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.

_{Sustainable Development Goals at play}

_{• SDG 3: Good health and well-being
• SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
• SDG 15: Life on land}

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.

Rudolph Care produces a variety of creams, lotions, serums, deodorants and sun products – an assortment with many different challenges and requirements. Even if sustainability has always been an integral part of the company’s DNA, it is essential to constantly evolve and to inspire consumers anew, Robert Kirstejn Schmidt explains:

"We view sustainability as a continuous journey, never a destination, and so we are constantly identifying new areas to develop. That philosophy has inspired a number of projects over the years and will continue to do so in the future. Today, customers expect even higher levels of sustainability in exchange for their loyalty. That is a challenge we are eager to take on, because taking the lead is part of our company DNA. When born sustainable, you need to have big visions – which is exactly what we’ve got."

Robert Kirstejn Schmidt, Head of sustainability, Rudolph Care

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.’

Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, Founder & CEO, Rudolph Care

This is how Rudolph Care contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals

Rudolph Care is developing the world’s most sustainable luxury-class beauty product line.
The products are complemented by various sustainability initiatives within the company.

Facts about Rudolph Care

Founded in Denmark in 2006 by Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph
In 2009, the company launched the world’s first Swan-labelled and COSMOS-certified product line, completely free of the 26 EU-listed allergens
Most of Rudolph Care’s products have the Vegan Trademark, the international vegan certification
Head office in Valby, Denmark
21 employees

Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, Founder and CEO, Rudolph Care