Main site content

Weleda Products

Weleda was founded in Switzerland in 1921 by a Dutch medical doctor Ita Wegman and the renowned philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Weleda was established in the UK shortly after in 1925.

Weleda made a conscious decision from the outset to avoid artificial ingredients and use only
raw materials from the natural world – for example, naturally occurring minerals like sodium chloride or honey, and precious plant ingredients grown organically, or better still bio-dynamically at their own farms around the world.

By using essential oils in body care products for their natural preservative properties they avoid the need to use artificial preservatives such as parabens. Many Weleda body care products bear the BDIH kite mark (certified natural cosmetic) so you can tell at a glance the product is genuinely natural.

Wherever possible they use biodynamic or organic ingredients, in fact Weleda pioneered the use of biodynamic or organic ingredients in the personal care industry. Biodynamic agriculture involves growing plants to the highest organic standards without chemical pesticides or sprays. It takes into account not just the seasons but also the rhythms of the planets. Crops are planted or harvested at the optimum time and the soil is enriched and re-vitalised with Biodynamic preparations and natural fertilisers, so plants have a strong inherent life-force and a more potent effect when used in health products.

Ingredients are grown biodynamically at Weleda, taking into account the impact this has on the surrounding natural habitat. Sometimes specific crops have to be especially cultivated for them, as they cannot pick them from the wild, such as Edelweiss, which is a protected species. It takes years of expertise to cultivate healthy organic plants that retain all of their wild characteristics, active compounds and valuable therapeutic properties.

Where they use wild ingredients, such as rose hips of Rosa mosqueta that grows in abundance at the foothills of the Andes, these are gathered by controlled certified collection. This ensures that the natural habitat is not damaged or exhausted. The local community is equally protected by fair trade. Where ingredients are grown for us, we work with local farmers, helping them to convert their conventional farms into sustainable organic culture.

Through these fair trade agreements, Weleda offers economic and social support to these communities. People are just as important to Weleda quality as the use of healthy organic plants. It is a vital part of the Weleda ethos to take responsibility both for our environment and co-workers in this way.

The starting point for manufacturing is to begin with the very finest and purest raw materials. To preserve the integrity and natural therapeutic properties of the ingredients, processing is kept to an absolute minimum – they use unbleached beeswax for example, and raw cane sugar.

Both individual ingredients and finished products are tested at every step of the way for consistency and purity. Independent dermatological tests are commissioned to confirm the efficacy and safety of individual products.

Weleda body care products are all suitable for vegetarians; many are suitable for vegans.