“Keep him in line, otherwise he’ll try all kinds of new things.” Talk to his wife, Hasnah. She will tell you that her husband loves to experiment. Dr. Gatot smiles as he assembles powders and oils into new formulas, saying, “The good thing is when you start, you can adjust later.” Paul Penders senior cosmetic chemist moves throughout the laboratory with a twinkle in his eye. As he reaches for bottles and measures out quantities, you sense he knows exactly what properties the ingredients will give to a formula. He attended the famous Gajah Mada University in Jogjakarta and earned his doctorate from the prestigious Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia. His particular specialty is tropical flowers. Paul tells me, “You can ask Dr. Gatot anything about flowers.” A glance at any box in the product line reflects his expertise – angelica, arnica, calendula, chamomile, ginger, lavender, rosemary and many other flower oils and herbal extracts are carefully blended in exact proportions into creams, lotions, shampoos, and more. Dr. Gatot and Paul Penders are both excited. Paul has returned from the Malaysian mountains of Perak where he wandered high into the jungle to an indigenous village. He has brought back with him samples of the tropical “senduduk” white flowers, a special mineral clay collected from a sacred stream and bottles of the waterfall water. They have had these rare elements tested by internationally accredited laboratories and it turns out they contain minerals like potassium and manganese that are healthy for the body. The mountain stream water is so pure, you can drink it. Now they get to play. The real fun for the cosmetic chemist seems to be in the formulation of something new. Paul Penders has worked with Dr. Gatot for years and the trust and understanding they have with each other is evident as they brainstorm new formulas. It is fascinating to watch these two men as they suggest ingredients for new cosmetics.

Dr. Gatot and his wife Hasnah at
a recent cosmetics industry trade show

Not every day in the lab is as exciting as when making new products. Because Paul Penders products are cold blended and made in small batches, Dr. Gatot must supervise and check that staff prepare formulas to his exacting requirements. “And you thought making shampoo was easy,” says Paul. As I watch, Dr. Gatot stirs the shampoo on a machine with magnets. Before my eyes, it becomes thick and creamy, and changes from a clear liquid to the color of fatty milk (the kind we no longer drink). He holds out a small bowl for me to smell. The scent is sweet, even deep, with many notes of cinnamon and sugar. “Earthy,” Paul calls it. Dr. Gatot writes down the exact proportions and grams of each ingredient. “This is expensive shampoo! The most expensive I’ve ever made,” laughs Dr. Gatot. And I answer, “I’m just amazed!” The new shampoo that Dr. Gatot has just created is a big commitment – this formula will be replicated thousands of times. That formula needs to be perfect. Tonight we will all be given samples to take back to our rooms – tomorrow we’ll each report on how the shampoo feels and works on our hair and skin. Volunteer testing!

Left to Right – At a recent charity concert organized by Paul Penders Co as
part of its SRP / CSR, three of our favorite people got together: medical
doctor and tropical herbs expert Dr. Ghani, concert pianist and author
Gary Goldschneider, and far right, Dr. Gatot -- people we greatly
admire who have been featured in the PP Blog.

By Teviot Fairservis.

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