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WELEDA: 100

YEARS OF CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE

100 years ago, Weleda became the world’s first natural cosmetics company, pioneering organic farming methods and cultivation and setting standards for ethical business practices. Today, Weleda is the world’s No.1 producer of certified natural skincare and holistic healthcare products, supplying 55 countries across five continents…

WELEDA has subsidiaries in 20 countries, manufacturing in 8 of those including the UK, employing over 2,500 people, and managing approximately 248 square km worldwide organically. In Weleda’s own biodynamic gardens, over 120 plants are cultivated for harvest. The resulting plant tinctures form the basis of the many products in the range. Weleda also sustains more than 50 long-term fair trade farming partnerships around the world to produce additional organic ingredients. Behind many natural brands there’s a highly individual company philosophy, and this is certainly the case with Weleda. When it comes to being green, ethical and sustainable, Weleda has shown true commitment for a century. First founded in Switzerland in 1921, Weleda was established in the UK in 1925 and the original range included several products that are still going strong today, such as Weleda’s famous Arnica Massage Balm and the iconic Skin Food moisturiser, which have become Weleda classics.

The company name derives from the title the ancient Celtic tribes in Germany and elsewhere gave to their healers: ‘Weleda’. These wise women were hugely respected for their understanding of herbs and nature. They were considered priestesses and, like village elders, they were often asked for their counsel and advice and revered for their experience and wisdom.

A more modern day ‘Weleda’ was the company’s founder, Dr Ita Wegman, who trained in massage and physiotherapy in the early 1900s and then went on to study medicine and specialise in women’s health and gynaecology at Zurich University at a time when there were very few women doctors. She established the Ita Wegman Clinic in Switzerland, and Weleda remains partially owned by this non-profit organisation today. She had a particular vision for health and wellbeing: a truly holistic approach, using natural products and developing holistic treatments that took into account mind, body and spirit. This ethos continues to shape Weleda’s range today.

Her co-founder, scientist and philosopher Rudolph Steiner, was a man ahead of his time. He established biodynamic agriculture and is credited with contributing significantly to the modern organic farming movement. This organic principle and respect for both people and planet underpins Weleda, and the company’s original mission statement, ‘in harmony with nature and

the human being’, continues to be used and indeed to resonate. Weleda has been a pioneer of sustainability right from the start; sustainability is both Weleda’s heritage and future.

Sustainable, genuinely natural, top quality ingredients are at the heart of Weleda, providing a strong sense of identity and direction. The quality begins with the plants grown in Weleda’s own Demeter-certified herb gardens. The gardeners work with nature’s rhythms and nurture the plants at every stage, from planting the first seed from Weleda’s own seed bank through to harvesting the crop by hand.

Every one of Weleda’s natural and organic cosmetics is certified by NATRUE – no other seal worldwide is more demanding in terms of quality. Products are formulated using natural ingredients, without mineral oils or petrochemical derivatives, without silicones, synthetic fragrances, artificial additives or GMOs. Raw materials are carefully processed; because growing quality plants is only half the story –it’s the processing that makes the difference in preserving the plant’s natural effectiveness.

Weleda is famous for procuring the best raw materials, from producers around the world with whom they nurture close and trusting partnerships. This ensures that Weleda can trace every plant oil, dried flower or essential oil all the way back to its source.

Today, Weleda is one of just two beauty brands worldwide (and the first in Europe) to obtain the new UEBT certification for ‘Sourcing with Respect’. The Union for Ethical Bio Trade is a non-profit organisation that provides a globally recognised standard for sustainable sourcing and the use of raw materials. In order for a brand to be certified, the UEBT looks at its entire sourcing system to verify that biodiversity is conserved, ingredients are sourced sustainably, and that all partners along the supply chain are treated equitably and paid fairly.

For Weleda’s Centenary year the company is bringing the beauty and diversity of its gardens to life through an immersive, interactive and multimedia digital experience: The Open Garden, a smartphone-accessible multimedia platform.

The inspirational and educational platform invites the user to follow the signposts and explore the gardens, delving deep underground or buzzing around with the bees, discovering plants and their properties along the way. Visitors can explore a 360-degree view of Weleda’s Romanian arnica fields, surround themselves with bird song from Brazil or journey through fields of lavender in Moldova. To discover the plant ingredients and products that best suit each of us, a quiz helps participants discover their botanical match. It is even possible, using augmented reality, to virtually plant some of Weleda’s key botanicals, bringing the Weleda garden, people and products a step closer.

There is no better place to experience Weleda’s philosophy than in its gardens where the deeprooted connections between people and nature can be discovered. Why not explore Weleda’s Open Garden at https://opengarden.weleda.co.uk. n

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Weleda products are widely available, from many supermarkets and beauty retailers, pharmacies, health food stores, online retailers and Weleda’s own online store at www.weleda.co.uk. The range is also available from a network of knowledgeable Weleda Wellbeing Advisors all around the UK, many of whom are holistic therapists, who incorporate Weleda’s range into their work and support their clients with organic skincare and holistic health products as part of their expert service.