Rudolph Care: A player that can set the bar high

The story behind Rudolph Care is based on frustration. Frustration about not being able to find proper skincare products that were also fabulous, more sustainable and a pleasure to use. And frustration over the beauty industry’s many transparent products and messages. This led Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph to take matters into her own hands and found Rudolph Care – and in this way the company’s founder turned her frustration into a reaction:

"I wanted to create a concept that hadn't been seen before. I wanted to combine caring for the consumer and for the world, while making something powerful and fabulous that pleased all the senses."

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is part of the mission

But Rudolph Care also has a wider mission – to change the world:

"It doesn't get any bigger than this. But that’s actually what we want to do," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph and adds that she also wants to inspire other companies to make a difference.

Rudolph Care has chosen to focus on the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in order to achieve its mission. This is due to a wish for a certification that includes the entire product life cycle:

"Many consumers focus on how things are made, with far too little consideration of whether things are degradable and how. Both in our bodies and in nature. So we really needed a strong player who could set the bar high and give us that peace of mind. To be completely honest, I could only find one, and that’s the Nordic Swan Ecolabel," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph.

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel also provides something that Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph has asked for as a consumer, namely transparency:

"We trust that what’s on the shelves is good – but that’s not always the case. When you become more aware of this and try to decipher lists of ingredients to make the right choice, most of us are quite lost. This is also why I love certifications – they make it easy for consumers to make good choices," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, adding that the independence of the certification is important:

“Then you know that the company can't just claim anything, but that a third party ensures that the company actually lives up to its promises.”

A challenging labour of love

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is an important parameter for Rudolph Care, but it requires hard work. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s requirements are continuously being evaluated and further tightened, to keep up with the latest knowledge and developments in the market. This means that certification is achieved for a fixed period of time. When new requirements are introduced, manufacturers have to document that their products fulfil the new requirements. And that’s why this is sometimes a challenging 'labour of love'.

"This is because it’s so extremely difficult to live up to, and because the requirements are regularlybeing tightened. This can be extremely frustrating, but it also gives great certainty that the requirements are developed in line with new knowledge. You can't rest on your laurels, and it’s tough every time the requirements are changed – but it’s also really cool when things succeed," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph.

Everything has come together

The hard work has paid off. This is emphasised by the fact that Rudolph Care has been nominated as a Børsen Gazelle company no less than five times. This Danish award is given to fast-growing companies that have at least doubled their revenue over a four-year period. According to Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, this can be explained quite simply:

"Everything has come together. We wanted to achieve many different things at the same time, and now it's all come together. And our success is also about making high-quality products that deliver."

This extraordinary success also means that Rudolph Care is ready to expand into new markets. They have seen demand from abroad for quite some time, but have been a little hesitant because the business needs to grow at a pace with which everyone can keep up.

"It's been important to us that this happened gradually and that we had control of the processes. We make great efforts with everything, across the board, in the company, and we must continue to do so. We wanted to be completely ready, and now we are," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph, adding:

Perseverance, courage and patience

Rudolph Care has been a driving force in bringing more sustainability to the beauty industry. This has required perseverance, courage and patience in equal amounts.

"It’s not easy to be the first – it’s cool, but not easy. It's easier to ride in others' slipstream, and it's easier to stick to business as usual. But I think that 'business as usual' should be challenged. Every industry can improve in terms of taking responsibility for people and nature, even if it is challenging," says Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph.

But being a pioneer also has many advantages:

"If you're the first to gain certification, you'll have a head start. You have the opportunity to stand out and you gain a marketing advantage. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a third-party's endorsement that things are done properly – and this ensures credibility, which is important for consumers."

Updated February 2024