Category — Brands

Weleda is one of the first brand names I heard when I set out on my organic skin care search. But I heard it from my European sources. Because it just happens to be the number one natural skin care brand in Europe. And if you are lucky enough to be living in Germany, you can get Weleda products everywhere. In fact, if you live in Europe, you probably heard about it whether you are into “natural” or not. But if you live in North America or other countries… Well, we clearly got some catching up to do!

Yes, it boggles my mind that a company that has been creating top quality products since 1920s is still largely unknown outside of Europe. I feel the situation must be rectified… And on that note, here is your definitive primer on all things Weleda skin care…

First Some History:

Weleda was founded on the pioneering anthroposophical ideas of Rudolf Steiner in 1921. Rudolf Steiner provided the “spirit”, the philosophy for the company, while a Dutch medical doctor Ita Wegman was the medical foundation. Together they launched anthroposophical medicine, and Weleda was the pharmaceutical laboratory developing medicines that were in line with that philosophy. (Ita also founded a clinic and a home for mentally handicapped children, among her other accomplishments.)

Anthroposophy views humans as indivisible beings consisting of body, mind and soul. Thus in the context of healing, all three had to be taken into consideration. Which also applied to the preparation of medicines. And since humans are intrinsically connected to living nature, only pure natural remedies could provide true healing. And nothing tops organic and biodynamically grown ingredients. (Read my article about biodynamic).

But back to our story… In 1924 the then called “Internationale Laboratorien Arlesheim AG” acquired its first subsidiary, a German company, which in addition to medical preparations made cosmetic preparations. The company was officially renamed Weleda AG in 1928.

Weleda company has miraculously survived World War II, despite the fact that Hitler has banned Anthroposophical Society, and in 1945 the company resumed its operations with about 150 employees.

Since the mid 1950s the company has been using organic and biodynamic ingredients. This was accomplished through both setting up their own farms and developing an extensive supplier network, which have to comply with Weleda’s stringent requirements.

Note: I heavily sourced this article and I owe them credit…

Now for Some Mythology:

WELEDA
[Wa-lay-da]

WELEDA was first registered as a trademark in 1923. Rudolf Steiner chose the name himself, for “Weledas” were Celtic women healers. These were wise women with deep knowledge of nature.

There was also a known historic “Weleda” — a prophetess and a priestess of healing living at the beginning of Christian Era. According to the Roman Historian Tacitus, she lived by the Lippe River of modern day Germany. She belonged to the Brukturer tribe, and under her influence, her tribe united with other Germanic tribes to repel Roman invaders, until eventually captured. The peace was established eventually, but the Romans feared Weleda’s influence and took her captive in Rome, where she remained until her death, though she was treated honorably.

The Business Side:

As for the technical nitty-gritty of the modern corporation (I’m an accountant by training… I can’t help myself ), The modern Weleda Group is based in Arlesheim, Switzerland, and is the leading manufacturer of anthroposophical medicines and natural cosmetics in the world. As of August 2007 the company had 17 regional companies, and products available in 50 companies worldwide.

The company mainly specializes in natural cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs and nutritional supplements. All Weleda body care products are manufactured in Switzerland, Germany, and France, using more than 400 organic ingredients from 30 countries. In 2005 the company had $295 million in sales, with cosmetics generating roughly two-thirds of Weleda’s revenues.

Weleda Products:

Where do I start? There are literally tons of great products. But let’s highlight a just few that got a well deserved media and user attention:

Wild Rose Intensive Eye Treatment — Winner - Beauty Awards - Best Eye Treatment, Lifescape Magazine, 2007

To make the skin around your eyes soft, supple and young…

Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash — Highly Recommended - Best Body Wash — Natural Health & Beauty Magazine, 2008

Refreshing and revitalizing shower with an antioxidant… Now that’s a win-win situation! It has an orangey smell, which is a great way to wake up in my books.

Wild Rose Body Lotion — Winner - Best No-Guilt Eco Chic Body Lotion — Essentials Magazine, 2007

Perfect gentle and light lotion for a after bath…

By the way, the whole Wild Rose line have been getting tons of accolades. For example, the line was voted Best Beauty Range by Here’s Health Natural Health Awards in 2004.

Skin Food — Highly Recommended - Best Intense Moisturiser — Natural Health & Beauty Magazine, 2008

Skin repair for dry patches and winter protection. But please, use sparingly! Cause we are talking “DEEP MOISTURIZING” here! This tends to be a hit with eczema crowd.

Weleda Products Winner — Best Value for Money — Natural Health & Beauty Magazine, 2007/2008

As in, they are touting the whole brand.

The “Weleda Wild Rose Oil” won the prestigious “Product of the Year” award at the BioFach trade show in Frankfurt in 1996. In the realm of natural products, this is the award everybody covets…

Oh, and dear mommies, did I mention the Weleda Baby Range? The one that TIPS recently selected as Tips Top Brand? The one that was mentioned in Vogue, Country Living, You Are What You Eat, Prima Baby, Allergy, Mother & Baby, That’s Life!, etc.?

Finally something gentle for the tender skins and bums.

Packaging:

Most Weleda products are packaged in glass bottles and metal (aluminum) tubes. Please note that all aluminum tubes have inert resinous lining, and thus aluminum does not come in contact with the product inside. The reason for the packaging is that it is best for retaining the product qualities. Glass, is inert, and thus does not react with the volatile “living” substances inside. And the beauty of metal tubes is that upon squeezing the necessary amount, the tube contracts, and thus air does not come inside – making the product stay fresh longer. Since Weleda does not use synthetic preservatives, it must take even simple things like packaging method and material into account in order to prolong the life of the product.

The glass bottles and aluminum tubes are, of course, perfectly recyclable.

Other interesting facts:

Why is the company’s head office located in Switzerland, and yet it’s considered German by many?

The answer is that when it was registered, Germany was coming out of World War I, and money and freedom were much safer in Switzerland. Thus the company is legally Swiss. However today the production is focused in three countries: Germany, France and Switzerland.

Certifications:

BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics

NPA Certification (Natural Products Association’s certification).

Fair Trade:

Weleda also practices Fair Trade. Which basically means that they offer support to communities from which they source ingredients. They set up long-term relationships with suppliers, and make sure that the workers are treated ethically.

In Conclusion:

In conclusion of this grand epos, which is much longer than I anticipated (but hey, the company is pretty old to fit in a paragraph!), I must say that I’m envious of those living in Germany who can just walk into a local store and buy any Weleda (or Dr. Hauschka for that matter) product any time. It’s no secret that Germany and France, and Europe in general, are way ahead of us (North Americans) in terms of embracing organic skin care.

But girls of the rest of the world – do not despair! The tide of nature cannot be slowed down, and the fact that you now know about wonderful brands like Weleda proves it. We may not yet be able to get it at our local drug-mart. But hey, we’ve got internet!

There is a rumor going around that while it’s possible to find organic or natural skin care, when it comes to organic makeup, the waters are much murkier…

Well, to an extent that’s true. There are many more companies that make organic creams and masks, then those that make lipsticks and mascaras. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing out there. And to prove it, I’ve made a thorough search, and profiled some of the best organic (and mostly certified) makeup choices around the world.

I posted the whole list here: “World’s Best Organic Makeup Lines”. The list includes organic makeup lines and natural makeup lines that may or may not be around your area, but at least some you should definitely be able to find!

Now, the criteria I used when searching was whether the makeup is certified, is free of synthetics, parabens, and not testing on animals. Despite the fact that I know that not all certifications are created equal, a lack of one is also telling. For example, there is a New Zealand brand that is “natural” and mostly “organic” or “wild harvested”, called “Living Nature”, but it is not certified. When I looked closer into it, I realized that they add synthetic ingredients, such as colors into their lipstick. Since that’s precisely what I’m trying to avoid, I’m not featuring them on my page (though I will gladly do so if they discontinue the use of synthetics). Sukicolour, however is an exception. While I could not find any information on certificates, upon studying the ingredients and information available about the line, I came to conclusion that there are no synthetic ingredients or preservatives, and therefore it falls into the “as natural as possible” category.

If you know other trusted, tested, and honest brands, please drop me a note. Good natural and/or organic makeup is still a developing sector in the beauty market, and every effort should be made to encourage manufacturers to provide us with effective choices. There is absolutely no reason why we should sacrifice health for beauty. And there is absolutely no reason why we should be eating poison in our lipsticks or putting poison on our eyes. Nature has provided us with abundant resources for facial art (for that’s what makeup really is ). Just look out on a field of wild flowers, and you’ll see that nature’s pallet has everything an artist could ever dream of and more.

Some of the lines featured are: Lavera, Logona, Physician’s Formula, Dr. Haushcka, SukiColour, NveyEco, SANTE Cosmetics, etc…

I hope that this list continues on growing, as new items enter the market. And as I find out about them

This is the long-awaited part two of my organic eye-cream experiment. (Here is part one where I featured Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Gel) What can I say? I think I’m in love… Yes, I’m positively developing a love affair with Dr. Hauschka products. And this eye cream is so perfect for my eyes, that I’m struggling with words that would adequately convey the depth of my appreciation for finally finding a cream that does precisely what it promises, without any side effects.

I’m practically hyperventilating from the excitement.

Ok, catch my breath. Let’s do a review.

Product name:
Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream by Dr. Hauschka

What and who is it for:
“A light, hydrating daily treatment. Firms and smoothes the eye area to minimize fine lines.” It really is for everyone, and especially so for those with sensitive skin.

About the brand:
Given the popularity of my “brand overview” articles (eg: Jurlique, Weleda) I am intending to write an extensive Dr. Haushka brand overview ASAP. For now, please see the “about the brand” section of my review of Dr. Hauschka “Quince Day Cream”. But, in a nutshell, this is a company heavily influenced by anthroposophical ideas of Rudolf Steiner, and therefore it uses pure organic and biodynamic ingredients, as well as does its part in being eco-consious and globally friendly. The company manufactures a very comprehensive cosmetics line that includes both organic skin care and makeup products.

Price:
Around $50 for the tube. But it is worth every penny and you need so little per use that it will last for ages!

Certifications:
100% Certified Natural by the BDIH.

Packaging:
A recyclable aluminum tube. The tube is coated with a food-grade resin, so aluminum does not come in contact with the product.

Reading the ingredients:

These ingredients read like “who is who” in the nature’s apothecary. Avocado for vitamins (especially Vitamin E – best for anti-aging) and fatty acids, rose flower water to soothe and treat most sensitive of skins, pineapple for lighting, hydrating and smoothing… The list goes on. It really does read like food for skin!

Water/Aqua, Avocado (Persea Gratissima) Oil, Rose (Rosa Damascena) Distillate, Glycerin, Alcohol, Pineapple (Ananas Sativus) Extract, Beeswax/Cera Alba, Althaea Officinalis (Marsh Mallow) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea) Oil, Hectorite, Sweet Almond (Prunus Dulcis) Oil, Rose (Rosa Gallica) Petal Extract, Apricot (Prunus Armeniaca) Kernel Oil, Lecithin, Jojoba (Buxus Chinensis) Oil, Mango (Mangifera Indica) Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia Nut Oil, Shea (Butyrospermum Parkii) Butter, Seabuckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) Oil, Carrageenan (Chondrus Crispus), Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Fragrance/Parfum (Essential Oil), Geraniol*

Other claims:
‘With Dr.Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream the skin around the eyes feels relaxed and nurtured, and premature wrinkles are prevented. It is a refreshing relief for the tired and overworked eye contour area.”

Scent:
Very subtle and hardly detectable. Just as I like it

Texture:
Light and creamy.

What does it actually do:
It is extremely light and fast absorbing. Not even for a second did my eyes have the usual “bloated” feeling other creams cause. I could blink, stare and wink with no problems. Nor did they look shiny as if I painted glasses on my face (an occurrence not so unique with eye creams I’ve used in the past). And it wasn’t greasy either, so it is make-up ready. I don’t have too many lines under my eyes – thankfully I’m still in the “prevention” mode , but my companion (who, as I mentioned at the beginning of this experiment, is in her very young early fifties) is raving about the smoothing action… In fact, when I asked her to tell me what she thought about this cream (compared to Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Gel) which she liked a lot, she had just one word: “Better!” Now, that’s saying something, given all the praise that Jurlique received from her. I tried to get her to elaborate, but it was all “good” and “better” and “nice” and “gentle” and “working”… Hardly cohesive (positive emotion overwelmed her vocabularly too), but the gist was obvious.

Cons: Given my glowing review I feel like I need to provide a con, just so I don’t seem too biased. And I’m really trying to find one. Still trying… Really trying… Perhaps I could say the price, for as I mentioned above it can come to $50. But is that really a con? I mean, that cream lasts a very long time, and the price is quite normal as far as eye creams go. And you are getting real quality here… For your eyes. With no preservatives. Or colours. Or other suspicious little chemicals that other companies like to add just so my eyes can experience the different shades of scarlet…

I’m just trying to be objective here…

And, by the way, my companion is still using the sample pack. It’s that tiny little-paper-square thing. She’s stretched it for two weeks already… A little goes a long way. So yah, it might be slightly pricier than some other choices you’ve seen, but calculate it over its useful life and you are talking pennies a day…

So no… No cons.

Verdict:
My thesaurus is not providing me with enough positive words to describe how happy I am with this eye cream. Cause I am really happy with it. And I’m seriously considering writing a “thank you” letter to Dr. Hauschka.

And as to the comparison with Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Gel? Dr. Hauschka is the clear winner. At least in my view