaicute! You can also find Raisa Terveyspirtti's own press releases here.