Visiting Martina Berto, Learn the Importance of Jamu Documentation

PT Martina Berto TBk (Martina Berto) is a cosmetic and jamu manufacturer company since 1977. Its products are very diverse and are well known internationally. Visiting Martina Berto, we got a lot of insight, both related to Martina Berto products or related to traditional medicines. 

Source sariayu.com

It was Thursday, November 4, 2021. The Jamupedia team was getting ready to pay a visit to Martina Berto. The modern factory is located at Jalan Pulokambing II no.1, Pulogadung Industrial Estate, East Jakarta. The Jamupedia team accompanied the Chairperson of GP Jamu, Dwi Ranny Pertiwi Zarman and Deputy Chairperson of GP Jamu.

During the visit, the Jamupedia Team and GP Jamu were welcomed by Professor Bernard T. Wijaya as Martina Berto’s Business Development. We were then invited to tour Martina Berto, one of which was to visit the Mini Sari Ayu Martha Tilaar Museum. The museum captures the many journeys and achievements of Mrs. Martha Handana Tilaar in starting her business.

Mrs. Martha started her beauty business career after graduating from beauty college in the US. Initially she worked in a salon (beauty parlor) while offering beauty services from house to house, or offering to acquaintances from campus.

In 1970, Mrs. Martha opened her first salon in her father’s garage. Thanks to her persistence and tenacity, two years later a second salon was opened and there were already beauty products with the Sariayu Martha Tilaar brand. In 1976, Martha Griya Salon was opened, which focuses more on beauty treatments using traditional ingredients. Martina Berto was officially founded in 1977 and is still operating today.

Source: www.marthatilaargroup.com

Sariayu Color Trend

During the visit, Martina Berto’s products were also discussed, one of the most interesting things for Jamupedia was the Sariayu Martha Tilaar Color Trend. Through the Sariayu color trend, beauty products are released by maximizing natural ingredients and elevating the colors of Indonesia’s natural and cultural wealth. As the name suggests, the Sariayu color trend is released every year by highlighting the latest color trends.

Based on the information on the sariayu.com page, until 2020 there have been 34 types of Sariayu Color Trends. Some of the most iconic of them are the Inspirasi Senja di Sriwedari /Inspiration of Twilight in Sriwedari (1987), Pusako Minang (1998), Bunga Khatulistiwa (2003), Cantika Jawa Timur/Cantika East Java (2009), Exotic Indonesia (2011), Ethnika Nusa Tenggara (2012), Inspirasi Papua/Inspiration Papua ( 2015), and Inspirasi Jakarta/Jakarta Inspiration (2018).

Source: journal.sociolla.com

During the visit, the Jamupedia team also had the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Martha Tilaar. From that conversation, Mrs. Martha advised that we all continue to maintain and revive jamu as the nation’s heritage. Mrs. Martha said that one way is by documenting and writing about jamu.

Mrs. Martha revealed this because she has been regularly documenting all things about jamu for decades, whether for beauty treatments or traditional medicines. Several books written by Mrs. Martha include Kecantikan Perempuan Timur/Beauty of Eastern Women (1999), The Green Science of Jamu: Pendekatan Pragmatik Untuk Kecantikan & Kesehatan/The Green Science of Jamu: A Pragmatic Approach to Beauty & Health (2010), The Tale of Jamu: The Green Gold of Indonesia (2015), and many more.

Mrs. Martha revealed the reason for the importance of documenting and writing about jamu because most of the knowledge or information about jamu is only stored orally and passed on orally. It is very vulnerable to extinction.

“Why am I actively writing books about jamu? Before it was too late, one person died, one library caught fire,” said Mrs. Martha Tilaar.