About us
What is the difference between Baldini and TAOASIS?
We, TAOASIS Natur Duft Manufaktur, distribute our products under several brands: TAOASIS, Baldini and Meditao. The TAOASIS and Meditao brands are limited to pharmacies and our own sales premises. Baldini is the brand we have specially developed for organic retail. These products are thus available or can be ordered in organic shops and health food stores. Baldini is a different brand, but its products all come directly from TAOASIS.
Why are some products found under both brands – TAOASIS and Baldini?
Baldini is the brand we have specially developed for organic retail. The TAOASIS and Meditao brands are limited to pharmacies and our own sales premises. We also want to offer our most popular products, such as our “Dufte Schule” range in organic stores; that is why they come under both brands. Products of the same name have the same ingredients.
Are you really a family company?
Yes. TAOASIS was founded in 1991 by Axel Meyer; since 2013, Axel Meyer’s son Govinda has been the second managing director of the firm. The pair is involved in all decisions and processes, meaning the term “family-run” really applies.
Ingredients & Quality
Are your products really free from chemical additives?
Our oils are natural, naturally pure and organic, coming from organic or even Demeter-certified cultivation – with no additives. We never use synthetic or “nature-identical” substances. You can read on our “Quality” page about the high quality criteria and demands we make of our products.
Are your products vegan and cruelty-free?
None of our products is tested on animals and all are guaranteed cruelty-free. All our products are vegetarian; 99% of our products are vegan. Only in a few products do we use beeswax – namely, in our rose balsam, angelica balsam, Arolla pine balsam, tonka cream and Meditao cistus cream. We also traditionally use honey in two products, our organic oregano and tea tree lozenges. This is clearly marked in the ingredients. Our founder and managing director Axel Meyer is a vegan himself. That is why we take it as a very personal interest to keep our products free from animal products, and of course also cruelty-free.
What are INCIs and why do they not contain all ingredients?
“INCI” is an abbreviation for “International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients”. The INCIs are guidelines for cosmetics labelling and not the same as an ingredients list. The INCIs determine what needs to be labelled as a component of cosmetics. For example, all the significant potential allergens in an oil (such as linalool or citral) need to be listed separately, even if they are a natural component of the oil. We never mix additional components in.
Why is “parfum” listed as an ingredient on the INCIs?
Our oils consist of 100% naturally pure essential oil. We use no synthetic or nature-identical substances. The reason for “parfum” being listed in the INCIs has two reasons: 1: The guidelines for the INCIs (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) determine precisely what needs to be listed as an ingredient of cosmetics. We thus need to indicate the essential oils that we use. Since, however – and this is the 2nd reason – we naturally don’t want to give away the exact recipes for our products, we use “parfum” (as intended by the INCIs) as an overarching term for a variety of essential oils. “Parfum” thus in no way means that there are non-natural components – our oils are 100% natural. Nevertheless, we do also give every relevant allergen in the INCIs.
Why is “alcohol” listed as an ingredient on the INCIs for some mixed fragrances?
In some 100% pure mixed fragrances, “alcohol” can be seen on the INCIs. This is because a fragrance may, for example, contain vanilla. Vanilla is an extract. This means the essential oil must be extracted using alcohol. For this reason, alcohol is listed on the INCIs, even though only very tiny amounts of it are present. A small amount of alcohol is present in the oils in our Feel range, specially designed for diffusers, allowing them to mix more easily with water. Only to these fragrances is alcohol deliberately added.
Why are, for example, “linalool” or “limonene” listed on the INCIs for some oils? Are they added to the oil?
The INCIs are guidelines for cosmetics labelling and not the same as an ingredients list. The INCIs determine what needs to be labelled as a component of cosmetics. For example, all the significant potential allergens in an oil (such as linalool or citral) need to be listed separately, even if they are a natural component of the oil. We never mix additional components in.
What is the difference between TAOASIS essential oils and Baldini organic aromas?
All our oils are subject to the same strict quality controls. Baldini organic aromas are essential oils that we have had certified with the EU Organic Seal and thus labelled as foodstuffs. This means we can recommend these oils for internal use. All other essential oils are certified as natural cosmetics and cannot be recommended for internal use. Exceptions are the peppermint (PZN 00729563) and eucalyptus (PZN 00729557) oils from our “home pharmacy aromatherapy” range. They are authorised for medical use and can be recommended and used accordingly.
Sales & distribution
Where can I buy your products?
Our products can be obtained in our own stores in Berlin and Lage and from our online shop. They can also be found in pharmacies, online pharmacies, organic stores and on Amazon.
Is there a TAOASIS store or pharmacy where I live?
Our products can be bought in many towns and states. You can find out if your town is one of them by using our retailer search. Enter the name of your town or a postcode and we will show you all local partner pharmacies and stores.
Can I buy your products abroad?
We ourselves distribute in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You can find our products in these countries in pharmacies, online pharmacies and our own shops. Abroad, products are distributed by sales partners. You can find out in which countries our sales partners operate on our “Sales partners” page.
Cultivation
What is the difference between Baldini and TAOASIS?
“Conventional cultivation” is the standard, ordinary form of cultivation where lower quality standards are used and pesticides are allowed. Organic cultivation, on the other hand, uses organic seed, organic fertiliser and no pesticides. The Demeter standard goes further than the organic one: Care is taken here of the natural cycle; only special cultivars are used and only few, select preparations are allowed when fertilising or feeding animals. In our range, we always strive towards the highest standards in the cultivation of raw materials.
Do oils smell better if they come from Demeter cultivation?
What oil smells “better” is very subjective and differs from person to person. Oil from organic or Demeter-certified cultivation fulfils the higher quality standards that are very dear to us, something you can see clearly when you inspect them in the lab. Often, you can also smell this directly – many organic, and above all Demeter, oils have a very typical and pronounced character.
Does lavender from Provence smell better than that from other regions?
The particular preference for the oil from Provence is rather a matter of tradition and the level of recognition it gives. Lavender has been grown in Provence for a long time because the climate is perfect for it there, meaning people habitually associate the region with the plant. This doesn’t mean, however, that it is of better quality or smells better.
I would like to visit your lavender fields in Fromhausen. May I?
But of course! To protect local residents and our plants, however, we ask you to respect a couple of rules. Our lavender fields in Fromhausen are on the Osterbergweg in Detmold-Fromhausen. You cannot drive to them as there are no parking spaces. Getting there by bike, on foot or by bus would really live up to our message. You can take bus line 782, getting off at the “Fromhausen” stop. From there, the fields are just a few minutes away on foot. Do you not live nearby and are only able to come by car? Then we recommend you park near to a 782 bus stop and continue by public transport. You can find the timetable here. In order for you to really enjoy a wonderful visit with us, we have put the most important information together for you here: Fromhausen lavender fields. Rules for a visit to the fields: - Please respect local residents when travelling through the village, parking and visiting. There are no rubbish bins by the lavender fields. Please take only pictures and leave only footprints – and don’t enter the fields! - And: Leave picking or digging up the lavender to us!