Last week I shared the first part of my recent visit to the beautiful Weleda gardens in Ilkeston, Derbyshire (you can read it here). Now for the post lunch analysis…
A tasty lunch (of quiche and salad – sadly no cake this year) gave us the opportunity to chat amongst ourselves before Weleda’s Managing Director Jayn Sterland gave us a insight into the company.
If you haven’t come across Weleda before then they are definitely a brand worth investigating, not only because of their products. Previous visits to the company’s HQ have been highly educational and this year’s trip was no exception. Jayn gave a potted history of Weleda and the companies founders Rudolph Steiner and Ita Wegman before moving on to the products themselves.
*if you are interested in the company’s history then take a look at my previous Weleda Insight Day posts (links below), or alternatively take a look at the about us section of the Weleda website.
Cotton pads soaked in Rosemary bath milk were offered to us all to smell. This seemed at the time like quite an insignificant thing to do but when Jayn explained that Rosemary is in fact a lead plant in many Weleda recipes, it made sense.
Rosemary has many beneficial properties but it is probably most well know for it’s use in products and treatments which stimulate hair growth, improve memory and aid concentration and reduce stress. The woody, perennial herb certainly has a lot going for it!
Weleda’s use of Rosemary in their products goes back to the start; in fact it featured in some of their original recipes. Besides the iconic and much loved Skin Food, Rosemary also is a key ingredient in the Revitalising Hair Tonic, Aknedoron Cleansing Lotion, Arnica Massage Balm and of course Rosemary Bath Milk.
With the reminder that Rosemary is such a useful herb, I feel that I may need to start re-incorporating it into my life. Fingers crossed for some improvement on my lingering baby brain (she’s now five!!)…
Insight Days always have a hands on element so when Jayn concluded her talk, it was time to get our hands on some of the Weleda products and indulge in a little self pampering…
Following Jayn’s talk, the tables around which we were sat were laden with bowls, towels and various lotions and potions. We donned the fetching white headbands, laid towels across our laps and under the guidance of Massage Therapist and Weleda Wellbeing Advisor Kate, we began what turned out to be a truly blissful half hour.
Half capfuls of Rosemary Invigorating Bath Milk were added to bowls of warm water and lemniscates (infinity symbols or sideways figure of eight – ∞) were made in the water to gently agitate and evenly disperse the milk. We soaked flannels in the water, squeezed out the excess water and placed them over our faces for a few moments, inhaling deeply (with a hope that the memory improving properties would work their magic).
Damp cotton pads were used to apply Almond Soothing Facial Lotion; removing makeup and environmental debris from the surface of the skin. Almond Soothing Facial Oil soaked cotton pads were then used to gently remove eye make-up.
We warmed a little Almond Soothing Facial Oil in our hands, pressed it onto the face and neck and Kate then talked us though a facial self-massage. On completing the massage we applied Skin Food over the residual oil to create a mask and allowed it to sink in for a few moments before gently working the pressure points around the eyes and nose.
A second bowl of warm water was infused with Lavender Relaxing Bath Milk and the hot cloth and deep breathing techniques came into play again in order to remove the facial mask. Almond Soothing Facial Cream was then applied to the face and neck to complete the facial.
This unexpected facial was a truly relaxing experience. My face has been a little neglected of late so this deep cleansing and hydrating treat was very much appreciated.Bubbles were the focus of the third part of the afternoon. A fun few minutes was had blowing bubbles (as demonstrated above by the lovely Lilian Komor – @greenbeautymua) before the reason for the antics became clear; Body Wash. Weleda don’t use conventional foaming agents (such as SLS’s) in their body washes, instead they rely on Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, a natural, mild surfactant produced from vegetable oil which is not only a good detergent but also has naturally foaming properties – a quick experiment with a (third) bowl of water and a bath scrunchie soon proved that!
Sadly this brought a close to the day. This was the third time I had attended the Insight Day and as ever I came away bursting with inspiration and knowledge which I hope to use in my own, as well as my work life. On leaving we were gifted a fantastic goody bag packed full of Weleda skin and body care products and a mindful colouring book (and crayons). I’ve never got into the whole grown-up colour thing but this book is beautiful and so maybe I shall just give it a go…
If you don’t feel that you’ve read enough about the Weleda Insight Day’s then take a look at previous years posts which can be found via the following links: 2014 Part 1; 2014 Part 2; 2015 Part 1; and 2015 Part 2.
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