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Author: Margit Rüdiger

CultureAndCream Author from Munich To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn't do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don't know yet. But I am not only interested in "culture" and "cream", I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell .  Such unique experiences I want to share with you.

Markus Rock: Provocation in Pictures

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The large format pictures of photo artist Markus Rock are anything but nice and pleasing compositions. His oeuvre, he has already shown on many international exhibitions like the NordArt, is provocative and thought-provoking. Markus Rock’s photographic work centres on the question of what it means to be human in contemporary society. His earlier series show de-contextualised naked female and male bodies floating on black surfaces. The prints confront us with different states of individual being. But they also thematise the universal human longing for intimate and meaningful relationships. The physicality of the human body, the images suggest, is the landscape into which such searches for and struggles over human identity and selfhood – individual and collective — are inscribed. The ultra-realistic aesthetics of Rock’s photography can be deeply unsettling because the boundary between the body’s reality and its representations is kept open, porous and undefined. The powerful drama of human life is there for us to see and we are inescapably drawn right into it, complicit in the construction of ‘the Other’. The struggles of fellow human beings for dignity and recognition, Rock’s powerful images remind us, are always part of our own. Modern vanitas symbolism In his most recent work Markus Rock continues his visual exploration into what it means to be human in today’s world. He is particularly interested in what role material culture plays in who we think we are. Is there a meaning to the physical world that goes beyond its materiality, its mere use value? Rock is inspired by the old genre of vanitas still-lives which first emerged during the Golden Age of Dutch and Flemish culture in the 16th and 17th century. Decorating the parlours of the burgeoning merchant and bourgeois classes such meticulously arranged and amazingly realistic paintings aimed to show off the wealth of the patrons. They also celebrated the then growing stress on worldly accomplishments and human abilities: colourful paintings carefully combined the precious, rare and exceptional produced by the arts and to be found in nature with the pleasures of the mundane: flowers, bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables, books, jewels, golden and silver wine-filled chalices, scientific objects, maps, mirrors, Venetian glass, Chinese porcelain, silver cutlery, Indian cloth and Turkish carpets. Such opulent paintings were – and still are – a material feast for the eyes. Some of the objects there depicted, however, such as the hourglass and even more importantly the human skull, drove home another profound, if invisible, philosophical message: all is vanity, they reminded the viewer, and thus pointed to the transience and brevity of human life as well as to the shallowness of all human pleasures, of power, beauty and wealth.… weiterlesen

Tigerbalm – The Silver Bullett from Asia

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Hardly anyone comes back from a vacation in Thailand without the tin with its golden lid and the colourful sleeve with the tiger around it. In Asian countries you will encounter them at every nook and corner – on the market, at street stalls or in the boutique of your holiday resort. They cost almost nothing, if you compare it to western medicines. And that is exactly how the locals use the balm. It is brought to the aid of almost all ailments, each sort of tension and inflammation, also for the navel care of human and animal newborns. Tigerbalm should not be missing in any household. Also with us, it is now part of the basic equipment in the handbag of many women. Because it helps, when a sudden headache attack is announced, with itchy insect bites or to clear the nose when you have a cold. Monkey versus tiger Many people think, the healing balm is originated in Thailand. But this is an error. „Tigerbalm stinks“, says my thai son-in-law. They prefer there own product „jaa-mong“, recognizable by the monkey on the packaging. It’s official name is „White Monkey Holding Peach“ balm, but mostly it is called just Monkey Balm. Its composition is similar to that of the Tigerbalm. It also consists mainly menthol, camphor and methyl salicylate, the methyl ester of salicylic acid. Beside that it also contains various types of ginger. The locals don’t just value it as a medicine. It is placed in bowls dissolved in a little hot water, to neutralise unpleasant smells in house and kitchen, or to repel mosquitoes and other insects. Warmed up in the hands, it becomes the massage palm. Long tradition The asian balm originally comes from chinese medicine. In China it was reserved exclusively for the emperor and his ailments.The recipe has been strictly guarded. It was always passed on by a great teacher only to his best students. This treasure of traditional chinese medicine would certainly have been forgotten, if it hadn’t handed over to the Burmese plant scientist Aw Chu Kin by accident 150 years ago. He owned in Ragoon, the capital of Myanmar (former Burma), a small shop for natural remedies. Back then, the balm wasn’t called Tigerbalm. It owes its name to Aw Chu Kin’ s sons, Boon Par, the „soft lepard“, and Boon Haw, the „soft tiger“. They took over the pharmacy after the death of their father.… weiterlesen

New Year – New Hair

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From black to gray. I started my exciting hair experiment already last year. It is a long way, but now step by step each appointment at my Milan hairstylist brings me closer to the desired result. My friend Barbara calls it „salt and pepper“. How everything startet? I’ve been tired of coloring the roots of my naturally black hair for a while. Also I hated to mess with the black paint in the bathroom now and then, when there was no time left to make an appointment at the salon. But I only came to this decision to let the gray strands grow out after a long struggle with myself. I always thought by myself, that gray hair makes everyone looking old. Some years ago when „granny hair“ became trend, I couldn’t get excited about it. Well, a young face without lines and blemishes cannot look old per se. But so far, I’ve only found gray to be good for my grandmother Elsa, and she always wore a shade of blue because of her Spanish ancestry. I myself immediately tore out the first, still isolated, gray hairs in front of the bathroom mirror. No solution, as I soon found out. New ones were added. Even worse, the temple contours became light and lighter. As soon as the hairdresser had recolored it, new grays appeared, nearly happening on the way home. In order to always have a perfect contour, dyeing would soon have been necessary every 14 days. My hairdresser said no At some point I got tired and asked my hairdresser, a good pal for many years, if I shouldn’t let the gray strands grow out. He waved it off and said: „No, that doesn’t suit you!“ We experimented briefly with brown strands, which barely stood out in my dark hair. Uncertainty and dissatisfaction continued on my side to be colored black on a regular basis. Then something decisive happened last summer. Through a friend I met in Munich a hairdresser from Milan. His name is Armano. He cut my hair and asked rather casually, if I had thought about to let the gray strands grow out. It was as if he had read my mind. He said the solid black hair would look very hard, like a dark helmet. We arranged an appointment in his salon in Milan for my next trip to Italy. I was a little queasy. In order not to confuse myself even more, I did not discuss the hair topic with friends and family.… weiterlesen

Dubai’s Miracle Garden – Where Scents come to Life

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It was launched on Valentine’s Day 2013 and is set in the heart of Dubailand. Since then each year Dubai Miracle Garden reinvents itself with a whole new concept and design experience. 150 millions of flowers form on 7,2 ha territory outside of the City sculptures, castles, animals and an airplane of the national airline „Emirates“. Bigger, higher, more spectacular Where else the biggest flower garden should bloom if not in Dubai, known as the city of superlatives. At the beginning of November, when temperatures for flowers drop to a bearable 25-28 degrees, he opens its doors. Already at the entrance one is received by huge flowering horses, which seem to grow from the ground. It’s a foretaste of let’s say a floral craziness. The 18 metre sculpture high Mickey Mouse floral sculpture has earned in 2018 the 5th Guiness Records entitled „World’s largest Topiary Structure“. It is made from almost 100,000 plants and flowers, and weighs 35tons. Emirates Airline has constructed together with Dubai Miracle Garden the world’s largest floral installation through a life-size version of the Emirates A380. The plane is covered in more than 500,000 fresh flowers and living plants. When in full bloom, the aircraft structure will have an unprecedented total stem count of 5 million flowers and will weigh over 100 tonnes (take-off weight of an actual A380 is 575 tonnes). The path through the garden show is lined with opulent beds and giant hanging baskets – colourful and strong scented. In between you will find flowered little gazebos, called cabanas, where you can have a little rest and rub your eyes, if that is all reality, what you have seen: the 12-metre-high Teddy bear, the 15-metre floral clock, the hug castle covered with flowers or the underground floral cascade „the lost paradise“ with a depth of 20 ft. The garden with its colourful arches and patterns, and the myriad shapes they form, is truly magnificent and an oasis where birds and insects bustle you will never find downtown. Definitely it is a must for all Dubai visitors. Good to know The Miracle Garden reopens November for a new season after closing for six months during summer for renovation. It is required in order to protect the plants and flowers from excessive summer heat of the region. However, the trip outside the metropolis will be well planned. Be aware that Friday and Saturday is Dubai’s weekend, and the garden may be crowded because it is also a destination for many locals.… weiterlesen

Hyaluronic Acid: What Advantage does it Really have in Creams?

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Whether day skin care, serum or gel, hyaluronic acid is lauded as THE miracle weapon in the field of anti-aging. It is purported to cushion the skin, smooth wrinkles and balance roughness. But is the praise really justified? The body’s own natural substance Hyaluronic acid (HA for short) is, at least, not foreign to the body. Chemically speaking, it is a polysaccharide, i.e. a multiple sugar, and thus an important component of various types of connective tissue. It is the main component of our synovial fluid and lubricates the joints. The largest proportion of HA, about 50 percent, is stored in the skin. Its task is to bind enormous amounts of water – up to six liters per gram. Unfortunately, the body’s own production also decreases with age, starting from around the age of 25. At 50, the water reservoirs are only half full and this begins to become noticeable in the outside appearance: Fine lines and wrinkles, sunken cheeks, crow’s feet or a deepening of the nasolabial fold are classic signs of hyaluronic acid deficiency. The elasticity of one’s own skin, the so-called skin turgor, can be measured easily: one raises a skin fold on the hand with two fingers and releases it. Depending on the moisture content, the wrinkle remains or restores itself elastically. By the way, cracking joints are also an indication that hyaluronic acid is decreasng in the synovial fluid. Chain reaction The empty depots cannot be filled as easily as one might imagine, and certainly not with an externally applied cream. Whether this has an effect and what that effect may be is mainly due to the size of the HA molecules. Simone Presto, physician and expert for the Eucerin HyaluronPlus series, confirms this: “The long-chain (high-molecular) hyaluronic acid is a very large molecule which remains on the skin. The medium-chain hyaluronic acid penetrates a little deeper into the superficial skin layers through the epidermis, up to about the middle of the 12 epidermal layers. The short-chain (low-molecular) hyaluronic acid can penetrate more deeply.” But, as the doctor admits, there is a limit here as well. Even the smallest HA molecules cannot break through the basal membrane, the bottom layer of the epidermis, where cells are constantly produced. No innovative cosmetic can overcome this. The short-chain hyaluronic acid is deposited there and swells up because it binds water from the tissue. In this way, it can not only ensure that wrinkles become flatter, but also that cell communication is maintained.… weiterlesen

Croatia – A Picture-Perfect Coastline

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After visiting Slovenia, another Balkan region, Croatia, with a side-trip to Montenegro, was on my travel agenda this summer. The Dalmatian coast, with its many small bays, rugged rock formations and the green-blue Adriatic sea, is stunningly beautiful. Countless islands dot the waters just off the almost 400-kilometer-long coastline. The back country, in contrast, is as monotonous as the coastal landscape is impressive. After hours of meandering past wide valley meadows, rocky, scrub-covered hills, the occasional lone cypress and a few scattered villages, we decide to stick to the coastal roads. It’s difficult to get around in Croatia without a car, especially if you want to drive the back roads and not only to the next bay or nearest city. There are buses and they do have timetables, but this these are rarely adhered to and standing room in the overcrowded public transport is the norm. So rent a car – a small one is will do just nicely. On foot we check out all of the local rental companies in Dubrovnik, where our flight from Munich had landed the previous day. Ultimately we find what we are looking for at Sixt, which offers the most reasonable rates (275 € per week incl. insurance). Now we’re independent and mobile. By the way: Although it is part of the EU, the means of payment in Croatia is still the national currency (Kuna) as opposed to neighbouring Montenegro. It’s worth noting that since the mostly two-lane coastal roads are narrow and winding, journeys by car can take quite a bit longer than distances in kilometers would suggest. Hotels and their Star Ratings It pays to do a lot of research before choosing a hotel. Unless you’ve booked into a luxury chain such as the Hilton or Radisson, the star ratings aren’t much to go on. We opted for a four-star hotel in Zaton, about 9 kms from Dubrovnik. A big mistake! There was no minibar in the room and if, as was the case three times that week, the group of Chinese guests had attacked the buffet like a swarm of locusts by 7 a.m., there was no (at the best of times very meager) breakfast either. Things improved after a chat with the manager but even then, for a week we felt like we were in a training camp for hotel staff: Please try to clean the bathroom floor without leaving a smeary film; please replace the used up shower gel and soap (there was nothing else anyway), and in the mornings, no riding up and down in the lift with the staff on their various cleaning days.… weiterlesen

Anti-Aging Help From One’s Own Body

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The use of autologous (own) fat as a filler substance for wrinkles and sunken facial areas is essentially nothing new and own fat is certainly one of the oldest soft tissue augmentation materials known to mankind. Its advantages: The good and almost always unlimited availability as well as the optimal compatibility of the body’s own natural substance. Novel is that special consideration is paid to the anatomy, ensuring better aesthetic results and increased durability. Dr. Gerhard Sattler, founder and medical director of Rosenpark Klinik in Darmstadt explains the method and its advantages: How does the Facial Lipo Reset (FLR) method work? The harvested autologous fat is filtered and freed from connective tissue fibers, blood and the oil phase. The processed fat is then filled into syringes and, in confirmity with the patient’s anatomy, inserted into the tissue layers via thin (18 gauge) cannulas until the tissue or volume deficit has normalized. In contrast to the classical Coleman LipoStructure method, the FLR method uses the existing anatomy as the basis of the tissue architecture to avoid changing the individual appearance of the patient. What is the fundamental difference between the two methods? In the LipoStructure method, the subcutaneous tissue zone is intentionally mobilized, and the harvested fat incorporated diffusely. Within the framework of wound healing, the tissue conditions are then homogenized and harmonized. With the FLR method, on the other hand, the body’s own fat tissue is injected exactly into the space in which fat tissue is located or used to be located. This means that the fat is applied in an orderly manner into a fat chamber while preserving the architectural equilibrium and structure. The FLR method may, therefore, also be described as a targeted augmentation, while the LipoStructure method can be regarded as a destructive homogenization treatment. The latter is an anatomy-independent lipofilling without taking the recipient site, the anatomy and statics of the treatment zone into consideration. Simply put, the basic intention here was simply to “inflate” or fill out. What is the advantage if the fat is injected in conformity with the anatomy? Aesthetic anatomy allows the knowledge of fat chambers, retaining ligaments and various tissue layers. Injected fatty tissue has the best survival rate if it is injected into rooms in which fatty tissue is already located. Fat tissue placed between fasciae (connective tissue) or septa has no survival rate. Which areas can be filled out? Mainly the superficial fatty tissue layers of the face as well as the deeper localized fat chambers are augmented.… weiterlesen

A German Cartoon Character starts a successful Career in the US

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German journalist Petra Springer has always been passionate about fashion and film. Here, she explains how, with this passion, she created her first film “Holy Sh*t, it fits”, and later, the Cartoon-Lady Holly: I love films, but I never ever thought, producing my own.  After attending a workshop for visual communications, in which I was introduced to filming software such as Premiere and After Effects, I started “Holy Sh*t it fits“ as my graduation piece. I was fascinated! Now, I was able to combine my illustrations with moving pictures. Heart and Passion Already at the age of 12, I copied the fashion sketches from magazines and catalogs. Later, I attended the “Meisterschule für Mode“ in Munich and the “FIT Fashion Institute“ in New York. In the following years, I worked as Fashion Director for various Fashion Magazines. Nevertheless, I have always remained true to my passion for fashion illustrations. In 2017, I submitted my graduation movie to the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival in San Diego. I have been a big fan of this festival for a long time, as it was one of the first to offer a platform for Fashion Film makers. Fashion movie, the culmination for me as a cineast. Fashion, my lifeblood, and film, my passion – all represented at a festival. Nominated at the Festival of Fashion Film makers Fred Sweet, the Festival Manager, has a feel for new trends. He recognized the importance of fashion films as an independent genre in the future. When he started his festival in 2009 everything was still in its infancy. Photographers started to create small videos during fashion shoots. All this was made possible by the new technology of digital photography. The Fashion Festival has established itself in the past 10 years and, according to forbes.com, is now, not only one of the five best film festivals in the world but also considered the “Cannes of the Fashion Film World”.  A few days after I submitted my film, I received the exciting news from the US, that it was nominated in three categories: Best Creative Concept, Best Narration, Best Art Direction. Wow! This was amazing, a sensation for me! I was over the moon, being nominated. Four weeks later I found myself on the Red Carpet with my first film “Holy Sh*t, it fits“ as it was shown in front of a selected expert audience. Among others, there was Kean Etro from the Italian designer brand Etro in the audience.… weiterlesen

Pigment Spots: Harmless, but Annoying!

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Although from a medical point of view the brown spots are harmless, visually they can be quite disturbing. There are many methods of treating them and one of the most modern is fractional laser technology. Pigment spots commonly appear on the forehead, the cheek area and above the upper lip. Most hyperpigmentation spots are caused by exposure to sunlight and for this reason, frequently develop on the back of the hand or on the forearms, areas which often less protected against light. If someone has spent a lot of time in the sun, the first brown spots may already appear at the age of 35 or 40. The skin then often looks blotchy and prematurely aged. Hormones and sun “As with genetically caused freckles, these are caused by an excess of the pigment melanin. In both cases of over-pigmentation, the dark spots are intensified by UV radiation,” explains Dr. Sonja Sattler, founder and senior physician at Bellari Rosenpark in Frankfurt and Hamburg. Hormones can also have a lot to do with the development of pigment spots. These are then known as melasma or chloasma and are common during pregnancy, menopause, or during a hormone treatment to increase fertility. It is not known exactly how hormones promote the development of spots, but it is a fact that the combination of hormones, sun and blue light as well as genetic predisposition is the trigger. Once the spots are there, they stubbornly remain, even after the hormone balance has levelled off again. Certain types of medication, such as some antibiotics or St. John’s Wort preparations, can also cause hyperpigmentation under UV influence. Prevention and treatment Dr. Sattler therefore advises: “Because UV light, in combination with our skin memory, is responsible for the unsightly spots, anyone with a tendency towards pigment spots should, in general, choose a skin care preparation with a high sun protection factor (e.g. SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense 50+) for use during the day. If pigment spots are already visible and, depending on their severity, fruit acid peeling or laser combination treatments are suitable. “Bellari offers SkinCeuticals’ Pigment Balancing Peel as a professional cosmetic treatment. This is performed by trained beauticians who also provide recommendations for an appropriate follow-up care to achieve an optimal result. For more intensive effects, the most modern method is the fractionated laser. It can not only remove pigment spots, but red veins and wrinkles can be dealt with at the same time as well.… weiterlesen

A Photographer with the Eye of Humanity

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Her name is Leila Alaoui. The work of the French-Moroccan photo and video artist came to my mind for the first time at an exhibition next to the newly opened Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech. They were portraits of Moroccans from different regions of the country – all life-size and in front of black background. You stand in front of the pictures and believe that you would look the human directly into the soul. Or is it the other way round? I was so impressed that I wanted to learn more about Leila Alaoui. Unfortunately she does not live anymore. Sie died 2016 aged 33 from injuries suffered in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Alaoui was hired by UN Women and Amnesty International to work on a photographic assignment on women’s rights in Burkina Faso. Being one of the most promising photographers of her generation she is an artist to remember and will live on in her work. The Leila Alaoui Foundation was initiated and is run by her mother Christine. She has given herself the mission to preserve her daughters work and values. There are still two unpublished project from the years 2014 und 2015. With the bus across Morocco To realize her photo projects Leila Alaoui has spared no effort. For her series „The Moroccans“ she travelled between 2010 and 2014 the country with her mobile photo studio to capture the ethnic and cultural diversity of Morocco. She portrayed women and men in the manner of the traditional orientalist portrayal. Her style of presentation is often compared with Richard Avedon, one of the greatest portraitists of the 20th century. Alaoui’s life-sized images captured on a black background attracts you to look them into the eyes. The black canvas highlights the beauty of their facial features – no matter if they are young or old -, the sophisticated aesthetic of their dress, and the rich cultural traditions they stand for. Archaic people from a rudimentary, dusty environment. The book „The Moroccans“ I can highly recommend. On search for destinies Through this project, and all others, Leila Alaoui seemed to aim for the same social impact: one deconstructing the idea of hierarchy between culture and people. Her work shows a high degree of empathy for the people she portrayed. Born in Paris to a Moroccan father and a French mother, and grown up in Marrakech she has known the difficulties of a life between Europe and Africa.… weiterlesen