Heal ye, heal ye, Neal’s Yard Remedies comes to Rustan’s

On the eastern fringes of the West End in London lies the vibrant Covent Garden that’s abloom with shops, theaters, and elegant buildings. Some 30 years ago, the place teemed with lots of assorted businesses like an organic bakery. And then there was Neal’s Yard Remedies, an organic apothecary, where people would go if there was something wrong with them to get medical advice and take away little bags of herbs or products that would help make them feel better. Like maybe an essential oil or two to relax or energize their tired bodies or soothe their weary spirits as they go through another humdrum day. Name it, they herb it — the shop offered dried herbs, essential oils, homeopathic remedies, Bach flower remedies (homeopath Edward Bach claimed that the drops of dew found on flower petals retain the healing properties of the plant), and a range of toiletries based on herbs and essential oils.

That wonder store still stands on the street named after Thomas Neal in the heart of London, a city you’ll never tire of (As Samuel Johnson said, “When a man is tired of London, he’s tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”). Fact is, Neal’s Yard Remedies now has over 40 stores, more than 60 therapy rooms, and 400 stockists in the UK. More, it has found its way across the globe — from the US, Mexico, Canada, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Greece, UAE, South Africa, Australia to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea,  and Hong Kong. And now, Neal’s Yard Remedies just opened its first boutique at Rustan’s Makati.

Your best source for innovative and effective skincare products, Rustan’s The Beauty Source brings another popular brand that’s certified organic — Neal’s Yard Remedies, the world’s first health and beauty brand to score a perfect 100 for ethical practices by the global Ethical Company Organization.

It has a farm on a 95.2-hectare site in Dorset amid a scenic rural setting that’s got the least possible carbon footprint. Here, animal testing, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), synthetic and petrochemical ingredients are a no-no.

Yes, you read that right. For as Neal’s Yard Remedies’ official dictum reads: “What matters to us are people, their health and happiness. We’re obsessed with delivering natural ways to improve health and well-being through our outstanding skin and body care products. We also believe passionately that our environment is of vital importance, both in its own right and as a source of many of the plants and herbs vital to our well-being.”

“Thirty-forty years ago, Neal’s Yard Remedies was the antidote to all the changes that were happening in society, the industrialization,” says Calum Mackay, Neal’s Yard (Natural Remedies) Limited young and dynamic director of international sales, who flew in to grace the opening of the Neal’s Yard Remedies boutique at Rustan’s Makati. “The brand slowly evolved to use the power of herbs into skincare and beauty products. We’re the largest high-street retailer of potent remedies in the UK and we’re also the first organic brand. We work with an authority called the Soil Association, which certifies our products as organic. And that’s the only way we can have the trust of our consumers so they know the product is truly organic.”

He hastens to add, “It’s not just about being organic or using chemical-free ingredients. It’s also about the communities around the world that are growing our crops that we use in our products and ensuring that we trade fairly with them. It’s about people helping people.”

In Kenya, for instance, Neal’s Yard Remedies built a well for the women who go out into the forests to harvest frankincense so they don’t have to carry water with them. It pays a 10-percent bonus, which is used to support local community projects.

Calum elaborates, “Organic refers to farming. Not all the ingredients we use are farmed, like frankincense that comes from the desert in places like Kenya, Somalia or the Middle East. Any product to be classified as organic by the Soil Association has to be 75-percent organic or more. Our frankincense range varies from 76 to 96 percent. One of our best-selling products called Wild Rose Beauty Balm is 99-percent organic. (Wild rose has been used as a medicinal plant all over the world for thousands of years.) If you turn the back of our products, we put a little star next to every ingredient which is organic.”

To herb and to hold: Neal’s Yard Remedies ensures its ingredients are sustainably sourced, making it a benchmark in organic beauty products. Since the beginning, herbal scientists at the heart of the business have been unlocking the healing and rejuvenating properties of nature’s plants to create best-selling products that have been clinically proven to be effective. Available at Rustan’s Makati.

Neal’s Yard Remedies, says Calum, is always thinking of the “dark green consumer, even if the eco warrior isn’t using an anti-aging moisturizer, because it helps us make sure we put the best into our products. Probably the most green markets in the world are Denmark, Germany, and the UK. The trend is in its infancy in the Philippines just like in the 1980s in the UK.”

But being a global brand with a global supply chain, for Neal’s Yard Remedies, it’s not just about being organic but being effective as well. Its range of age-defying skincare has been clinically proven to be very effective. For instance, its frankincense range is proven to banish the lines and wrinkles and get you glowing in two weeks. Known as the Pearl of the Desert, frankincense is one of the most important oils for rejuvenating aging skin. While tightening and toning the skin, it’s also an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and tonic. Its warm, rich, sweet, woody scent relaxes both body and mind. The line includes a rich golden oil chock-full of vitamins A, D, E, F and essential fatty acids to encourage regeneration of skin cells; marine algae to plump skin for a healthy glow; Tri-peptide to stimulate collagen formation.

Neal’s Yard Remedies carries some 300 products, with everything made in England (except one or two which are made in the US). In the Philippines, it is launching all 100 pure, wild-crafted, organically grown plant essences perfect for a massage or as a diffuser, or added to a warm bath. It’s got bergamot, black pepper, cedarwood, eucalyptus, frankincense, grapefruit, lemongrass, orange, patchouli, rosemary, thyme, etc., for relaxing, energizing or cleansing or simply for curling up with after a long hard day. There’s something to boost our skin as well as to lift our spirits.

Calum tells us, “We’re launching our first product specifically designed for Asian skin, an oil-free serum, possibly end of this year or early next year. We’re looking to develop more products. We know that skincare is really a big concern here, so we’re bringing our light suncare products.”

And mommies, take note: “Another important part of our brand is the one time in a woman’s life when she has a baby and she wants the best for her child, so we have a range of baby products, almost all of which are 100-percent organic.”

Yes, indeed, Neal’s Yard Remedies has something to make us look beautiful outside and feel good inside.

Name it, they herb it: The first Neal’s Yard Remedies shop opened in 1981 in Covent Garden, London, offering dried herbs, homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and a range of herb-based toiletries.

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In the Philippines, Neal’s Yard Remedies is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source. Its first boutique can be found at the ground floor of Rustan’s Makati.