Weleda

How ethical is Weleda?

Weleda is a natural cosmetics brand which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Deodorant Ratings Table. With a score of 94 out of 100, Weleda demonstrates a strong and long-established commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices, achieving good ratings across the vast majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide.

Weleda has not yet received The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation, an editorial endorsement awarded to brands which achieve a high ethical score across our multi-criteria assessment. Receiving this endorsement would provide further recognition of the ethical standards Weleda has demonstrated across more than a century of operation.

What does Weleda do?

Weleda AG was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Arlesheim, Switzerland. The company is the world’s leading manufacturer of NaTrue-certified natural cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for anthroposophic therapy, operating across 25 companies in over 50 countries. Weleda is owned by two non-profit foundations which together hold the majority of voting rights, placing sustainability above profit as a founding principle. Its product range includes deodorants, skincare, baby care, hair care, and homeopathic medicines, all formulated using biodynamic and organically grown ingredients. Weleda holds Union for Ethical Biotrade certification for responsible sourcing across its supply chain.

Why does Weleda perform well ethically?

Weleda achieves good ratings across ten of the twelve criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide. The brand receives good ratings for environmental reporting, genetic modification, organic ingredients, and fossil fuels, reflecting its long-standing commitment to natural formulation and biodynamic agriculture. Weleda achieves good ratings for animal welfare, confirming that no animal testing is conducted across its product development and manufacturing processes. The brand receives good ratings for armaments, irresponsible marketing, and political donations, and has no documented public record criticisms. Weleda has achieved recognition as an Ethical Innovator, reflecting its role as a pioneer of certified natural cosmetics since 1921.

What could improve Weleda’s ethical positioning?

Weleda’s vegetarian and vegan verified rating is acceptable rather than good, reflecting that some products within its range contain animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax and lanolin. While many Weleda products are suitable for vegans, the brand does not hold full vegan verification across its entire product range. Expanding its certified vegan product offering or pursuing full vegan verification across the deodorant range would bring this rating in line with the good performance demonstrated across all other criteria.

Obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would provide editorial recognition of Weleda’s ethical standards and make it easier for consumers to identify the brand as an editorially endorsed choice within the deodorant sector.

Weleda represents one of the strongest ethical profiles in the deodorant sector. Consumers seeking a natural deodorant from a brand with a century of ethical and sustainable practice behind it will find Weleda a straightforward recommendation. Our Ethical Deodorant Ratings Table allows consumers to compare Weleda against other brands, and our how we rate page explains the criteria used.