COVER STORY: WELEDA

Body of Evidence

New Skin Food SKU and Formulas Lift Weleda’s Body Care Offer

-by Elisabeth King

Body care has been one of the main beneficiaries of the global self-care trend as more consumers turned to top-to-toe wellness routines to relieve stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Functional ingredients that increase feelings of wellbeing and sustainability concerns have also fuelled the body care market over the past two years, notably in Europe where sales of body care products rose 3.5 per cent in 2021 to US$5.6 billion, reports GlobalData.

Few other brands are better placed to meet the demands of today’s eco-conscious consumers for premium body products made with 100 per cent natural ingredients from renewable sources than Weleda. When it comes to body care, customers are also looking for results, says Charmaine Pichler, Head of Marketing for Weleda Australia. “Brands like Weleda with the highest environmental credentials that also deliver efficacy are poised for even greater success in today’s marketplace”.

NEW ECO PACKAGING/ MEETING TODAY’S CONSUMER DEMANDS

Weleda’s latest range of six new and reformulated body lotions not only glamourise basic body care, they deliver the highest represented claim in the category - moisturising - as well as revitalising, regenerating and wellbeing benefits.

Consumers are also demanding that packaging should reflect their environmental principles. The bottles for the new body lotions are made of 97 per cent rPET (excluding lid and label) and recyclable. Weleda is also on track to increase the proportion of recycled material in its primary glass, aluminium and plastic packaging to at least 65 per cent by the end of 2022.

We’ve had body lotions for a long time, says Pichler. “The latest formulations answer the questions consumers are asking - Is it easy to apply? Is it fast-absorbing? and Is the fragrance right? Long lasting hydration is the most dominant benefit across the range”.

Skin Food is Weleda’s most popular franchise and one Skin Food product is sold somewhere in the world every five seconds. “In 2019, we launched Skin Food Body Butter and it has been hugely successful. We also reduced our environmental impact upgrading the packaging to a recycled and recyclable glass jar with an outer box made from 85 per cent recycled cardboard and for a more prestige or premium look. Earlier this year, Weleda Skin Food Body Butter won a prestigious Elle magazine International Award for Best Green Skincare”.

We could see an opportunity for Skin Food Body Lotion to become a hero product in our new body care range, adds Pichler. “It has the signature Skin Food fragrance based on sweet orange, lavender and vanilla notes and is deeply nourishing for dry and very dry skin. A great everyday product, Skin Food Body Lotion is easy to apply, absorbs quickly and delivers instant hydration.

COVERING ALL BASES/ SOURCING WITH RESPECT

Containing one whole lemon per bottle, Refreshing Body Lotion provides added express moisture that lasts for 24 hours, says Pichler. “Anyone looking for intense hydration has the choice of Revitalising Lotion with omega rich Sea Buckthorn, which hydrates dry skin for up to 48 hours. Harmonising Body Lotion - Wild Rose has major aromatherapy benefits with scents of geranium and damask rose and pampers the skin with organic rosehip oil and shea butter”.

Firming and anti-ageing body care is a fast-growing category as skin appearance has become crucial for consumers. “Our Regenerating Body Lotion targets maturing skin and is rich in pomegranate, which helps to reduce the signs of skin ageing caused by sun damage and exposure and stimulates cell renewal, she says.

“Sensitive skin remains a major concern for many women and our Sensitive Body Lotion is fragrance and alcohol-free. The caring formula is made with sunflower oil, borage seed oil, organic coconut and jojoba to relieve tightness. It has been reformulated without almond oil and is certified by ECARF (European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation) as an allergy-free product”.

Weleda always stays true to its reputation as both a natural skincare expert and maker of products manufactured from the finest 100 per cent natural ingredients, notes Pichler. “We are also a member of the Union of Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) and ingredients in our body lotions come from an audited supply chain in accordance with the UEBT standard “Sourcing with Respect”.

FROM THE GROUND UP

#SaveEarthsSkin

In April, Weleda launched a global campaign - Save Earth’s Skin to prevent soil degradation. In a local initiative, the company pledged to donate $2 from every Weleda Skin Food product sold via their website in April and May to help Australian farmers. The proceeds went to Carbon8, a farmer-led project to increase the percentage of carbon in the soil to mitigate the impact of droughts and floods and transition to more regenerative farming methods.

Internationally, Weleda teamed with Arizona Muse, the environmental activist and founder of DIRT, the soil regeneration charity. More than one third of the planet’s soil has already been degraded and the video content of the campaign incorporates a project mapping technique on Arizona’s body to demonstrate how the world’s soil is under threat. Weleda backed up the images with new pages on its website and POS promotions in-store.

The use of the human body in the hero content of Save Earth’s Skin highlights the fact that, like our skin, soilhas a thriving microbiome. Weleda has been a pioneer of biodynamic farming for over a century and all of the ingredients in the brand’s products are either grown in its eight biodynamic gardens worldwide or sourced from more than 50 longterm partnerships who also use biodynamic farming techniques.

Weleda has also committed to donating 400,000 euros (AU$597,000) to soil-focused projects around the world. “We recognise how important healthy soil is, not only to make our high-quality products, but for the future of our planet and everyone who lives on it”, says Stefan Siemer. “Commitment to soil biodiversity is at the heart of all our product sourcing. Improving and supporting soil biodiversity to make it as healthy as possible, is a priority, through natural, biodynamic farming and collaboration with soil-focused regenerative farming projects across the world”.

B CORP CERTIFICATION

The Gold Standard Reassurance for Consumers

Over the past five years, numerous surveys and research reports have confirmed that skincare and beauty brands benefit from natural and organic certification. As “greenwashing” has become rampant, consumers are increasingly seeking out companies that meet the highest international standards.

Weleda has been a pioneer and innovator in sustainability, regenerative procedures and the use of biodynamic and natural ingredients for over 100 years. But last year, the Swiss-headquartered company considered it critical to demonstrate its alignment with more than 4000 B Corp organisations across 150 industries to positively impact social and environmental footprints.

B Corp certification, awarded by non-profit organisationB Lab, is the highest verified standard for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Weleda achieved B Corp Certification last November. To qualify for the benchmark certification, a company must complete the B Impact Assessment (BIA) and be awarded a minimum of 80 points on its 200 point scale. Weleda exceeded this requirement, scoring 106.9 points.

Weleda has long been recognised as one of the world’s leading responsible natural skincare brands, says Stefan Siemer, Head of Sustainability at Weleda. “We are excited to be part of this incredible community, to serve as a role model and to support our peers in the desire to make a difference. As our customers become increasingly aware of how their own consumption impacts the planet and society, it is our obligation as an industry leader in certified natural cosmetics to enhance our efforts to help them accomplish this goal”

Weleda’s new range of body lotions are available nationwide - Sensitive Body Lotion and Refreshing Body Lotion - Citrus (both $24.95), Revitalising Body Lotion - Sea Buckthorn ($26.95) and Regenerating Body Lotion - Pomegranate, Harmonising Body Lotion - Wild Rose and Skin Food Body Lotion - all $29.95. Go to www.weleda.com.au for stockists.