Weleda

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Summary

Overview

In 1921 Rudolf Steiner guided physician Ita Wegman, chemist Oskar Schmiedel and other medical professionals to establish Weleda, creating anthroposophic natural remedies and cosmetics that support the body's own self-healing capacity.

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Timeline

History

1920

Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman found predecessor companies Futurum AG (Arlesheim) and Der Kommende Tag AG (Stuttgart)↗

1921

Weleda established; Ita Wegman opens the Arlesheim clinic; commercial production begins in Schwäbisch Gmünd↗

1922

First medicinal herb garden established↗

1924

Name 'Weleda' registered as a trademark; biodynamic farming developed by Rudolf Steiner; British Weleda Co. Ltd. founded↗

1926

Skin Food launched↗

1928

Company officially registered under the name Weleda AG (10 December 1928)↗

1956

Swedish subsidiary founded↗

2004

Finnish subsidiary founded↗

2018

Received the first-ever UEBT ('Sourcing with Respect') certification↗

2021

Company centenary (100 years); B Corp certification; treesisters reforestation partnership↗

2024

B Corp recertified with score of 120.66 (October 2024)↗

2026

Skin Food 100th anniversary campaign; Weleda x Stella McCartney at Paris Fashion Week↗

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Range

Signature products

Skin Food

Weleda Skin Food has been caring for people's skin since 1926↗

Arnica range

save ⅓ on award-winning arnica essentials↗

Mum & Baby (Calendula) range

MUM & BABY — Gentle care for every stage of motherhood, bump to baby.↗

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Formulation & philosophy

Ingredients & philosophy

Weleda is grounded in anthroposophy and a holistic view of the human being, aiming to unfold health and beauty in harmony with nature and people. It frames wellbeing as balance of body, mind and spirit and builds products from biodynamically grown, certified-natural ingredients.

arnicabirchcalendulairislavenderwild rose

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Group

Ownership & group

Owner

Independent

1920

Der Kommende Tag AG acquired the former 'Colonial-Werke Paul Rumpus' in Schwäbisch Gmünd (now Weleda's German headquarters)↗

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Fact-check

Controversies

Controversy

1943

Weleda delivered a one-off consignment of frostbite protection cream to the Wehrmacht; it reached SS staff surgeon Sigmund Rascher, who conducted hypothermia experiments on prisoners at Dachau concentration camp. In the 1990s Weleda distanced itself and apologized to the Holocaust survivors' association Aktion Kinder des Holocaust (AKdH).↗

Controversy

Iscador, Weleda's fermented white-mistletoe (Viscum album) extract marketed as an anti-tumor treatment, has had its ineffectiveness established; its use is not recommended by the Swiss Cancer Congress or the Swiss cancer league.↗

Controversy

Weleda's products are based on anthroposophic medicine, which Wikipedia characterises as a pseudoscience.↗

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References

Sources

T1 primary · T2 secondary · T3 note

[1]T1weleda.co.ukhomepage
[2]T1weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-story/heritagehistory
[3]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-story/identityabout
[4]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-story/valuesphilosophy
[5]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-responsibility/sustainabilitysustainability
[6]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-expertise/natural-cosmeticsingredients
[7]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-expertise/research--developmentscience
[8]T2weleda.co.uk/weleda/our-story/rudolf-steinerfounders
[9]T3en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weledawikipedia
[10]T3beautymatter.com/articles/how-weleda-skin-food-survived-100-yearsexternal_other
[11]T3womanandhome.com/beauty/beauty-news/weleda-skin-food-celebrity-fans/external_other