The enormous power of peat and mud

What is peat?

Iwona Frączek: We obtain peat from a peat bog called Borek. It is a very valuable mineral that has been formed for thousands of years in specific conditions related to pressure, temperature, microenvironment... We distinguish between two such minerals: peat and peat mud. We use both products in our cosmetics, but not straight from the ground, but subjected to an extraction process patented by Professor Tołpa, which means we obtain a very concentrated extract containing only the most valuable ingredients with antioxidant properties - minerals, humic acids - which have proven healing, moisturizing and immune system modulating effects on the skin. Peat has also been widely tested in diseases. When it comes to the ecological aspect, some may say that obtaining peat exploits the environment - we extract our peat to a small extent, because it is 20 m3, which is as much as a small room and as much as an average gardener uses in their garden in one year. We extract peat only twice a year with a small excavator, in different places. We do not disturb the balance of the ecosystem, natural regeneration of deposits occurs.

What is the difference between peat and mud?

IF: Peat has a more detoxifying effect. We use it mainly in body products. Peat is darker, peat is lighter. It does not stain the skin.

Who is mud recommended for?

Natalia Michniewicz: It is dedicated to a wide group of recipients, because it is a great relaxation product. It is also recommended for athletes to regenerate the body after training and to relax when we are under stress. A peat bath will also help to take care of the figure, have a firming, anti-cellulite and detoxifying effect. It is great for a hangover. After a party, if you overdo it with the bubbles, it is worth taking such a bath. If we feel unclear and, for example, do not know if something is "taking us", it is worth taking a peat bath, because it improves the mood and well-being, we feel much better in our own body.

What distinguishes Tołpa peat from others?

NM: In Poland, no one else uses peat in cosmetics. The specific vegetation found in the Borek peat bog enriches the composition of the peat – thanks to this, it stands out from other raw materials.

IF: This is also the original peat bog that Professor Tołpa used in the 1960s. It all started with him. Barbara Piasecka-Johnson supported the professor in his activities, he strove to make the peat he studied a cure for cancer. This is a topic for an entire series... We continue what the professor discovered, but in a different area. Peat has enormous power. People often compare it to Dead Sea mud or Epsom salts, or other such natural raw materials, but this is an inadequate comparison, because peat contains many more valuable ingredients and is a much stronger antioxidant, it has a very wide spectrum of effects on the skin. It is simply a powerhouse as a raw material in itself.

The extraction method itself is important – no one in the world has patented one like ours.

And how did it happen that a brand was created from the professor's research?

NM: One of the professor's relatives was involved in this, and since it couldn't be subsumed under [pharmacology], it was possible to use this potential in a different way. At first it was toothpastes, and then cosmetics began to be created.

IF: Professor Tołpa worked on a product that stimulated immunity in the 1980s – we still offer Immunokompleks. The professor worked more on a tablet than on cosmetics, but later research went towards the beneficial effects of peat on the skin.

Will you reveal what premieres you are preparing for 2022?

NM: Tołpa stands for innovation. In addition to the fact that we take into account various trends, including those of ecological cosmetics, we are still a leader in care with the help of dermocosmetics and an expert in anti-acne care. There will definitely be a lot of novelties next year, but we can't say what they will be.

Do you have any favorite products?

IF: Mud bath for quick regeneration.

NM: I agree with that, I sign with all my limbs. [In addition to that] definitely the 3 Enzymes peeling – this is a peeling that can really be used regardless of skin type. There hasn’t been a product like this on the market for a long time, we were the first. It’s also pleasant, because it smells like Haribo pineapple jelly – but above all, you can see the improvement and glow effect right away, and it also affects the sebaceous glands and exfoliates the epidermis. I also like all the products from our Dermo Body body line. They cost a bit more than what we can see on the shelves in drugstores, but we have their effectiveness confirmed in instrumental tests. On our Facebook group, girls who use the anti-cellulite turbo cream post photos with the effects before and after. It’s incredible that a cosmetic applied to the skin can really have such an effect on its appearance and reduce cellulite. It’s a huge joy for us that the effectiveness is also confirmed by users.