Dr. Hauschka
Dr.Hauschka
Dr.Hauschka
Dr.Hauschka

Development

Every product starts as an idea

It happens while out walking, seeing a plant, meeting a client or before choir practice: an idea sows its seed. Annette Greco, Head of Development, firmly believes that this is the way things should be; ideas cannot be forced in the laboratory.

The pharmacist values the exchange of ideas, the creative input and the various biographies, professions and nationalities at WALA. Creating a new product always involves many people from across all departments. “And suddenly, there is something in the air!” stated Annette Greco, describing the point at which her team retreats to the laboratory to transform the ideas into recipes. This ‘galenic’ development comes together with pharmaceutical expertise and years of experience to form the basis for a new product and its ideal fragrance. Other groups are responsible for other development tasks: they check whether the raw materials selected are available as organically farmed produce and whether their quality can be analytically guaranteed and complies with the legal framework conditions; they consider how the finished product can be manufactured, packaged and marketed to the customer. These many different stages are coordinated by the product management department.

The art of combining harmony and effect

It is the task of the galenic developer to create harmonious yet effective recipes for the selected ingredients and the intended product use. These recipes must not only produce a balanced composition but also explain the ideal method of processing each of the raw materials. “It is not enough to simply say that the product contains roses,” explained Greco. It is also about how. Sometimes she uses ethereal rose oil, sometimes extracts from the fruits. At other times, she reverts to the use of rose water or even a basic substance from the petals. “In the same way that you can use tomatoes to make a salad, soup or juice, the manner in which a medicinal plant is processed depends on how it is to be used and its desired effect.”

When working on a recipe, Annette Greco and her team keep a constant eye on the materials and the processes, and thus on the basic nature of people and plants. This is the only way to ensure that the finished products have a holistic character with multifaceted consumer appeal.

“WALA is one of the few companies whose products enjoy global popularity. This is because we develop them for people and not markets.”
Annette Greco

In getting to the finalised recipe, the galenic developers devise and reject up to 200 approaches. The effectiveness and skin compatibility of the new product is then tested by independent institutes without using animal testing.

And then we (finally!) also present our new ideas to you.