After 100 years, the recipe still hasn’t changed.
A hundred years on, it's still the exact same blend: organic sunflower seed oil, lanolin and beeswax, with the signature botanicals of wild pansy, chamomile and calendula. Because the formula is so rich, this one little green tube does far more than a standard body cream or balm. Here are the 15 most popular uses for the original Weleda Weleda Skin Food.
1. The perfect dewy makeup primer
Makeup artists have been using Skin Food as a primer for years. A small amount pressed into the skin before foundation creates a smooth, hydrated base. It helps foundation glide on more evenly, sit better on the skin and give a natural, dewy finish.
2. A treat for dry elbows and knees
The skin on elbows and knees has fewer oil glands, which is why it can feel rough and dry. Standard body lotions often disappear quickly. The lanolin and beeswax in Skin Food help keep moisture in and smooth these areas.
3. An overnight face treatment
When skin is feeling dry or depleted, apply a slightly thicker layer before bed or leave it on overnight. The plant oils and calming botanicals help skin hold onto moisture, leaving it feeling soft and nourished by morning.
4. Keep the skin hydrated on planes
Cabin air dries skin out fast. Applying a layer of Skin Food before take-off, and again before landing on longer flights, helps minimise moisture loss, so skin feels more comfortable the whole way.
5. A natural highlighter
You don't need shimmer to create glow. Tapping a small amount onto the tops of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and under the brow catches the light naturally and gives a healthy, hydrated finish.
6. A rich hand cream
Hands that are constantly in water or out in the elements dry out quickly. Skin Food is rich enough to stay on the skin and help keep them feeling soft and comfortable.
7. A cuticle treatment
Massaging a small amount into the nail beds softens cuticles and keeps them looking neat. The calendula and chamomile help calm the skin around the nails.
8. Tame frizz and fix eyebrows
Warm a tiny amount between your fingers and press it into the ends of the hair to smooth frizz. The same small amount can be used to shape and hold brows in place.
9. A layer against wind and cold
Applying a thin layer before heading outdoors helps keep skin comfortable in cold, dry air.
10. A heel and foot balm
Apply a generous layer to heels or dry areas before bed and cover with cotton socks. By morning, the skin feels noticeably softer and more comfortable.
11. A lip balm in a pinch
Dry lips get the same treatment as everything else on this list. Warm a tiny amount between the fingertips and press it on. Weleda makes two dedicated lip versions, the Skin Food Lip Balm in a tube and the Skin Food Lip Stick, but the original does the job when it’s the one within reach.
12. A rich face mask
Skin Food doubles as a mask. Apply a generous layer, leave it to sink in, then tissue off whatever’s left. The plant oils keep working long after that.
13. A DIY tinted moisturiser
Mix a small amount with foundation on the back of the hand and full coverage turns into a sheer, dewy tint. This is the weekend version of the primer trick from number one. It works with mineral blush and bronzer too, sheering them out into cream formulas.
14. A barrier for hair colour and fake tan
Salons have used petroleum jelly for this job for decades: a line along the hairline before colour to stop dye staining the skin. Skin Food does the same thing without the petrochemicals. A thin layer on knees, ankles and elbows before fake tan works too, so the dry spots don’t grab extra colour.
15. Slugging
Slugging is when you seal in all the skincare with a final rich layer to lock everything in overnight. It has been around far longer than the name, and Skin Food is made for the job, especially in winter.
Once a tube is in the house, it finds its own jobs. I’ve written a full guide to the Weleda Skin Food face range covering the whole family of products, and for everyday there’s the Weleda Skin Food Light, the same signature botanicals in a texture light enough for an everyday face moisturiser.
And the little green tube is only the start of the story. After more than a decade of stocking Weleda, here are the ten things I’ve always loved about the brand.
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