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:
- What is known about the health benefits of forests? Duodecim 2018
- Heli Pirinen analyzes Vaicute cream, developed for women's mucous membranes
- Oiling and treating scars prevents pain and body dysfunction
- Blackcurrant, rich in active ingredients, slows down skin aging
Photo: Jatta Lohilahti