We may not be born sustainable, but we will not rest on our laurels
Rudolph Care
The Danish beauty brand Rudolph Care was born with an ambition to create luxurious and sustainable beauty products. Their next goal is to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the company.
It is now 15 years ago since the founder and CEO of Rudolph care, Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, participated in a Greenpeace study to discover that her body was full of endocrine disruptors, many of which stemmed from beauty products. This became the start of one of the largest and most visible Danish beauty adventures, today a thriving business of sustainable skincare. However, the journey is far from over. The next step is to base all production components on renewable resources, says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, who recently hired the company’s first head of sustainability, Robert Kirstejn Schmidt.
"Most Danes know us for our wonderful organic products, but what few people know is that we were actually among the first companies to combine certifications on both the environment and health because we refused to compromise on neither. Today, we are the only brand in the luxury category to be certified through both COSMOS and the Swan label. That makes our products unique. Now it is time to raise the bar once again – and Robert is the right man to drive us forward," Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph says.
In the SDG Accelerator programme, Rudolph Care worked to increase the level of sustainability at all stages of their product packaging: from production to after use. According to Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph and Robert Kirstejn Schmidt, the programme levered their ability to identify critical issues in the development of a new packaging solution, where the degree of sustainability suggested was quite extreme. Rudolph Care is also eager to collaborate with major academic institutions in order to address the full spectra of challenges involved in an uncompromising cradle-to-cradle production.
"First, we need to specify our requirements for every single phase of the production; then we have to look at all available alternatives in order to maximize sustainability at every level. Lastly, and because we are determined to go all the way, we must explore fundraising opportunities and look for partners in the beauty industry who want to get on board," says Robert Kirstejn Schmidt.
Despite the challenges ahead, Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph is eager to finally get started:
"One has to remember that our company was born out of stubbornness, perseverance and patience. That is how we developed our very first products, and that is how we intend to meet the challenges of the future. We are now in the midst of the process: we have a road map and we have a clear vision. We will not stop until we are 100 per cent satisfied – which we hopefully will never be. After all, our slogan is Rudolph Care, since 2009, for generations to come. That is our obligation."
Read more about Rudolph Care here.
SDGs at play...
Rudolph Care aims at contributing to SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production), and SDG 15 (Life on land).
Solution
Rudolph Care is developing the world’s most sustainable luxury-class beauty product line.
Further...
Rudolph Care's solution products are complemented by various sustainability initiatives within the company.
Founded 2006
Rudolph Care has its head office in Valby, Denmark, and employs approximately 21 people.
Vegan products
Most of Rudolph Care’s products have the Vegan Trademark, the international vegan certification.
Allergy-friendly
In 2009, Rudolph Care launched the world’s first Swan-labelled and COSMOS-certified product line, completely free of the 26 EU-listed allergens