Auro Oleum is a small family company from Croatia that cultivates immortelle. Our field covers an area of four hectares and is located on the Island of Krk. We started the process of forming a plantation in 2016 by preparing the terrain, and in the beginning, we grew the seedlings ourselves. We harvested the seeds from natural immortelle found in the wild on rocky slopes by the sea on the northern Kvarner islands in Croatia. Before planting the immortelle itself, we carefully grew the seedlings in styrofoam pots located in the greenhouse. All processes, from picking seeds, growing seedlings, building greenhouses to planting seedlings, were done manually. Today we are proud of the thousands of immortelle bushes that we grow, keep and nurture with a lot of love and care.
The Mediterranean climate, the composition of our soil with a high proportion of limestone and long dry summers, create perfect conditions for the growth and flowering of immortelle, so immortelle from Croatia produces high quality essential oil. The immortelle we grow is a species of Helichrysum italicum that originates from the Mediterranean region.
Our plantation is young, we did the first harvest in late autumn 2018. Since then, every year in mid-June, when the immortelle is in full bloom, we harvest, and then the distillation process takes place.
Auro Oleum grows and distills the finest essential oil and hydrosol (flower water) of immortelle. Our products are 100% pure and natural raw materials that can be used for personal care, and they are also used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and perfume industries, cosmetic surgery and aromatherapy.
The immortelle essential oil and hydrosol we produce are balanced in all their key ingredients. We strive to provide the best quality of the plant and essential oil by adhering to traditional cultivation methods, without using any artificial chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) which makes our immortelle 100% organic, natural, and healthy to use.
We have enriched our offer with two more products made from medicinal herbs that grow in our field. It is St. John’s wort and yarrow from which we made macerate and tincture. The plants are hand-picked with a lot of love and attention, and the products are also free of additives and preservatives. These two products are made in limited quantities, so they are only available in Croatian, therefore you can find them in the Croatian Products and Shop sections.
Nature is our friend
We are pleased to declare that our immortelle essential oil and hydrosol are produced by traditional methods. No genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or transgenic farming methods were used in the production process. All our seedlings are made from hand-picked seeds of wild flowers Helichrysum italicum. Auro Oleum is proud to offer organic products certified through the Biotechnicon d.o.o. business center, a fully authorized company for inspection and certification. What does all this mean for you, our customers? When you order Auro Oleum immortelle essential oil or hydrosol you can be sure that your purchase helps to preserve valuable natural resources and reduce environmental pollution. Download our NON-GMO statement.
Also, Auro Oleum is a cruelty-free company. We do not perform or order animal testing of any ingredient or finished product, either directly or indirectly. This standard also applies to our suppliers/partners/distributors from whom we require confirmation that each ingredient we use in the manufacture of our products does not include animal testing and raw materials of animal origin. Download our Animal Testing Statement.
Ecological packaging
At Auro Oleum we always strive to do good for the environment. We have responsibly selected the materials we use for our packaging and given priority to those who are environmentally ethical. We would like to emphasize that all our products come in ecological packaging, i.e. in glass bottles packed in paper / cardboard packaging that can be completely recycled. Be responsible for the environment and upon receipt of your package or spent product – recycle!
Business ethics
Auro Oleum j.d.o.o. is committed to providing customers with the highest quality products. We believe that the best method of this commitment is to build a strong relationship with like-minded people who share our values, ethical standards, and agree with the standards of our business conduct. Our relationships with partners, suppliers and distributors are based on the principle of trust and honest business. Such a principle needs to be applied to everyone within the supply chain, including employees and subcontractors, all in accordance with International Labor Organization and United Nations standards. Download our Ethical Sourcing Statement.
Grants for improving work and business
During 2018, we applied for the Tender for the implementation of the type of operation 6.3.1. „Support for the development of small agricultural holdings“ from the Rural Development Program of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2014 – 2020. We have applied for the said tender for a project to improve the work and business process. The project is financed in the amount of 85% by the European Union, and 15% of the funds are financed from the budget of the Republic of Croatia The total value of the project was 111.187,50 HRK, or 15.000,00 EUR, and it is a full grant.
The aim of the project was to modernize, i.e. improve the business process, which we achieved by purchasing equipment for plantation maintenance, arranging roads within the plot, procurement of additional seedlings and other small equipment for plantation maintenance. The project also financed the development of an ecological certificate and the settlement of part of the bookkeeping services, which greatly facilitated the costs and operations in the past period.
By purchasing additional seedlings, we filled in the rows, and the roads within the plot were arranged and aligned. With the ecological certificate, we received proof of the quality and natural cultivation of immortelle, which is of great importance to us for further placement on the market.
The implementation of the project, i.e. the procurement of planned equipment – connection for inter-row tillage and tractors – significantly facilitated the maintenance of the plantation. These activities are especially important to us because we want to have a completely organic production, we do not use any preparations against weeds and in this process is very important mechanical treatment between the rows by which we control weeds. Thus, we have reduced the amount of physical work, and thus the cost of maintaining the plantation, which has a positive impact on the sustainability of the project, but also the environment.
